Minister walks out of muslim wedding

[Mooncat]

I'm fairly certain that he knew he was going to be attending a muslim event. Surely the name of the mosque would have been a dead give-away.

As I recall (it were a few years ago now) they don't have 'em in mosques just a hall. In fact it was a really chilled out affair - some guy waved his hands at the bride and groom and spoke in a language I didn't understand whilst we were all sat at our tables, then we all had a curry

 

[quimcunx]

except everything i read says that it is the norm for their to be segregation - less so in western countries, but still common. So i would reckon the attitude amongst the men would be all over the shop, including a few straight down the line misogynist wankers and some perfectly decent bods going along with the whole silly affair

surely that would be the same at any wedding you went to, muslim or not...

Well the one I went to 10 years ago was segregated by room, her family being more strict/old-fashioned in this respect than his. Not sure whether it's a resurgence or just differences between families.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Anyway, I'm just arguing for the sake of it. I don't really care, so I'll stop.

 

[belboid]

surely that would be the same at any wedding you went to, muslim or not...

absolutely

 

[JimW]

Why is he supporting patriarchy by attending any weddings at all?

 

[butchersapron]

Why is he supporting patriarchy by attending any weddings at all?

He thought it was a gay muslim wedding.

 

[JimW]

He thought it was a gay muslim wedding.

Buggery on the rates.

 

[Rod Sleeves]

He thought it was a gay muslim wedding.

I've actually been to a gay muslim commitment service type thing, complete with an imam and guests were partially segregated during the religious bit, but not the rest.

Personally I would have walked out of one that was completely segregated all day, but I would have made an excuse that I was feeling ill or something, and I wouldn't have tipped off the press. However I suspect it could have been George Galloway who tipped them off, muslim votes are important for all candidates in that area - Galloway does not have them stitched up.

 

[cesare]

I've actually been to a gay muslim commitment service type thing, complete with an imam and guests were partially segregated during the religious bit, but not the rest.

Personally I would have walked out of one that was completely segregated all day, but I would have made an excuse that I was feeling ill or something, and I wouldn't have tipped off the press. However I suspect it could have been George Galloway who tipped them off, muslim votes are important for all candidates in that area - Galloway does not have them stitched up.

Galloway certainly doesn't have them stitched up, you're right. And Fitz is usually quite wily ... not sure why he's taking the line he is re the IFE (if the quotes in the Telegraph are to be believed).

IFE not impressed:

http://www.islamicforumeurope.com/live/ife.php?doc=articleitem&itemId=446

 

[ChrisFilter]

I was reading some of the comments.

I honestly don't believe that the dream of having a truly multicultural society will ever happen in UK.

I suspect it's more likely to happen in Britain than anywhere else in the world. Our history has been multicultural since BC.

 

[butchersapron]

I've actually been to a gay muslim commitment service type thing, complete with an imam and guests were partially segregated during the religious bit, but not the rest.

Personally I would have walked out of one that was completely segregated all day, but I would have made an excuse that I was feeling ill or something, and I wouldn't have tipped off the press. However I suspect it could have been George Galloway who tipped them off, muslim votes are important for all candidates in that area - Galloway does not have them stitched up.

FP might suspect he has though.

 

[Fedayn]

because he objected to the segregation of men and women.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ster-condemns-traditional-Muslim-wedding.html

It does strike me as an act of calculated advantage rather than principle. Whilst I dont know whether his claim that segregated weddings are becoming far more common than they used to be (I suspect he is largely wrong), he could surely have fund that out before attending the ceremony, and then insulting the bride, groom, and their familes, by walking out. A jolly good way of getting yourself on telly - or on the front page of the Telegraph in this case. I mean, it's not exactly breaking news that segregation happens, even if we agree that it shouldn't.

Or am I wrong, and he is actually being a man of great principle?

And, on an utterly irrelevant point, why the fuck is an MP for Canning Town the minister for farming?? He probably doesn't even know what a cow looks like!

The minister later told his local newspaper: “It’s a disappointment. We are trying to build social cohesion in a community but this is not the way forward.”

He told The Daily Telegraph: “My wife and I go to weddings to celebrate the occasion jointly. If we are welcome as a couple we go as a couple and if not it is our right to say we don’t want to do that.

“I’m not pandering to any minority opinion.”

And yet he votes FOR increasing segregated education along with other govt ministers, he votes to increase faiths groups getting more and more of the pie from central govt.

He regularly votes in favour of socvial division and has the fucking gall to claim otherwise. It's a cheap political point to try and get votes, pretty obvious.

 

[tangentlama]

It's traditional to separate the sexes at lots of other cultures' weddings too.
Some cultures still have a tradition of separating males and females before the wedding (Stag and hen).

 

[cesare]

And yet he votes FOR increasing segregated education along with other govt ministers, he votes to increase faiths groups getting more and more of the pie from central govt.

He regularly votes in favour of socvial division and has the fucking gall to claim otherwise. It's a cheap political point to try and get votes, pretty obvious.

Votes from where though Fed?

