Wouldn't it be good if........

[Margaret Pilkington]

Wouldn't it be good if some enterprising Muslim businessman thought up a scheme to let ordinary muslims demonstrate their disaffection for the atrocities. A coloured ribbon, a badge of some description, a flower. At the vigil in London last week and at the 2 minutes silence there were plenty of Muslims bearing placards saying 'Not in My Name'.

If a muslim wasn't wearing one of these badges/ribbons/flower.....it wouldn't mean that they were in favour of what has been happening, but if they WERE wearing badge/ribbon/flower.......wouldn't it make a difference to general feelings of un-ease on both sides.
What are your views.......?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Oh.... and better still.....proceeds or profits could go into the Red Cross Fund to help the victims of the bombings.

[Tinkerbelle]

Excellent idea in theory Margaret. I wonder if it would work? Wrist bands could possibly be popular with younger generations of muslims.

[janet]

Excellent idea margaret.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I hadn't thought of wristbands.......I suppose it is because I am not in the 'Younger'generation. I think it might just deflect some of the abuse that muslims appear to be getting.......if they were wearing something that meant they were against extremism surely people would feel better towards them.

[Tinkerbelle]

It's the younger generations of our own and muslim children that is the future. If they can believe whilst they are young enough that terrorism achieves nothing maybe we could hope for a more peaceful future.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I agree with that Tinks, but I also think that the muslim leaders and parents do have some influence....children and young adults pick up ideas like pigeons pick up peas .......without thinking.
Attitudes are something which cut across all ages.

[Gayle]

I know what you're suggesting sounds good in principle but I can imagine it would cause even greater divides in the muslim community. It could work if it was something that was worn by everyone regardless of colour or race.

[Tinkerbelle]

I agree Margaret but peer influence can be just as strong and the children could maybe learn the adults a thing or two. It would take one child to buy the wristband ..... another child asks what it's for that get's the children talking about the purpose of them..... then the other child wants one .....they tell their parent's and the then the parent's ask what it's for. They are an excellent way to get a messages across through the generations.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I agree with that Gayle.......and I think it would bring some cohesion.
But I was thinking of how muslims are sometimes perceived..........and I have read some very eloquent stuff from people like Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, and Shiub Khan.......they feel just as hurt by the atrocities as we do, but I think it is all too easy to lump all muslims together and think that perhaps they don't feel the bombings were wrong.

[garinda]

I think if British Muslims did show that what happened wasn't done in their name, it would alleviate a lot of tension.

The wristband idea, though, not to my taste, may prove a popular idea.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I can see what you're getting at but I feel uneasy about the idea and I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps maybe it's because it seems like a "dare" to the militants and could possibly draw animosity towards the wearer from the "bad guys".

It's hard to explain.

When I was in Ireland it was easy to be "not a member of the IRA" but to openly display something which was anti-IRA would have been inviting retribution from them. Maybe that is colouring my judgement. I'm just affected by personal experience.

I do believe that the majority of muslims are horrified and dismayed that such acts take place in the name of their religion.

[Doug]

I understand your direction of thought Margaret, but I would have to agree with Mrs Knight in respect of all people displaying the same feelings on the matter. I don’t really seen how Wrist Bands serve any purpose now. The original Idea was an extremely good on but it has become over stated. We have them for all shorts now and the original statement that they demonstrated have merged into a fashion accessory and for some a vehicle for profit…..I would like to see the Muslim community engage with the predominantly Christian community in which they live. An attempt to engage, understand and respect other cultures is the only way forward. Some Muslims refuse or decline the opportunity to learn the language of the country they say they have adopted as their own, yet the Christian and predominantly white community is not given the option in some schools but to learn predominantly eastern languages. There are few Ethnic Minority Groups in Blackpool, yet I am currently engaged in producing company documents into Ethnic Minority languages, this excludes white Europeans. There is an imbalance in our country that is exploited by these people. Now we are shown that if we do no accept the terms of these extremist our cities will be bombed. We have all a long way to go, but it is time that the Muslin Community opened itself up to its hosts and learned to integrate into one British Community speaking one language under one Law. We have always been a multi cultural country and until the eighties it worked well, then we handed control to those whose ideals may have been well intentioned but perhaps a little over simplistic, if not misguided.

[Tinkerbelle]

Maybe I am way off the mark but the only point I'm making with the wristbands is get the kids while they are young, change their way of thinking! Adults have to many predjudices already instilled in them.

[Doug]

Regrettably it’s often the adults that embroils their children with there own prejudices. I accept what your saying and I hope that the work that is in progress continues. But we are now beginning to over exploit the idea of wrist bands in the way we did with lapel pins, something which I still buy in order to support a cause.