I've brought this one over from another thread on Muslim stamps as it was a bit off topic.

Don’t know about disappearing Muslim postage stamps, but here’s something on disappearing ice cream tubs from Burger King.

http://www.easterneyeonline.co.uk/i...ry.asp?NID=2398

and here

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1951292005

I had to check the date of this story to see that it wasn’t April 1st. :loopy: In case you don’t think that this is all fine and dandy, make your thoughts known to BK here: :roll:

http://www.pledgebank.com/BurgerKing


__________________________

one word- pathetic!!!

Thats all it is- totally pathetic!

weird world we're living in... :loopy:

Crazy. Crazy Crazy :loopy:

The forum said that message is too short, but there is nothing else to say.

Please, have some respect.

This is his "jihad"! :P

It's like a story from The Onion (http://www.theonion.com) made true.

OK, here is my slightly more reasoned and thought out reply.

Does Rashad Akhtar, 27, of High Wycombe, realise how much damage he's doing. He's not damaging Burger King, or the ice cream industry, or me. But he will be damaging muslim communities. You wait til Roy James mob get hold of this and imagine the headlines. "Ice Cream Banned - Offensive to Muslims..."

And so the BNP will get even more support from people who don't bother to read the full storey.

Well done Rashad Akhtar, 27, of High Wycombe. You truely are a clever man.
:loopy:

Originally posted by Andy
OK, here is my slightly more reasoned and thought out reply.

Does Rashad Akhtar, 27, of High Wycombe, realise how much damage he's doing. He's not damaging Burger King, or the ice cream industry, or me. But he will be damaging muslim communities. You wait til Roy James mob get hold of this and imagine the headlines. "Ice Cream Banned - Offensive to Muslims..."

And so the BNP will get even more support from people who don't bother to read the full storey.

Well done Rashad Akhtar, 27, of High Wycombe. You truely are a clever man.
:loopy:

Rashad Akhtar has been supported in this by the Muslim Council of Britain who "commend the sensitive and prompt action that Burger King has taken."
http://www.mcb.org.uk/mcbdirect/community.php?ann_id=1114

Originally posted by Andy
You wait til Roy James mob get hold of this and imagine the headlines. "Ice Cream Banned - Offensive to Muslims..."

And so the BNP will get even more support from people who don't bother to read the full storey.

:loopy:

Yes, you're right. Because of a complete failure of mainstream politicians, the media and in this case big business to tackle and confront these issues head on (because they are absolutely terrified of being accused of offending anyone), they in effect cede the issue to the fringes and/or hope it will go away. This is a despicable policy that will only damage our democracy. Shame on them and this is why I'll never set foot in a BK again.

Would be interesting to know how many complaints Burger King received from muslim people.

Thousands? Hundreds? or just the one............?
(I strongly suspect)

what does this symbol look like? and is there a list somewhere of symbols shapes, words etc that you need to avoid?

dave

Originally posted by alchemist
is there a list somewhere of symbols shapes, words etc that you need to avoid?

dave

Why would you want to? Why should you?

Originally posted by withnail
Why would you want to? Why should you?

why would i want to? to avoid the kind of costly mistakes bk have just run into

why should i? well THAT is another question that if i answer it will get me into all sorts of trouible :)

dave

Originally posted by withnail
Rashad Akhtar has been supported in this by the Muslim Council of Britain who "commend the sensitive and prompt action that Burger King has taken." [/url]

And people wonder why Muslims are viewed negatively by much of the population. Multiculturalism is one thing, but bowing to every whim of the Muslim council or one of its members is just ridiculous. It's not a 'sensitivity' issue, it's a 'quit yer whining' issue - if a British person had complained that the cones were offensive they would have been told to get over it!

Each time I hear a story like this (a lot, these days) it sounds more like the British government is the tardy servent boy being reprimanded by his stern master, the Muslim Council ...

I'm sure I'll get flamed by the anti-BNP lot (I don't support the BNP, by the way), but that's just what it feels like these days ...

The word 'Allah' in Arabic is basically 3 sticks and a circle, which I presume, if you went looking for it could be seen in just about anything.

What I'd like to know is what was Mr. Akhtar doing in BK in the first place, if he's that radical surely he should have ALREADY been boycotting this spawn of 'The Great Satan' ??