 

[belboid]

And yet he votes FOR increasing segregated education along with other govt ministers, he votes to increase faiths groups getting more and more of the pie from central govt.

ooh, good spot!

i unconditionally withdraw my question from the OP

 

[citygirl]

except everything i read says that it is the norm for their to be segregation - less so in western countries, but still common. So i would reckon the attitude amongst the men would be all over the shop, including a few straight down the line misogynist wankers and some perfectly decent bods going along with the whole silly affair

This is my understanding also... i live in a mainly muslim community = looooads of weddings to take experience from - and, certainly within the mosque, the men and women are segregated for the ceremony, and sometimes afterwards in the function rooms. As muslim weddings can go on for days, i wouldn't swear to the fact that they keep segregation going for the whole period.. but certainly at least some of it.

 

[Fedayn]

Votes from where though Fed?

He is, imho, trying to tap into a 'racist' white vote. This is Canning Town-as you know etc-and there is still a certain hangover from old more overtly racist votes. He might think Galloway7 has the 'muslim vote-whatever that is-sewn up so he needs to 'firm up' the non muslim/white w/c vote. That might well be his calculation. It's both cheap nasty political point scoring and a rather patronising shitty view of white working-class voters in that part of ther East End.

 

[audiotech]

a self-serving cunt

 

[cesare]

He is, imho, trying to tap into a 'racist' white vote. This is Canning Town-as you know etc-and there is still a certain hangover from old more overtly racist votes. He might think Galloway7 has the 'muslim vote-whatever that is-sewn up so he needs to 'firm up' the non muslim/white w/c vote. That might well be his calculation. It's both cheap nasty political point scoring and a rather patronising shitty view of white working-class voters in that part of ther East End.

But the boundaries are changing ... no more Canning Town and out that way. In fact, no more Newham, Tower Hamlets only. He surely can't have calculated based on that?

 

[belboid]

the new seat is gaining Shadwell, St Katherine's and Wapping - do they have a larger white population than the other parts of TH?

 

[cesare]

the new seat is gaining Shadwell, St Katherine's and Wapping - do they have a larger white population than the other parts of TH?

Shadwell definitely not. St Katherine's & Wapping probably more so, but not hugely.

Edit: the difference here is this (from my earlier link):

The seat now contains incredible extremes, from extreme deprivation in the north of the seat to the gleaming skyscrapers and dockside developments of Canary Wharf in the south (although even in the areas surrounding Canary Wharf there are still working class areas). Wards like Bromley-by-Bow are over 70% social housing, mostly Bangladeshi Muslims with around half the population in social classes DE and one in five residents born in Bangladesh. In contrast in Millwall and Wapping there are large proportions of owner-occupiers or private renters, white young professionals looking to move near to Canary Wharf.

 

[Fedayn]

But the boundaries are changing ... no more Canning Town and out that way. In fact, no more Newham, Tower Hamlets only. He surely can't have calculated based on that?

What other reason would be? He's voted to increase segregated education across the country so his claims of 'principle' ring a tad hollow, wouldn't you say?

 

[cesare]

What other reason would be? He's voted to increase segregated education across the country so his claims of 'principle' ring a tad hollow, wouldn't you say?

He nearly always votes according to the leadership if you have a look. That's why I called him 'a safe pair of hands', he doesn't usually rock any boats by way of voting record at least. He's a pretty good constituency MP though.

But with Poplar and Limehouse as the boundaries now stand, I really don't see what he had to gain from this.

 

[Fedayn]

He nearly always votes according to the leadership if you have a look. That's why I called him 'a safe pair of hands', he doesn't usually rock any boats by way of voting record at least. He's a pretty good constituency MP though.

Exactly, he has consistently voted to increase segregation and decrease cohesion and yet he now makes the claim to be in favour of social cohesion and walks out? His lack of consistency and frankly honesty, let alone principle, are a tad noticable

But with Poplar and Limehouse as the boundaries now stand, I really don't see what he had to gain from this.

What other reason would he have?

 

[cesare]

Exactly, he has consistently voted to increase segregation and decrease cohesion and yet he now makes the claim to be in favour of social cohesion and walks out? His lack of consistency and frankly honesty, let alone principle, are a tad noticable



What other reason would he have?

Well it's only worth doing if you're going to pick up votes from it eh? And I'm questioning which votes he thinks he'll pick up (if that was his reasoning).

 

[cesare]

Maybe he's going for an increase in female votes?

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/j...jim-fitzpatrick-was-wrong-but-he-had-a-point/

 

[Fedayn]

Well it's only worth doing if you're going to pick up votes from it eh? And I'm questioning which votes he thinks he'll pick up (if that was his reasoning).

Well are yousaying he's doing it out of a principle support for 'social cohesion'?Because if so his votes in the HoC make it clear he has no such principle position. As such he's at best a hypocrite at worst playing the religion/race card.

 

[cesare]

Well are yousaying he's doing it out of a principle support for 'social cohesion'?Because if so his votes in the HoC make it clear he has no such principle position. As such he's at best a hypocrite at worst playing the religion/race card.

I think he was just bloody stupid as I said originally. Or maybe he was stitched up and is now milking the publicity.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think he was just bloody stupid as I said originally. Or maybe he was stitched up and is now milking the publicity.

Yep, I agree. Can't see how this is good for him or how he could have thought it would be. I'm guessing b) he was stitched up and is now milking the publicity.

 

[Fedayn]

I think he was just bloody stupid as I said originally. Or maybe he was stitched up and is now milking the publicity.

Stupid is a possibility, but that makes him stupid and a hypocrite. Hardly what you want your MP to be, even if he's not exactly unusual in that.