Council renames Christmas to avoid offending Muslims.

**gjbkk** · 04-11-2008, 09:18 AM

Council renames Christmas

Council chiefs in Oxford have renamed the town's Christmas lights a “winter light festival” to avoid offending Muslims.

But the idea has been criticised by everyone - including local Muslims, reports The Sun.

Oxford council is also scrapping the traditional tree in favour of a giant arrangement of lanterns made to look like the solar system.

Sabir Hussain Mirza, chairman of the Muslim Council of Oxford, said: "I'm really upset about this. Christians, Muslims and other religions all look forward to Christmas."

Rabbi Eli Bracknell of the local Jewish Educational Centre, said: "It's important to maintain a traditional British Christmas."

And Rev James Grote, of the John Bunyan Baptist Church, added: "People are not offended by hearing each other’s faiths."

Deputy city council leader Ed Turner said the new lights name will embrace all religious denominations.

He added: "Several festivals take place at this time of year so this is a way of celebrating them all at the one time. Even if the lights are called something else, to me they will be Christmas lights."

**dirtydog** · 04-11-2008, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by gjbkk

Deputy city council leader Ed Turner said the new lights name will embrace all religious denominations. He added: "Several festivals take place at this time of year so this is a way of celebrating them all at the one time.

I wonder if he could name any of these other festivals?

**Thormaturge** · 04-11-2008, 09:55 AM

Ah, I can see where this is leading.

In another fifty years from now the "Winter Lights Festival" will be renamed "Edisonmas" after the inventor of the electric light bulb.

**gjbkk** · 04-11-2008, 10:27 AM

next they will be banning the bacon sandwich to avoid offending Muslims

**Mid** · 04-11-2008, 10:33 AM

Council chiefs

be interesting to know with what authority this ridiculous edict is issued ?

**Jesus Jones** · 04-11-2008, 10:48 AM

Compartmetalism. This is not about bringing communities together, but dividing them even further.

Bollox

**mediamanbkk** · 04-11-2008, 11:17 AM

What will they rename Ramadan?

**Happyman** · 04-11-2008, 11:20 AM

Worraloadabollocks!!!

**Spin** · 04-11-2008, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by gjbkk

Deputy city council leader Ed Turner

I just sent Ed a polite message

You can do the same if you so wish:

cllreturner AT oxford.gov.uk

In case you are wondering who this prick is......

More info on this wanker

**KhonKaenDan** · 04-11-2008, 01:27 PM

Once again, we see our so-called leaders showing their own ignorance about what holidays are really for.

This isn't about Muslims, it seems to be about someone looking for a higher office to hold. The old saying, "If they are really dumb, lets promote them". I for one, am really tired of this kind of crap. How can we take our country back.

**Loy Toy** · 04-11-2008, 01:29 PM

Do Muslims really give a flying feck anyway ..........???????

All of these attempts at hypocritical appeasement will ensure that 1st generation muslims will never fit into the system and customs of their now homeland.

**Mr Pot** · 04-11-2008, 01:31 PM

Wot the fok??? It just creates more polarization; fecking idiots

**Loombucket** · 04-11-2008, 02:42 PM

Perhaps they should think about remaming Muslims to avoid upsetting Christians, that or rewrite all of the Carols and Hyms.

**donald36** · 04-11-2008, 03:23 PM

Thats why most of us couldnt stand to go back to ther Uk --the country has been given away to every a*s*ole to who can hang onto a train ,these so called liberals will not be so happy when they are told that sharia law will apply and lop off their wrists
Appeasments never has and never will work ,it just encourages more demands
By the way the majority of muslims are good people just wanting to persue their lives like the rest of us without all this politically correct bollocks
No doubt Tony and Cherie will approve

**AntRobertson** · 04-11-2008, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Do Muslims really give a flying feck anyway ..........???????

Nope, apparently not:

Sabir Hussain Mirza, chairman of the Muslim Council of Oxford, said: "I'm really upset about this. Christians, Muslims and other religions all look forward to Christmas."