Originally posted by alchemist
why would i want to? to avoid the kind of costly mistakes bk have just run into

why should i? well THAT is another question that if i answer it will get me into all sorts of trouible :)

dave

What mistake?
The only mistake BK has made is caving in to ludicrous demands! Have you seen the design (follow the link above)? Can you honestly say that this representation of an ice cream cone looks anything like Arabic script for allah? Are you suggesting we have some kind of censor past which we run any design or copy so as to avoid offending anyone (or to be more honest, it’s not anyone is it? Simply religious nutters)? Is this not the visual equivalent of some lunatic moral fringe insisting that judas priest records played backwards incite devil worship?
Psssh. What utter drivel.
This so-called call for jihad should be treated with the contempt it deserves. And all this before even considering the issue of whether or not we should give two ****s about offending so-called religious sensibilities - from whatever branch they may be from. This appeasement of 'faith' groups must simply stop before it's too late.
And why should you fear 'getting into all sorts of trouble'? We live in a democracy with, for the time being, free speech. Do you want to live in a society where there are proscribed words and symbols and where there are things we can't talk about?

well, none of the links show me what the picture was OR what allah is!! so i am none the wiser

dave

Originally posted by spiffymonkey


I'm sure I'll get flamed by the anti-BNP lot (I don't support the BNP, by the way), but that's just what it feels like these days ...

This is what I'm saying. Because politicians and the media have no backbone, the likes of the BNP can claim the issue as their own and for their own ends.
I fundamentally reject racism and the kind of nationalist dirge that the BNP serves up. I am married to a foreign national and my children are therefore of mixed descent. Challenging this kind of issue is nothing to do with racism and all to do with facing down intolerance. I simply do not want to live in a society that is dictated to by hysterical and paranoid, if not deranged, extremists. Therefore, I will take a stand and take it on whenever I come across it. That goes for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and anyone else – I don’t discriminate! Why can't our politicians and institutions do the same?

Apologies. The first link doesn't work now for some reason, here's another:
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/35

cheers, just seen it and the resemblance is uncanny, NOT!!!! mr whippy had better watch out cus all his cones when he produces em look like allah then and dont run helter skelters on their side otherwise they will have to be banned, quick, lets ban ALL spirals

dave

do you think ive gone a tad OTT :)

Originally posted by alchemist


do you think ive gone a tad OTT :)

No, but someone has!

Originally posted by Andy
wait til Roy James mob get hold of this

Don't worry they've know about it for weeks and have encouraged not only a boycott but also for their members to hassle the customer support staff.

No-one has banned Ice-Cream.

BK has had the lids reprinted.

I smell a BK publicity campaign. Look how many mentions BK gets in this thread alone...

I expect they can put up with a few crank call from maladjusted sociopaths, and, er, royjames.

Originally posted by withnail
This is what I'm saying. Because politicians and the media have no backbone, the likes of the BNP can claim the issue as their own and for their own ends.
I fundamentally reject racism and the kind of nationalist dirge that the BNP serves up. I am married to a foreign national and my children are therefore of mixed descent.

My wife is 1st generation British, so I know what you mean. This kind of thing is just adding wood to the fire ...

No-one has banned Ice-Cream.

BK has had the lids reprinted.

I smell a BK publicity campaign. Look how many mentions BK gets in this thread alone...

I expect they can put up with a few crank call from maladjusted sociopaths, and, er, royjames. [/QUOTE]

None of the posts in this thread claim that ice cream has been banned.
BK has had the lids redesigned in light of this incident.
A BK publicity campaign? Don’t think so.
I called BK to register my dismay. Does that make me a maladjusted sociopath? I felt strongly that BK had made an erroneous and dangerous misjudgment and let them know that. My views on this are laid out above. Would you suggest that campaigners for better working conditions in GAP factories in Southeast Asia are maladjusted sociopaths for letting GAP know how they feel? Do you condone BKs response to this issue?

Is any Burger King food Halal in the first place?

