Happy F****** Ramadan Anybody?

13th December 2013

An interesting article:

Merry Christmas? Not for everyone.


A Daily Mail reader from Newcastle — let’s call her Gloria — was dismayed when she walked into her local branch of Urban Outfitters to do some Christmas shopping. Displayed in the middle of the funky, hipster-friendly store was the 2013 range of Christmas products.

They included glitter effigies of Jesus turned into piggy banks; cards with the message ‘Merry F****** Christmas’ on the front; green and red wrapping paper stamped with F*** Christmas; and decorative seasonal bunting with Merry F****** Christmas repeated on each little flag.

As a devout Catholic, Gloria found all this offensive and upsetting. She tells me: ‘I just find it difficult to associate such swear words with anything to do with Christmas at all. As a Catholic, like many others I see Christmas as a really special time. These items taint and lower the whole meaning of it.’

She made her feelings known to the Urban Outfitters staff but was given the brush off and told to contact ‘head office in London’. So she emailed and telephoned but received no joy at the inn. No one ever returned her calls or cyber-entreaties.

Eventually, she wrote a letter to Urban Outfitters and received a brief, nonsensical and badly punctuated reply from someone called Rebecca who described herself as ‘Senior Buyer Home & Lifestyle’.

To her credit, Rebecca did apologise. However, she then went on to rubbish Gloria’s concerns, loftily explaining: ‘The use of the F word, has not been used to cause offence nor to denigrate the holy season.’

Why use it at all then? On behalf of Urban Outfitters, Rebecca explains: ‘In today’s youth society the F word is used as an adjective to creative emphasis on the phrase/situation/circumstance.’

Hate to nitpick, darling, but on the wrapping paper at least, it is also used as a verb. She adds: ‘It has not been used as a direct insult to any person or religion. It has simply been used to capture the minds of our youth market and celebrate the season.’

On so many levels, that is one of the most depressing things I have ever read. Especially at a time when head teachers are reporting increasing use of bad language in classrooms by younger pupils.

What chance is there of improving that situation when the repeated deployment of swearwords printed on festive goods sold by a High Street multiple is described as a ‘creative emphasis’?

It also suggests that the youth market of today — whomsoever they might be — are so thick, witless and cauterised to stimulus that they need the cheap dynamite of a curse or two to attract their drooling attention.

The company say they are supportive of all religions, but clearly this applies to some religions more than others.

Put it this way. I don’t expect to see Urban Outfitters printing millions of Happy F****** Ramadan cards or selling sheets of F*** Yom Kippur wrapping paper any time soon, do you?

However, Christians in general — and Catholics in particular — are just expected to put up and shut up when it comes to the mockery of their religion by others.

Please discuss.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522960/Christians--people-insult-Christmas.html#ixzz2nLuX4gLl

Well I thought it was a great piece.

Is it a mockery of their religion though?
Whilst its not very funny and certainly bad taste I dont think its anti christian. After all Christmas for most people in this country stopped being about Christ a long time ago.
How many people that celebrate Christmas will be going to church?

NemsAgain wrote:Is it a mockery of their religion though?
Whilst its not very funny and certainly bad taste I dont think its anti christian. After all Christmas for most people in this country stopped being about Christ a long time ago.
How many people that celebrate Christmas will be going to church?

For certain, the Queen and her family lol

Strangely enough a good number of people attend church at Christmas time, but its not the point if you do it for one religion you do it for all and vice versa, and I don't see them having the guts to do Ramadan like that.

I am hoping we make ramadam a public holiday here too.

never can have too many public holidays

My favourite is Diwali, the hindu festival of lights, its just lovely. It signifies the victory of light over dark, good over bad etc. Its just lovely.

veya_victaous wrote:I am hoping we make ramadam a public holiday here too.

never can have too many public holidays

Quite right too!

Yes I get Diwali messages from Hindi friends every year, which makes me more Hindi friends when they see me wishing someone a happy Diwali.

Sassy wrote:My favourite is Diwali, the hindu festival of lights, its just lovely.   It signifies the victory of light over dark, good over bad etc.   Its just lovely.

That sounds like most religions sassy.

And your comment really does show the chavvy side of religion lol

"There always seems to be a natural disaster at Christmas.

My favourite..."

NemsAgain wrote:Is it a mockery of their religion though?
Whilst its not very funny and certainly bad taste I dont think its anti christian. After all Christmas for most people in this country stopped being about Christ a long time ago.
How many people that celebrate Christmas will be going to church?

