Why do you have to do this Peter?
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Iām just offering another point of view, Jane.
I thought it might be popular with some contributors if I joined the ranks of ban-the-burqa enthusiasts, and called for drastic action to clear the streets of sinister sisters with terror in mind.
But never mind, youāve flagged it, so everything is OK again and contributors can go on saying burqa-wearing women are sinister and hiding something and are probably up to no good, and ought to be just like us or go away.
Jane may have flagged you I certainly did
No problem, Nellie 
, Iām an elderly white Englishman and a bit of flagging is good for the soul. Bet the young and not-so-young Muslim women who dress traditionally or modestly would prefer to be flagged than spat at, assaulted, insulted in the street by passing motorists.
My son has been taken as a Muslim by yobs when in the Essex High Street where he buys his newspaper, where he grew up, because he is brown-skinned and wears a beard. Told to āF*ck off Pakiā. My younger son had a breakdown because of bullying at school because of his unusual name, which was thought to be Islamic.
Nellie, you seem not be fully aware of how many ānon-whiteā English people are treated in the land of their birth, I may be wrong about that. Can you reassure me?
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I am a white motorcyclist who realises that there are more important reasons to ask me to remove my crash helmet than to show my face. The best way to explain it is probably the way that an airline told me that I could not carry one as hand luggage on an aeroplane; they simply explained that if I was to wear the helmet to protect myself while attacking anybody in the plane I would be particularly difficult to subdue. That seemed reasonable enough and Iām sure that my bank thinks the same. Strangely I have never been asked to remove my helmet by customs officials at any border crossing and only once at a military checkpoint although I passed through both of them very often.
If you think it is OK to insult other women just because they do not share your dress codes, poor you.
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I really, really fear what is going on right now!
I do not think any one has the right to insult another person. And for a politician to do it in public shows a lack of respect.
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To be clear I didnāt flag Peterās last post
However Peter if in future you post a reply to me and then decide to add to it , please make a separate post and donāt put it in with the previous one
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Iāve had it in Morocco with with a local man who knew me. He would always put his hand over his heart and say my pleasure, if I thanked him. Or if I offered to shake hands.
I got so used to responding in kind, I kept doing it when I got back in the UK. Got some funny looks I can tell you.
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Thanks for this observation @shandyann. You may note that my post on the same topic, and making much the same point, but more strongly, has been flagged as offensive. Supporting the generous and peaceful Islamic culture and social convention seems to be unpopular in some quarters, unfortunately.
I expect this will also be flagged.
This is the result of his odious use of āletter boxesā ābank robbersā etc. Racists who believe they have been given permission to spew hate. Nice one Boris!
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Yes, Mandy, and my own post about my son being racially abused in his own town has been flagged as offensive. He has experienced this all his life, including his first school aged 5, where he was put in a remedial class for non-English speakers although he could read fluently and speak perfect English. But his colour and curly hair told a different, sinister story.
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Perhaps if you read/re-read the Guidelines , Peter, you will understand why some of your Posts are being flagged.
The content of your Posts flows from here to thereā¦ and not all of it is offensive, but some of it isā¦ (see Guidelines) which is why you have been asked to edit the flagged posts.
If you do not wish to editā¦ that is up to you.
Please do me courtesy of an explicit indication of which part of any of my posts is in breach of the guidelines, with which I am conversant, Stella, and where āflowing from here to thereā figures in such a way as to offend anyone.
You can do this, in the interest of impartiality, in a private message in the Lounge. I sense, perhaps, Ć personal vendetta, but I hope I am wrong.
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Hello Peterā¦ I have no idea why you writeā¦ āI sense, perhaps, a personal vendetta, but I hope I am wrongā.
I did not say that your posts flowing from here to there offends anyoneā¦
Please read the content of the flagged posts and edit anything that breaches the Guidelinesā¦ āAd Hominemā might be a good place to startā¦
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I have taken your advice, Stella, so that named individual contributors are not offended by my comments, as I donāt want to give offence in that way. I shall therefore refer to contributors in a generic way, instead of saying āyouā, which might be taken personally.
I have amended the Post about the āforcedā handshake issue. I think many people would detest the idea of compelling someone to shake hands, āor elseā ā¦ but it does seem that there is a constituency that supports compulsion, and Switzerland is not known for its commitment to multiculturalism, perhaps.
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Itās hard to say, I found some aspects of Islamic culture quite stifling, and I think thatās where the posters are coming from. I think it depends on individual behavior and how they interpret their culture, weither its English, Scottish or Islamic. Although itās also wrong to say that Islamic culture is all one thing. Each country has its interpretation according to its history and current rulers.
For example when I was walking through the medina behind my husband, 10 paces behind cos I have short legs there was always one guy who was yelling out trying to get my attention calling me beute etc. It was disrespectful to me and my husband. Needless to say when I got on my motor bike to leave he didnāt say a word when my husband was there.
But thatās cos that guy was a pig. Lets face it guys like that are all over the world in all cultures. Respect and equality for others has a long way to go.
And lets notice that in both cases where those ladies cases have been rejected its been because they havenāt been prepared to compromise their principles. Its a lack of understanding about that culture. It doesnt make the world anymore safe rejecting them for that.
A terrorist truly aiming for citizenship would just shake the hand and move on. But all these restrictions and Borisā comments show that the world is being won by fascists and totalitarians of all creeds.
We are all going to die at some point. I just donāt see the point in humiliating people at borders for some idea of false security.
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Hard to accept that people forget that we all have aright to be here in the world.
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WARNING POST FROM ADMIN:
There have been some increasingly personal comments on SF lately, I am not going to name and shame but itās made us aware that we need to have another ācrackdownā - there is ZERO tolerance for personal comments on SF.
Please can we all remember that.
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By all means close the subject if it causing offence.