Originally posted by withnail

None of the posts in this thread claim that ice cream has been banned.
BK has had the lids redesigned in light of this incident.
A BK publicity campaign? Don’t think so.
I called BK to register my dismay. Does that make me a maladjusted sociopath? I felt strongly that BK had made an erroneous and dangerous misjudgment and let them know that. My views on this are laid out above. Would you suggest that campaigners for better working conditions in GAP factories in Southeast Asia are maladjusted sociopaths for letting GAP know how they feel? Do you condone BKs response to this issue?

Why do you care so much about what lid design a fast food chain uses on one of its products? I notice they don't accidentally print inverted crucifixes or Stars of David.

GAP use sweatshop labour.
BK have had some cardboard lids reprinted.

I'm struggling to see the parallel.

I did not suggest that posts claimed that Ice Cream had been banned, I was just following on from andy's post.

Phoning BK to register your dismay at them taking a unilateral decision to reprint some cardboard lids does not mean you are a maladjusted sociopath, necessarily.

I couldn't give a fig about BK's response to this 'issue'. I'm amazed by how important it seems to other people though.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

I did not suggest that posts claimed that Ice Cream had been banned, I was just following on from andy's post.


Although nobody has banned ice cream, it isn't too hard to imagine certain tabloid newspapers using this as an excuse to whip up (if you'll excuse the pun) more hatred.

Asylum Seekers Ate My Donkey springs to mind.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Why do you care so much about what lid design a fast food chain uses on one of its products? I notice they don't accidentally print inverted crucifixes or Stars of David.

GAP use sweatshop labour.
BK have had some cardboard lids reprinted.

I'm struggling to see the parallel.

I did not suggest that posts claimed that Ice Cream had been banned, I was just following on from andy's post.

Phoning BK to register your dismay at them taking a unilateral decision to reprint some cardboard lids does not mean you are a maladjusted sociopath, necessarily.

I couldn't give a fig about BK's response to this 'issue'. I'm amazed by how important it seems to other people though.

Why do you care so much about what lid design a fast food chain uses on one of its products? I notice they don't accidentally print inverted crucifixes or Stars of David.

GAP use sweatshop labour.
BK have had some cardboard lids reprinted.

I'm struggling to see the parallel.

I did not suggest that posts claimed that Ice Cream had been banned, I was just following on from andy's post.

Phoning BK to register your dismay at them taking a unilateral decision to reprint some cardboard lids does not mean you are a maladjusted sociopath, necessarily.

I couldn't give a fig about BK's response to this 'issue'. I'm amazed by how important it seems to other people though. [/QUOTE]

I think you simply haven’t grasped the core issue. I don’t care what BK put on the lid of their ice cream – and nor should anyone else! They could put an inverted cross there if they wanted and, because I’m a passionate believer in free speech, that would be fine with me and if Christians get offended, then so what? What I do care about is the fact that BK capitulated to faith based intimidation. That is, BK has pulled the lid of an ice cream tub because of some risible allegation that it looks like the Arabic for Allah. How can that ever be right and how could anyone remotely interested in the forces shaping contemporary society not give a fig about that? Did you not give a fig about the Satanic Verses?

What point are you making here: ‘I notice they don't accidentally print inverted crucifixes or Stars of David.’? Surely, you’re not suggesting the BK purposely printed an ice cream lid to look like the Arabic for Allah? I’m confused as to what you are getting at.

The parallel with GAP is that consumers can take direct action and that this can have results.

Originally posted by withnail


I think you simply haven’t grasped the core issue
...

The core issue here seems to be the printed design of a cardboard lid for an ice cream product.


The parallel with GAP is that consumers can take direct action and that this can have results.

Which seems to be exactly what has happened in this case. And the lids in question have been reprinted. A successful direct action by a consumer! Result!

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
The core issue here seems to be the printed design of a cardboard lid for an ice cream product.


A surprisingly flippant and pedantic response, certainly below your usual standard.
Simply about ice cream lids? In the same way that the London bombings were about a disruption to normal services?
Point. Missed. Mile.

[/B][/QUOTE]
Which seems to be exactly what has happened in this case. And the lids in question have been reprinted. A successful direct action by a consumer! Result! [/B][/QUOTE]

One you applaud?

Originally posted by withnail
A surprisingly flippant and pedantic response, certainly below your usual standard.
Simply about ice cream lids? In the same way that the London bombings were about a disruption to normal services?
Point. Missed. Mile.


