Integration, or racist? You decide...

[Whickerman]

This from yesterday's Irish Independent. Can i have your opinions? Note: Garda Siochana= Irish Police.


A SIKH member of the Garda Reserve is banned from wearing his ceremonial headdress, the turban.

Integration Minister Conor Lenihan last night backed up the Garda Siochana ruling, saying immigrants to this country must accept our culture.

Minister Lenihan said he has discussed the Sikh case with the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy.

The gardai are currently forming their views about ethnic forms of headgear for members of the force and the reserve.

As turbans are worn by Sikh police officers elsewhere, most notably the London Metropolitan Police, a compromise may be reached.

Sikhs wear turbans to cover the long uncut hair worn as a sign of their commitment to their religious faith. The turban is a headdress consisting of a long scarf-like single piece of cloth wound round the head or an inner hat.

While acknowledging the issue of the turban is important for the Sikh community, the Minister supported the garda stance. "If we are to take integration seriously, people who come here must understand our way of doing things. When the President and Ministers travel to the middle-east, they accept cultural requirements of the country and the culture they are operating in. It is a vice versa situation with regard to Ireland."

The Sikh man is an IT professional, who decided to join the Garda Reserve.

Minister Lenihan said the general trend was towards wearing the designated uniform.

[Reverandfunk]

If I went to another country and refused to abide by their laws/rules whatever you want to call them would they be a liberal and namby pamby as us?

Not a chance.

Case in point shoes in mosques - are we offered the right to enter a mosque wearing shoes? Are we bo**cks.

[sp1814]

Reverandfunk

Why are you comparing England to (say) Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia etc etc?

Why are you trying to compare two countries which have nothing in common. No historical, religious, social or geographical commonality?

I hear people talking all the time about "these Asians don't even try to integrate" and then boom - when one does, you aren't happy until they've joined the local Freemasons and started dancing round a maypole.

It's not racism...no - it's much older than that...it's hypocracy.

You have a Sikh who wants to join the police, but also respect his faith.

Question to the right-whingers - can't you see the positives in this story???

Seriously...I really don't get it...on the one hand you raise the issue about Asians who don't integrate, but when you have a Sikh who want to protect you, you complain about his turban.

This displays a new kind of stupidity. There's not even a word for this level of stupidity.

It's brand new.

[NJOK]

yeh but wot if is not a sik but a moslem smugling a bomb on his hed???/??

you jus dont no.

[Gromit]

Mani Hussain

NJOKs answer was a spoof of a typical half-wit answer and was not serious.

[China Doll]

But that's not to say NJOK isn't a half wit....

Legs it before he notices

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=475574&in_page_i d=1770

Another prime example of how this country bends over backwards to appease the so called ethnic minorities, what next the full veil?

A uniform is exactly what it means, and that is for all members of a school, Forces, Police Service, Fire Service etc etc to all dress the same. What next these ethnics who try to alter the uniform to suit their own fashion or belief will wish to change ancient ceremonial dress used for state occasions, a Beefeater in a turban perhaps, or if it is against someone's religion perhaps to alter the name of Beefeater. How would a Horse Guard look in a polished metal turban

If they do not want to wear a particular item of the uniform then it is simple, don't join. There should be no exceptions be it riding a motor cycle or working on a building site. I congratulate the Gardia if they decide that wearing a turban is not acceptable.

sp1814 says
I hear people talking all the time about "these Asians don't even try to integrate" and then boom - when one does,
Seriously...I really don't get it...on the one hand you raise the issue about Asians who don't integrate.

This is not true integration when they will only integrate on their own terms.

[sp1814]

anotheoldgit

I think you're onto a loser here.

This chap should be applauded, not criticised.

Bending over backwards??? We're talking about him wearing headgear appropriate to his faith.

I absolutely couldn't ever see myself joinng the police - the job looks way too hard for me.

This bloke, in my eyes, is a bit of a hero.

Every once in a while I see a Sikh police officer in and around London. It makes me smile because I know that for every Sikh, Hindu, black and Muslim police officer we have protecting us, that's another very positive role model for kids from ethnic minorities growing up in their communities.

This story is about this, and this alone - "What's more important? Increasing diversity in the police, or rigidly sticking to outdated rules?"

Police uniforms have changed frequently over the past 100 years.

How many coppers have you seen dressed like this recently:

http://gphs1800.tripod.com/Sgt1854.gif