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Post by MozzaBedfordSpur on Jan 22, 2008 12:44:11 GMT -1
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Post by MozzaBedfordSpur on Jan 22, 2008 12:44:42 GMT -1
The muslim police officer given bacon and wine as a 'secret Santa' present is still surprised at the offensive prank - but remains friends with the colleague who resigned because of it.
PC Arshad MahmoodPC Arshad Mahmood, 31, was given the gifts, both of which are forbidden by his religion, at Luton Police Station on Christmas Day.
Despite being shocked he says he remains friends with the man behind the prank.
Rob Murrie, 26, who was a policeman for six years, has gone abroad to think about his future after leaving his job on December 28.
"I don't know why he gave it to me -- it still surprises me," said PC Mahmood, who has been with the force for two-and-a-half years.
"It happened after breakfast when we handed out presents, worth about £10, based on each others' personality.
"I thought I had been given a bottle of soft drink because I don't drink alcohol. But when I saw it was a bottle of wine it was shocking.
"Then when I saw the packet of bacon I thought, woah."
PC Mahmood believes the insulting gift - it is considered wrong for a Muslim to consume or even handle pork and alcohol - would have been easier to overlook had it been committed by a person in another profession.
But because Mr Murrie was a police officer and has therefore had training in racial and religious sensitivities, PC Mahmood says he 'is not surprised' he quit his job.
"It is against my religion to eat pork and drink alcohol, though I think a lot of people don't know that," he said.
"But Rob should have known better as he is a police officer and we have race and diversity training."
Even though Bedfordshire Police Force was rated the worst force in the country last year, partly because it recruited too few ethnic employees, PC Mahmood maintains he has never encountered racism in his job before.
"I have worked at Luton Police Station for two-and-a-half years and never come across any," he added.
"I knew it wasn't meant maliciously.
Rob Murrie is not racist. The point is that the wine and bacon are useless to me - that was his joke.
"We have done 'secret Santa' before, but I don't think they will allow it next year."
PC Mahmood, from Iddesleigh Road, Bedford reflects upon the incident as a bit of 'banter' that went too far, and keeps in touch with Mr Murrie.
He said: "We always have a laugh, but he went over the line on this occasion.
"He still calls and texts me - this hasn't broken up our friendship.
"It is a shame he lost his job, but if you look at it from the police's point of view, they couldn't win either way.
"Rob is not a bad officer. It was an error of judgement and he has paid a hard price. I don't know what he is doing.
"I think he went to France to think about what he is going to do."
Mr Murrie was not answering his phone when we tried to contact him.
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Post by CHOPPER READ on Jan 22, 2008 12:46:47 GMT -1
Some fucker gave me a Forest shirt one year.
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Post by CmonYouSpurs on Jan 22, 2008 12:49:42 GMT -1
I wont comment in case i get banned just like the bitch who wouldnt serve a customer in Marks and Spencers when she was buying a bible oh bollox to it, you can all fuck off if you dont like it here THIS IS NOT A FUCKING MUSLIM COUNTRY
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Post by MozzaBedfordSpur on Jan 22, 2008 12:51:14 GMT -1
I wont comment in case i get banned just like the bitch who wouldnt serve a customer in Marks and Spencers when she was buying a bible oh bollox to it, you can all fuck off if you dont like it here THIS IS NOT A FUCKING MUSLIM COUNTRYVery true, it's not as if we could build churches or pubs in Pakistan or Iraq, death sentence would probably prevail.
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Post by CmonYouSpurs on Jan 22, 2008 12:52:00 GMT -1
this fucking winds me up sooooooooooooo much
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Post by CHOPPER READ on Jan 22, 2008 12:52:13 GMT -1
LOL look down the left hand side of the article and the sport section shows Bedford Town above Luton Town. ;D
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Post by CmonYouSpurs on Jan 22, 2008 12:54:48 GMT -1
LOL look down the left hand side of the article and the sport section shows Bedford Town above Luton Town. ;D most popular first ;D
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Post by CHOPPER READ on Jan 22, 2008 12:55:24 GMT -1
LOL look down the left hand side of the article and the sport section shows Bedford Town above Luton Town. ;D most popular first ;D What i thought.
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Post by Neko Bazu on Jan 22, 2008 13:03:59 GMT -1
I think it's pretty obvious, reading that, that it wasn't the muslim guy that complained - so the PC Brigade strikes again! Incidentally, stood in the queue at Tesco last night, the guy in front of me was buying some whiskey and ales, and the checkout guy was - I presume - muslim. Rather than kicking up a fuss, he just grabbed a plastic bag, put his hand in it and handled the bottles through that, thus making sure he didn't actually touch them. Brilliant! It's a shame there's the obnoxious few that spoil it for the majority like him
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Post by CHOPPER READ on Jan 22, 2008 13:05:53 GMT -1
Does alcohol not come in glass recepticles these days? Just touch the glass.
