fifa and ban on poppies - disgrace!

Largehat is probably right on the Patel thing, it is more of a Hindu name, although both the Sikh and Hindu communities in Peterborough are fairly well established and the place isn't big enough for them to not cross paths at some point!

And no offence taken what so ever Exiled, I like a good debate on pretty much any subject.

I've heard the whole thing about Jerusalem not being considered a hymn by the Church of England before. Funnily enough there was abit of a discussion about it in my area with regards to it being sung on Remberence Day. Luckily some sensible person pointed out that if we're going to get pedantic about hymns perhaps we should stop having the Rememberance Service in a church seeing as how thats not really a religious ceremony in the same way that Jerusalem isn't really a hymn. Oddly enough everyone shut up when that got said!!

You could well be right about it being a similar situation I was thinking of rather than it being anything to do with the local council. I just remember it being something to do with Birmingham, Jerusalem and the Barmy Army singing the song that the supposedly "aren't allowed to sing". Which was kind of predictable from them really!

Funnily enough, these minorities are usually the most offended by the new regulations.

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Bit of a generalisation isn't it Campo ...

In my experience, it doesn't really matter what creed or colour you are, there are people who simply like complaining ....

WF, just going through the lyrics of Jerusalem, I can't really find anything that could really be seen as offensive in it.

Some councils do get a bit uppity from time to time but the great majority of the stories I hear are complete rubbish/ exaggerated.

Not at all, Moses. In my experience, the minorities have no issues with the things that are becoming regulated. They probably don't like being told what should and shouldn't offend them.

No generalising at all, pal.

That's sort of the point Moses. There's nothing in the song to be offended by unless you are actually trying to be offended! If I remember rightly the story went that it was something to do with the line about rebuilding Jerusalem in Britain. If someone can get offended by that then in my honest opinion they need to seek help!

The thing that makes me laugh most kind of backs up the point Campo is making.

In this country we have an unfortunate number of "do gooders" who try to tell people what they should be offended by, and quite often these people are portrayed as not wanting to offend any minority group but with special focus on Muslims. Now the funny bit is that whlst this is going on the Muslim Council of Britain are sat there basically going:

"Hello! Are you listening to us?! We'll tell you if we're offended by something, stop making us all look like a bunch of overly sensitive nutters!"

I do kind of agree with you WF, I study Business at Uni and we have been told that in different cultures, different things can offend.

My only problem is when something is reported and the facts aren't right.

I personally think it has very little to do with do gooders, they have a bit part in it but it is mostly down to people wanting to protect their organizations and there-selves from any accusations/ possible legal cases.

Bang on the money, WF!

Common sense prevailed.

I study Business at Uni and we have been told that in different cultures, different things can offend

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Tell me about it.

I was was working in the IT department for a Global Chinese IT company at their British base.

Chinese culture and philosophy is based on superstitions, fate, symbols etc.

I'd been there a week and left a post t note on one of the Chinese directors laptop written in red pen.

I was later summoned to his office got told in no uncertain terms that a hand written note in red pen to a Chinese person is taken personally and is seen as bad luck, an insult or a curse & that I wasn't to do it again!!

I should have known that shouldn't I?

Bricks he should have handled it better than that but at least you DO now know that.

It seems that so many people are trying so hard not to offend ANYBODY that they wind up annoying EVERYBODY! I was lucky enough to go to Blackburn College in the late eighties and it already had a highly varied cultural mix. For the most part we simply learned to be ourselves and get along. I wasn't offended by the differences in people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. In fact I found it fascinating and learnt a great deal as they did from me. My oldest son plans to go there next year and I'm sure that like me he will only benefit from the experience.