Offence in Radstock?

*A local council decided against flying the flag of St George after concerns were raised that it would offend the town’s 16 Muslim residents.

Really? Given that the Cross of St George is the flag of England, why would it offend anyone living in this country? I lived in France for a couple of years. I could have gone along to the local town hall in Lodève and complained that the tricolor offended me because of Napoleon Bonaparte’s imperialist war. I’d have got short shrift, mind, and rightly so.

Eleanor Jackson, a university lecturer, said the red and white symbol could cause upset in Radstock, Somerset, because it was used during the Crusades 1,000 years ago.

You almost want to laugh at the stupidity. The cross has been used as an excuse for wars before and since then. If people find it offensive because of what happened 1,000 years ago, then that is their problem –  and that is the point; do the 16 Muslims who live in Radstock actually find it offensive? In which case, tell them to fuck off and grow up, or as is more likely, they are indifferent, in which case, we should be telling Ms Jackson to fuck off and grow up.

The objections raised about the flag of St George were branded “oversensitive” by the local Muslim community while the Muslim Council of Britain said England’s patron saint should not be associated with “any hatred of Muslims”.

So, the latter it is, then.

* On close reading of the article, that should be one councillor, of course.

15 Comments

  1. It does not seemed to have occurred to the silly bitch that Muslims might not be too well-disposed towards the display of the LGBT flag either…..

  2. It seems that the association with the far right was the greater consideration, but the professionally-outraged-at-the-professionally-outraged media focused on the Muslim thing, because that’s what they do. The council fly the union flag instead.

    Obviously, both objections should fuck off.. but (in addition to pointing out that no Muslims seem to care, as you duly do) it’s worth noting that the it was the slightly-less-absurd reason that mattered, and that it seems more like they had two flag options, and chose the one that nobody objected to.

  3. Radstock is in the county of Avon. Somerset is next door, its council being centred in Taunton.

      • Radstock is actually within the unitary authority of Bath and North-East Somerset. The unloved County of Avon was abolished in 1996. However, this decision was taken by Radstock Town Council, which is basically just a glorified parish council. Which flag to fly is one of the few things they have any authority over.

  4. “…or as is more likely, they are indifferent, in which case, we should be telling Ms Jackson to fuck off and grow up.”

    I’m not sure investigation is even required, let’s just do that to the Ms Jacksons of the world as a start!

  5. Will the people of Radstock now stop voting these people in,as it makes everyone seem a traitor to our own country!

  6. There is a George Inn in Radstock, they should have it renamed the Mohammed Tatchell to make it inclusive of two minorities.

  7. St George is a saint in Russia it should also be known MUSLIMS have part of a MOSQUE set out to St George been their saint St George never set foot in Britain he was beheaded he never killed a dragon all rubbish.
    He became a saint in Britain due to a KING on drugs thinking he saw a shadow on the battle field again rubbish.

  8. “and that is the point; do the 16 Muslims who live in Radstock actually find it offensive?”

    On average, no. I doubt it very much.

    I’ve worked with 3 muslim men in various sites. All did their prayers, and ate and drank as they should. One was really serious about being a muslim, standing out in the street on weekends trying to convert people, getting into debates about it at work.

    And in all 3 cases, they didn’t try and piss on anyone’s chips. They never asked for Christmas decorations to be taken down, or for people not to go to the pub.

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