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Post by urrzzzzzzzzzz on Jan 22, 2008 13:11:29 GMT -1
How can people on here blame the Muslim here? He was offended but understood it was banter that went a bit too far, and he admitted there was no malice. They're still friends. What's ridiculous is that he had to resign from the force when it was only a joke that overstepped the line - everyone does that. Why should he have to resign? It seems to me that the 'victim' had even forgiven him for FFS. PC too far.
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Post by Neko Bazu on Jan 22, 2008 13:11:44 GMT -1
Does alcohol not come in glass recepticles these days? Just touch the glass. I assume "handling a bottle of" is considered the same as "handling" as far as 'sinning' purposes go? In all fairness, a recovering alcoholic would be "told off" by his support group just as much for having a bottle of alcohol on him as he would drinking it; similar principle I guess. Personally, I don't care - I'm willing to respect their beliefs if they don't thrust them on us. And I'll take that per individual, not as a crowd.
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Post by urrzzzzzzzzzz on Jan 22, 2008 13:12:16 GMT -1
I think it's pretty obvious, reading that, that it wasn't the muslim guy that complained - so the PC Brigade strikes again! Incidentally, stood in the queue at Tesco last night, the guy in front of me was buying some whiskey and ales, and the checkout guy was - I presume - muslim. Rather than kicking up a fuss, he just grabbed a plastic bag, put his hand in it and handled the bottles through that, thus making sure he didn't actually touch them. Brilliant! It's a shame there's the obnoxious few that spoil it for the majority like him Aye! Exalted Neko.
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Post by jh1980 on Jan 22, 2008 13:13:17 GMT -1
Who is actually responsible for political correctness. Just a quick question. If you want rid of it, which people would need to be thrown on the bonfire, as it were...?
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Post by C@V on Jan 22, 2008 13:14:28 GMT -1
Does alcohol not come in glass recepticles these days? Just touch the glass. Exactly!
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Post by urrzzzzzzzzzz on Jan 22, 2008 13:23:52 GMT -1
Who is actually responsible for political correctness. Just a quick question. If you want rid of it, which people would need to be thrown on the bonfire, as it were...? The minority of minorities of you catch my drift. The majority of ethnic minorities and religions are not the crazy nutters you hear about, but there's a minority who kick up a fuss about nothing and then a larger minority who get fired up about national and international media insulting their religion, which is understandable. That was the case with Christians with Jerry Springer and the Muslims with the cartoons of Mohammed, they were still minorities and the line had been overstepped in my view. And if you've read Richard Dawkins and are going to be a clever sod and say those cartoons didn't show pictures of Mohammed - all the protesters believed they did. I've gone on a tangent, so much so in fact I'm losing my argument. The point is were we to take the people responsible for PC and throw them on the bonfire, it would be these minorities of minorities and a few politicians who seem to be forgetting that this is our country. I know that sounds extreme, but if 99% of your people can fit into our country and you can't, it's clearly your problem.
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Post by HURLOCK on Jan 22, 2008 13:25:21 GMT -1
Sick to death of all this crap, for this to escalate to complaint level there was no dougbt proceedures to go through.
Once again comon sense does not prevail and someone is out of a job and has lost there pension because people are scared to talk out against naything that involves blacks, muslims, or anyone who is not British!
Fuck em is what I say, about time people where told to fuck off if they don't like the culture here then too bad. Part of our culture is humour................................
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Post by jh1980 on Jan 22, 2008 13:27:43 GMT -1
I've gone on a tangent, so much so in fact I'm losing my argument. The point is were we to take the people responsible for PC and throw them on the bonfire, it would be these minorities of minorities and a few politicians who seem to be forgetting that this is our country. I know that sounds extreme, but if 99% of your people can fit into our country and you can't, it's clearly your problem. LOL, I see what you're trying to say URZ Strangely, a radical democracy would probably do what you suggest - without necessarily the "bonfire" (which was in fairness my suggestion lol)
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Post by CmonYouSpurs on Jan 22, 2008 13:51:39 GMT -1
Does alcohol not come in glass recepticles these days? Just touch the glass. Exactly! tell me what the fucking difference is btween touching the bottle and putting your hand in a plastic bag (Nekos earlier post)
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