Which seems to be exactly what has happened in this case. And the lids in question have been reprinted.[b]


One [direct action] you applaud?

I neither applaud it nor deplore it.

Originally posted by withnail
I simply do not want to live in a society that is dictated to by hysterical and paranoid, if not deranged, extremists.

So how is your direct action and that of the 100 or more people who have posted on the pledge bank different from that of Rashad Akhtar, who also phoned burger king to register his disgust?

Should they (BK) capitulate to secular intimidation as well?

Point. Missed. Mile.
Storm. Teacup. In. A.

Try ignoring it.

edge. thin. end. of :suspect:

The fact that BK saw fit to alter a design that bore a vague resemblance to some foreign script that spelled the name of some fairly recent (in god-terms) foreign god, on the insistence of a fanatical follower of that particular god, is both worrying and annoying to me.

It's called Appeasement... And does not endear to me any worshippers of this god, who have the gall to demand that I change my way of life to accomodate them or their beliefs!

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

So how is your direct action and that of the 100 or more people who have posted on the pledge bank different from that of Rashad Akhtar, who also phoned burger king to register his disgust?



If you regard my actions (dismay at faith based intolerance) as comparable to those of Rashad Akhtar (application of faith based intolerance) then, again, you clearly haven't understood anything.

Moreover, by the standard that you are working to here, the demand (direct action) that Rushdie be killed for daring to 'insult the prophet' was just as valid as the publication of the Satanic Verses (his direct action). Bizarre. Can you really believe this? (The head of the Muslim Council of Britain, by the way, did).

Let me spell it out for you. Rasha Akhtar, supported by the Muslim Council of Britain, believes that his religion has been insulted by the design of an ice cream tub lid at Burger King. His threat of jihad led to BK pulling the design.

This I find appalling as 1) the claim is clearly utter nonsense - see for yourself, 2) society should be standing up to this kind of nonsense - from whatever faith group it comes from -and not capitulating at the first, unjustified assault, and 3) it is yet more evidence of the religious intolerance that is posing an increasing threat to the fabric of our society.

I'm sure there are plenty of things in a nominally secular society that devoted religionists find insulting. That, simply, is their tough luck and they should remind themselves that they live in a democracy where crucial freedoms and liberties are guaranteed under law and not subject to religious dictum. By all means, let them use the democratic process in an attempt to change the system if they must. They are doomed to failure of course as all they offer is intolerance, something that western society, this country in particular, fundamentally rejects, but they are free to try. Once you let religion hang on the levers of power, you end up with the Taliban. This is why I give a fig.

Its all a bit of a fuss over nothing. So they printed this lid, the guy complained, they changed the lid. Big deal. BK as far as I know are an american company anyway aren't they?

I'm a muslim, the only reason I don't eat there is because the staff told me (and it was good of them to do so) that the fat was not suitable for vegatarians.

In all honesty, if they put a picture of Jesus on the lid of a screwball, you might still expect some Muslims to make complaints, since he is afterall a prophet in Islam too.

Originally posted by fnkysknky
Is any Burger King food Halal in the first place?

No mate it's just plain crap.

Maccy D's cheese burgers > BK's.

Only difference is that BK actually takes notice when you tell them "plain cheese burger, NO green stuff" :rant:

i'm afraid I have to agree with withnail on this one.

They are bowing to the minority through fear - it's ridiculous.

This is certainly why it's taking a long time for racism to diminish. One muslim and his council gives them all a bad name by being pedantic and demanding special attention because of who he is.

If the attention he were getting was bad, he would ask why he was getting treated differently, he's equal to anybody else. But now he wants to be treated differently :rant:

I'm not racist at all and have many friends of different races - I don't see the colour of the skin, or the religion but I don't like this.

It stinks.

As pointed out here: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=17727&only it's not an isolated incident.

You can find out more about this issue here: http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/

Seems to me "tolerance" of one group is being placed above free speech....

Originally posted by barny_100

Seems to me "tolerance" of one group is being placed above free speech....

I agree wholeheartedly.

But then who really is to blame - it's the people who just agree and don't stand up to it- just like BK in this instance- , it's our country's government, like when they said blackboards had to be called chalkboards so as not to offend black people :loopy: