I am pleased to provide you with a copy of the Conservative Group’s response to the media reports of pigs being banned from a Council Office.
I have been asked to reply to your e-mail as a spokesman for the controlling Conservative Group on Dudley Council. A number of people have made comments similar to yours with regard to the “Pig Ban”. I would like to set the record straight or at least put the issue in perspective.
A member of staff in one department did, indeed, complain that the presence of rubber stress toys in the shape of a pig were offensive in the run up to Ramadan. The employees departmental manager, in line with the Councils employment and equal opportunities policies (based on legislation from Central Government) was obliged to give due regard to the complaint and asked other staff in the department if they would consider keeping the toys out of sight. Another member of staff obviously thought it would be ‘fun’ to tell the press. In common with most media, the Express and Star decided to inflate the story into a wholesale ban of all pig images. This then got picked up by national newspapers and hey presto a great politicallly correct attack is in progress. Made even better by the fact that it is a Conservative administration.
The AA Milne tissue box is probably the result of office chit-chat. I can hear it now, “Huh, I suppose my box of tissues with a picture of piglet on is offensive as well!”
I have no intention of defending the comments of Councillor Rahman. His use of the word tolerence in this context is almost laughable.
The serious point here is that what started out as an internal issue relating to one employee in a small department of an organisation employing thousands has now, through media exaggeration, given any extreme racist group another flag to pin to the mast and may well have created an impression among sections of the white population that there is some hidden agenda within the establishment to pander to prejudice from one section of our community at their expense. This is not only untrue but dangerous, made worse by the fact that it was totally unnecessary.
I can confirm, as a member of the Cabinet at Dudley MBC, that the elected members were not asked for a policy lead on this issue and I am quite certain that if we had been, it would have been rejected by all sensible members of the Council. This was entirely a day to day management issue and was dealt with as such (I leave it for you to judge how well). I can also confirm that following the original story we were contacted by a Muslim who said he was ashamed that anyone should take such a position and that he worked in a pork processing factory which in no way had any effect on his faiths requirement not to eat pork.
For the record, since taking control of the Council, we have:
- Re-introduced the civic celebration of St. Georges Day
- Re-introduced the use of the Union and St. Georges flags on public buildings at appropriate times.
- Supported and funded Christmas lights in our Town Centres.
I mention these particularly because I beleve that there is no conflict between promoting racial harmony and firmly supporting our national and religious traditions.
Are we happy that this story arose? NO! Could we have avoided it? Possibly, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it!
Cllr. Les Jones
Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration
Dudley MBC
I believe this sets to rest the issue and, in the common tradition, highlights the media’s determination to make stories out of nothing. During research into the European Union last year it became obvious to me that the media does not tell the truth all the time and now we have another example.
It is more shameful still that the media did not report the truth when it became available…
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#1 by wonkotsane on October 9th, 2005 - 4:05 pm
I wonder when I’ll get my reply.
It’s been over-exaggerated but it doesn’t change the fact that a council department actually gave credence to one muslim’s complaint about pig-shaped stress relievers. He should have been told to go away and find some work to do. Anyone who has enough time on their hands to come up with that complaint obviously hasn’t got enough work to do.
#2 by Gav on October 9th, 2005 - 8:17 pm
Agreed.
#3 by j0nz on October 10th, 2005 - 7:07 pm
True. OK blow out of all proportion, but it was an awesome ’scandal’ for the tabloids! What wonkotsane said, it’s so irritating that a person isn’t clued enough to have a rational response. I would have told the press if I’d been ‘advised’ to avoid pig related items so as not to offend an Muslim. As an atheist I find religion, primarily Islam as highly offensive. So they gonna stop Muslims going to prayer room because of me? I don’t thinks so! They’d get a jihad on their ass….
#4 by j0nz on October 10th, 2005 - 7:11 pm
Having said that I no way want to undermine what gav was trying to say here; that the media are shit stirrers. I think the problem here is why is this story just so believable in it’s original form? Well it’s because this PC crap happens all the time. (Ok my point of reference is… the media!!)
#5 by Gav on October 10th, 2005 - 7:56 pm
To be fair I said “make stories out of nothing” when I should have made it clearer that the media exagerrated a less severe, but still disturbing, story.
#6 by Ehud on October 28th, 2005 - 8:06 am
Yes the media might have got it out of size, but the idea is still there.
I know I am going to open a pandora/s box, but the rise of the right in germany involved the cutting out of books and the burning of them, which lead to people.
I think that recent events should show us a red light, or at least an amber one. How about a recent sale of the simsons to an arabic TV station, the producers agreed to , cut out beer, changing bacon to something less provocitive and removing all reference to Jews. This was done , so why burn books when western prodicers are ready to agree to self censorship , for a quick buck. As well as being censorship it is also prodicing a new generation of Children in arab countries without any education that there are different cultures in the world and instilling a little tolerance to them, If you like western things like fast cars micky mouse and Homer Simpson then take it as is, if not then am sure that local TV directors are imaginative to come up with something more tuend into local culture,, but then don’t ask why the TV dishes go up on roofs to get something else.
Correct me if I am wrong but most of the Muslim immegernts in Europe ran away from Intolerent govenrments, so it seams a little strange why there is a movement to restore the very valurs that they run from, eg murdering a dutch member or parlement, threats to Mr Rushdi, etc
#7 by Gav on October 28th, 2005 - 12:42 pm
Quite right Ehud.
I think the truth is that there are people who take life far too seriously and those that don’t. Unfortunately, those who take life too seriously choose to take positions of responsibility – I think this is inevitable.
If something as innocuous as a jewish person (a human for goodness sake) in the Simpsons (Krusty – how is he offensive?) offends then I think we need to say very slowly to the complainant “It’s a cartoon” or “I don’t” as appropriate.
Society generally accepts that some things are best kept out of the work-place (pornography) but even that is appropriate in some motor garages – I think we all need to calm down and smile a bit more!