Really??

Go on - how many do you think then nems - couple of hundred? Maybe less? Quite frankly, if it were, it wouldn't matter would it?

I think it will be a couple of million, at the very least.

Now, how many people shout out "you queer tw4ts" - not many.

How many national stores have banners saying "you queer tw4ts"? None, but you'd be p155ing your pants with outrage if there were one. I would give my support too, saying it is ridiculous and should be stopped and that's what i'm saying here.

BigAndy9 wrote:

Sassy wrote:My favourite is Diwali, the hindu festival of lights, its just lovely.   It signifies the victory of light over dark, good over bad etc.   Its just lovely.

That sounds like most religions sassy.

And your comment really does show the chavvy side of religion lol

"There always seems to be a natural disaster at Christmas.

My favourite..."

More spiritual than religious Andy, and there is a difference.

veya_victaous wrote:I am hoping we make ramadam a public holiday here too.

never can have too many public holidays

Veya its Ramadan and it lasts for 29 or 30 days depending on the moon. So you want all those days off?

    

Well, maybe all it will take is a few fundamentalists violently attacking UO to make the bigots and worrymongers live in unreasonable fear of Christians the way they live in unreasonable fear of Muslims!

I wonder whether "Gloria" has lived her life carefully treading around the feelings of those who disagree with her?

Gloria? Bit lost Ben lol

Sassy wrote:Gloria?  Bit lost Ben lol

The woman in the article he quoted.

Ah right, the DM reader, it was off screen and didn't remember that bit.

Well as a DM reader its her job in life to be offended.

Sassy wrote:Ah right, the DM reader, it was off screen and didn't remember that bit.

Well as a DM reader its her job in life to be offended.

  

SEXY MAMA wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:I am hoping we make ramadam a public holiday here too.

never can have too many public holidays

Veya its Ramadan and it lasts for 29 or 30 days depending on the moon. So you want all those days off?

    

yes, of course
if it was just Eid that would be OK    I guess   

I'm in the U.S. where we get two weeks of vacation if we're lucky. Ramadan for all!

I know, your holiday laws are crap. We get bank holidays and four weeks holiday allowance. In fact the last job I had, I had 8 weeks holiday allowance. When I worked for Royal London we had flexitime and they let me build up a month's worth of flexi-time, then I took that and 6 weeks holiday and some unpaid and came to America and travelled around. Just don't know how you manage on two.

Sassy wrote:I know, your holiday laws are crap.   We get bank holidays and four weeks holiday allowance.   In fact the last job I had, I had 8 weeks holiday allowance.   When I worked for Royal London we had flexitime and they let me build up a month's worth of flexi-time, then I took that and 6 weeks holiday and some unpaid and came to America and travelled around.    Just don't know how you manage on two.

I did a stint at the tax office many years ago...It was as boring as fuck, i went into many - hours...Then i left, i was never pulled up over it, but that was twenty years ago.

I was dealing with corporation tax which was never paid.

Vintage wrote:Strangely enough  a good number of people attend church at Christmas time, but its not the point if you do it for one religion you do it for all and vice versa, and I don't see them having the guts to do Ramadan like that.        

lots of people also get married in church. None of it makes them automatic christians though.


If anyone did create such a card, trinket or other token with that message then I expect they would be explaining to the judge why they committed such a hate crime and spend eternity locked away for our own good.

If you have every religions religious holidays I am sure you could have the entire year off every year.

@cantank
and if not we can make them up  :D 
Happy Robotiadam everybody.
I wonder if Mircosoft will fund an 'Xboxmas'   

I'm a devout Verdukian, me. Happy fucking Merlinpeen everyone!

Hahaha! Wouldnt it be grand taking the whole year off  :D      

SEXY MAMA wrote:Hahaha! Wouldnt it be grand taking the whole year off  :D      

Last year, this year, next year  :D  

8th Feb 2014

A Daily Mail reader from Newcastle — let’s call her Gloria — was dismayed when she walked into her local branch of Urban Outfitters to do some Christmas shopping. Displayed in the middle of the funky, hipster-friendly store was the 2013 range of Christmas products.

They included glitter effigies of Jesus turned into piggy banks; cards with the message ‘Merry F****** Christmas’ on the front; green and red wrapping paper stamped with F*** Christmas; and decorative seasonal bunting with Merry F****** Christmas repeated on each little flag.

