how comes i only hear about Dr Taj when someone wants a willing partner to slag of X muslim organisation? Doesnt appear to be part of any social work or have any traction, even in Oxford.

Strangely enough, the day after people started to enquire and complain, the “Muslims Only” advertising on the GLL website was mysteriously taken down.

So, congratulations to all of us for ensuring that this matter was dealt with so swiftly and so well.

The Daily Mail handled it, and that is as much as we need to know – and of course it got all the same old responses.

And you’re pleased with the Daily Mail.

BTW Like the new look, when did you shave it off?

The Daily Mail coverage was actually… pretty good:

http://tinyurl.com/5ucbfn

Key points:

1. The Daily Mail went to the moderate and progressive Dr Taj Hargey of the Muslim Education Centre of Oxford, instead of the reactionary Mawdudist clique, the Muslim Association of Britain.

2. The article is presented as Hackney’s discriminatory policy, which the Equality and Human Rights Commission suggests may be unlawful: not as a “Brown Hordes Are Destroying Our Country” story.

3. It includes a quote which makes it clear that many Muslims are horrified by attempts to segregate them:

“I spoke to a number of Muslim friends, and none of them had heard of a religious prohibition on swimming with non-Muslims.

“One friend was so disgusted with Hackney for trying to segregate Muslims and non Muslims that he suggested that he take his little daughter swimming with us, just to prove the point.”

So, all in all: well done the Daily Mail.

Never thought I’d say that!!

Hackney Council have said the whole thing about Muslims only was a mistake but admits that Dave T and his son were refused entry because they were not Muslims. I think the fact that I had organised about twenty people to turn up at nine on Sunday to pay and walk in might have had something to do with it. They council were told they would have to organise a security firm to stop us and the whole thing would have just turned into a televised fight.

Nice one Dave T and Sunny for the publicity.

I am sure there are also unintended consequences for people’s jobs, especially when crass attempts are made to correct an unintended wrong. Putting together a lynch mob from Harry’s Place has never been difficult.

I pictured DavidT in his victorian dress and top-hat gathering his crowd in the darkness each carrying a flaming torch. Followed by a fiery speech whilst holding aloft his five year old son, the innocent victim of a grave injustice. ‘This will not stand!’ is the cry before they march on the swimming pool.

Small mercy, I guess, he could have been marching on the mosque.

The way this thread has evolved is just like another PP thread (the one by a guest contributor) regarding a BBC program about Sharia in Nigeria as a means of “promoting” Sharia. That thread generated a load of indigination, but it was clear to anybody who watched the program, that most of the comments (including the person who raised the thread) were from people who had not seen it. It was only until the 80th email that somebody who had watched the program pointed out that the program did the opposite to what was alleged.

It’s not the first and won’t be the last storm-in-a-teacup Muslim thread on PP. Anyway, DaveT is a bit slow on this one as the Daily Mail has a similar article for a Croydon pool (but, apparently, Dave, non-Muslims are allowed provided the cover themselves appropriately).

Couldn’t you have just approached the management in the first place and pointed out how their designation for the slot has left people confused and was likely to generate resentment towards a particular section of the community? That’s what most honest citizens would have done.

At least you’d have avoided all the TV appearances you’re going to be pressed to make; and in the past you’d have made it onto Kilroy.

This is what has happened:

http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2008/04/15/segregated_swimming_rescheduled_again.php

They’re changing their policy.

I’ll post on this shortly.

BTW – Sid I am a woman not a man. thanks…

I fully agree with both those statements!

its your option. ian brown opted for muslim food when he was in prison. some people find it the superior option, who arent muslim.

‘muslim’ session at a sweimming pool means
single gender
no enforced communal showering
hawrah’s covered (for boys thats belly to knees)
no lechery

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Yeah i get annoyed when it turns out that the ahmedis have planned ahead better and booked venue X for their equivalent of eid before me.

nobody is really asking for the rest of the world to ‘accept’ them the majority of the time, the pools are available to all. if one really wants to swim with bros, im sure theres a number you can ring on the advert. pfft!

b’shalom

bananabrain

Yes I would.

b’shalom

bananabrain