As someone has already mentioned all this does is further widen the schism by driving a wedge right into the middle of it all.

Worse still is that once a 'news source' like the Daily Mail gets hold of this and gives it the customary 'Muslims Demand End to Christmas!' treatment it'll engender further resentment and provide further fodder for the minds of the already ignorant. Whole thing is ridiculous.

**dirtydog** · 04-11-2008, 03:33 PM

I don't think they are making demands, just some white middle class idea that it may upset muslims etc if the UK has a christian holiday, like that they really give a toss about christian holidays and their meanings.

**Mr Pot** · 04-11-2008, 03:36 PM

^ just a paid day off work for most

**dirtydog** · 04-11-2008, 03:38 PM

This month is a friend of mines childs birthday, he is a Pakistani muslim, his wife is a Thai muslim, I shall ask them their thoughts about Christmas and stuff, then tell erm about the white idiots in the UK

**Whiteshiva** · 04-11-2008, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Do Muslims really give a flying feck anyway ..........???????

Nope, apparently not:

Sabir Hussain Mirza, chairman of the Muslim Council of Oxford, said: "I'm really upset about this. Christians, Muslims and other religions all look forward to Christmas."

As someone has already mentioned all this does is further widen the schism by driving a wedge right into the middle of it all.

Worse still is that once a 'news source' like the Daily Mail gets hold of this and gives it the customary 'Muslims Demand End to Christmas!' treatment it'll engender further resentment and provide further fodder for the minds of the already ignorant.

Worse still is that a number of right-wing morons will read the Daily Mail headline and then post on teakdoor claiming that the mussies are trying to destroy Xmas, whereas nothing could be further from the truth.

**AntRobertson** · 04-11-2008, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Whiteshiva

Worse still is that a number of right-wing morons will read the Daily Mail headline and then post on teakdoor claiming that the mussies are trying to destroy Xmas, whereas nothing could be further from the truth.

My thoughts exactly. I was just trying to be polite.

And of course once the process of reading the headline has taken place it's irreversible - doesn't matter how many times the actual facts are pointed out subsequent to that it's simply repeated verbatim as the 'truth'.

**jandajoy** · 04-11-2008, 03:52 PM

Given that Christmas in the Uk is just a supermarket orgy of overspending, advertising and commercialism there's not really much to destroy, even if they cared.

I had last Xmas in the Uk and it was a fokin nightmare. Oh and the TV is shit too nowadays.

bkkmadness · 04-11-2008, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Spin

Originally Posted by gjbkk

Deputy city council leader Ed Turner

I just sent Ed a polite message

You can do the same if you so wish:

cllreturner AT oxford.gov.uk

Well I fired off a little one because I was on a sugar rush.

Reply came back pretty quickly.

Many thanks for the email.

I could well understand your distress and annoyance if matters were as they were reported in the local press. Unfortunately, the story was very misleading and gave rise to quite unnecessary upset.

Please find below a statement from the Council about the whole sorry saga.

On a personal note, I look forward to doing my Christmas shopping in Oxford, seeing the Christmas trees and lights the Council are doing, and will, time permitting, attend our Christmas carol concert.

Yours,

Ed Turner

Councillor Bob Price, Leader Oxford City Council says:
"Oxford City Council has not 'banned Christmas' and has not banned the use of the word 'Christmas'. The Council has not even considered doing either of these.
" Oxford City Council will celebrate Christmas 2008 in the same way as it has celebrated all previous Christmases: we will have Christmas trees in the Town Hall and in Broad Street, the Lord Mayor will host a Christmas reception for community workers and will hold the annual Christmas Carols event, and we will be sending out Christmas cards.
" Oxford Inspires, who is jointly funded by Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, the City and County Councils and the Arts Council to sponsor cultural and arts events across the county, designed the WinterLight event for 2008. This builds on the very successful event of December 2007, with the same name, which involved the late night opening of many museums and galleries, with musical events, food and drink, and activities for children.
" For Christmas 2008, Oxford Inspires agreed with the City Council to time the Winter Light event for November and to have it on the same evening as the switch on of the city centre Christmas Lights and the re -opening of Bonn Square.
" Oxford Inspires WinterLight event in Oxford builds on similar events in many cities across the world where the arrival of darker evenings and colder weather creates the opportunity for some magical and exciting events in public buildings and public squares. It is a cultural event without any specific reference to the religious festivals that also occur in this period."
A spokesman for Oxford Inspires says:
" WinterLight Oxford is part of a wider countywide programme which incorporates Christmas Lights switch on events in towns from Abingdon to Woodstock, Christmas Carol concerts, pantomimes and other seasonal events.
" Other Oxfordshire towns have events which combine their Christmas Lights switch on with other entertainment - such as Woodstock's "Night of a Thousand Candles" on 29th November or Burford's Advent Fair on 30th November ."