As a devout Catholic, Gloria found all this offensive and upsetting. She tells me: ‘I just find it difficult to associate such swear words with anything to do with Christmas at all. As a Catholic, like many others I see Christmas as a really special time. These items taint and lower the whole meaning of it.’

She made her feelings known to the Urban Outfitters staff but was given the brush off and told to contact ‘head office in London’. So she emailed and telephoned but received no joy at the inn. No one ever returned her calls or cyber-entreaties.

Eventually, she wrote a letter to Urban Outfitters and received a brief, nonsensical and badly punctuated reply from someone called Rebecca who described herself as ‘Senior Buyer Home & Lifestyle’.

To her credit, Rebecca did apologise. However, she then went on to rubbish Gloria’s concerns, loftily explaining: ‘The use of the F word, has not been used to cause offence nor to denigrate the holy season.’

Why use it at all then? On behalf of Urban Outfitters, Rebecca explains: ‘In today’s youth society the F word is used as an adjective to creative emphasis on the phrase/situation/circumstance.’

Hate to nitpick, darling, but on the wrapping paper at least, it is also used as a verb. She adds: ‘It has not been used as a direct insult to any person or religion. It has simply been used to capture the minds of our youth market and celebrate the season.’

On so many levels, that is one of the most depressing things I have ever read. Especially at a time when head teachers are reporting increasing use of bad language in classrooms by younger pupils.

What chance is there of improving that situation when the repeated deployment of swearwords printed on festive goods sold by a High Street multiple is described as a ‘creative emphasis’?

It also suggests that the youth market of today — whomsoever they might be — are so thick, witless and cauterised to stimulus that they need the cheap dynamite of a curse or two to attract their drooling attention.

The company say they are supportive of all religions, but clearly this applies to some religions more than others.

Put it this way. I don’t expect to see Urban Outfitters printing millions of Happy F****** Ramadan cards or selling sheets of F*** Yom Kippur wrapping paper any time soon, do you?

However, Christians in general — and Catholics in particular — are just expected to put up and shut up when it comes to the mockery of their religion by others.

And their points of view on a number of important matters, while perhaps dearly held and rooted in the liturgy of centuries, are routinely dismissed as little more than the ravings of lunatics.

I happen not to agree with Catholic thinking on all the big issues — gay marriage, abortion, contraception, women priests — but I don’t dismiss Catholics as homophobes, nutters and worse because of this.

And yes, agreed, sweary cards and wrapping paper on sale by a retailer desperate to be seen as cool and edgy is not the biggest scandal of all time.

But there is something very sad about this ongoing coarsening of Christmas. Political leaders don’t help. So terrified are they all of offending constituents who might not be Christian that they never send Christmas cards with religious images, taking refuge in the safe haven of cute family photographs instead.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2522960/Christians--people-insult-Christmas.html#ixzz2skTA1tfq

hmmm this only ever seems to go one way doesn't it, how long would a banner saying f...islam or f...muhammed last...

heavenly father wrote:hmmm this only ever seems to go one way doesn't it, how long would a banner saying f...islam or f...muhammed last...

The banner?

How long would the town last?

BigAndy9 wrote:

heavenly father wrote:hmmm this only ever seems to go one way doesn't it, how long would a banner saying f...islam or f...muhammed last...

The banner?

How long would the town last?

very true, there would be ak47's all around the town, head scarves by the million..

Wasn't this story posted months ago?

Ben_Reilly wrote:Wasn't this story posted months ago?

I have no idea i wasn't here months ago. :D 

Yep -- same article, same member who put it up.

https://newsfix.niceboard.com/t1078-happy-f-ramadan-anybody

Well fancy that!   No ulterior motive there then.

It's OK, Dr. Zoidberg has the cure!

   

Ben_Reilly wrote:Wasn't this story posted months ago?

Yes I think I posted it, which is probably why I remembered it and looked for it again.

Religion seems to be a hot topic, hence this thread.

Is this not allowed Ben?

Sassy wrote:Well fancy that!   No ulterior motive there then.

Must have been a slow news day for court news!   

BigAndy9 wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:Wasn't this story posted months ago?

Yes I think I posted it, which is probably why I remembered it and looked for it again.

Religion seems to be a hot topic, hence this thread.

Is this not allowed Ben?

I would prefer not to see news double-posted. This site is, for some of us, desperately clinging onto some sad fiction of being geared toward current events, after all. I'm going to see if I can pull off merging this one with the one from two months ago.