Topic: Curry Crisis

[Peripatetic Phil]

This has been on the cards for a while and to be honest the Pakistani/Bangladeshi community need to change and start integrating. ... So to the point of the OP, its a very good thing that workers from Asia are being stopped, they can do what all other normal businesses do - train and recruit the best person for the job, not restrict it to male Muslims.

VP, the very fact that you have several very good Bangladeshi friends is a clear indication that your remarks have no racist intent, but I think you misunderstand the nature of society.  Have you, for example, ever visited Happy Valley in Hong Kong ?  All the (rich) expatriate Britons live there in one giant enclave, and integration with the local population is almost non-existent.  In Abu Dhabi, where my wife works, all the expatriates (from wherever) club together, speak English to each other, and never have any interactions with the local Arab population other than through commerce.  And when I went to France with a group of Rotarians, as soon as we were back in the hotel we all reverted to speaking to each other in English.  It is simply human nature to want to socialise with other members of the ethnic group within which one grew up  -- I count myself very fortunate in having real friends in many countries around the world, and being married into a Chinese/Vietnamese family I take part in many of their activities, but on a day-to-day basis I still spend almost all of my time in the company of my fellow Britons.

** Phil.

[vindapoo]

Phil, your point is very well made. Just look at the ex-pat brits in benedorm who don't learn the language and expect 'little britain' instead of embracing the local culture. It's just not healthy and leads to hassle for both the interlopers and the natives. I find if you make an effort to fit in with the language and customs then the locals respect that.

Like I said in my previous post, the pakistani women I know are really friendly and couldn't make you more welcome in their homes when I visit for family occasions(always visit during ramadan for epic feasts!). None of the burka nonsense either in the house. The pakistani's (and bangladeshis which is same thing really) need to sort out the 18c thinking that is pumped down their throats by the dark ages imported imam's every week at the mosque. Like marrying first cousins from remote villages then importing them to the UK to 'keep the wealth' in the family because thats what used to happed 200 years ago so the family could keep 2 cows etc. madness.

Hell just watch the news when you see pakistan and it looks a like $hit hole with no sewers, health and safety/building regs or any respect for the individual. Personally I'm an atheist and I'm sure that is a capital crime over there. They are 100 years behind the rest of the civilized world mainly due to the idiotic religious practices being forced on the populace by a few nutters.

Ive got 3 kids and if some imam told me my daughter was 'property' to be traded/married off and couldn't get a job where a 'man' could see her face he'd get told where to go pretty rapid.

/rant off!