**Marmite the Dog** · 04-11-2008, 04:35 PM

Well, I got an email from Cllr Ed...

Many thanks for the email.

I could well understand your distress and annoyance if matters were as they were reported in the local press. Unfortunately, the story was very misleading and gave rise to quite unnecessary upset and tensions.

Please find below a statement from the Council about the whole sorry saga.

On a personal note, I look forward to doing my Christmas shopping in Oxford, seeing the Christmas trees and lights the Council are doing, and will, time permitting, attend our Christmas carol concert.

Yours,

Ed Turner

Councillor Bob Price, Leader Oxford City Council says:
"Oxford City Council has not 'banned Christmas' and has not banned the use of the word 'Christmas'. The Council has not even considered doing either of these.
" Oxford City Council will celebrate Christmas 2008 in the same way as it has celebrated all previous Christmases: we will have Christmas trees in the Town Hall and in Broad Street, the Lord Mayor will host a Christmas reception for community workers and will hold the annual Christmas Carols event, and we will be sending out Christmas cards.
" Oxford Inspires, who is jointly funded by Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, the City and County Councils and the Arts Council to sponsor cultural and arts events across the county, designed the WinterLight event for 2008. This builds on the very successful event of December 2007, with the same name, which involved the late night opening of many museums and galleries, with musical events, food and drink, and activities for children.
" For Christmas 2008, Oxford Inspires agreed with the City Council to time the Winter Light event for November and to have it on the same evening as the switch on of the city centre Christmas Lights and the re -opening of Bonn Square.
" Oxford Inspires WinterLight event in Oxford builds on similar events in many cities across the world where the arrival of darker evenings and colder weather creates the opportunity for some magical and exciting events in public buildings and public squares. It is a cultural event without any specific reference to the religious festivals that also occur in this period."
A spokesman for Oxford Inspires says:
" WinterLight Oxford is part of a wider countywide programme which incorporates Christmas Lights switch on events in towns from Abingdon to Woodstock, Christmas Carol concerts, pantomimes and other seasonal events.
" Other Oxfordshire towns have events which combine their Christmas Lights switch on with other entertainment - such as Woodstock's "Night of a Thousand Candles" on 29th November or Burford's Advent Fair on 30th November ."

**AntRobertson** · 04-11-2008, 04:41 PM

Me too...

Many thanks for the email.

Yes, please do send me more details about how I can help you transfer the funds of your late uncle, Akawoon Zembulb Lord High Chancellor and Grand Pooba, from the Grand Cayman bank. I especially look forward to hearing more details about my 20% commission. My bank account details are attached as per your request.

**panama hat** · 04-11-2008, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Originally Posted by Whiteshiva

Worse still is that a number of right-wing morons will read the Daily Mail headline and then post on teakdoor claiming that the mussies are trying to destroy Xmas, whereas nothing could be further from the truth.

My thoughts exactly. I was just trying to be polite.

And of course once the process of reading the headline has taken place it's irreversible - doesn't matter how many times the actual facts are pointed out subsequent to that it's simply repeated verbatim as the 'truth'.

You've fairly well said it all . . . even the headline is misleading, however, as though the council is somehow bowing to a threat that is simply not there.

Council renames Christmas to avoid offending Muslims.

So, looking at the response from Ed . . . what's the real deal?

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