I now know I'm right about little girls and the hijab.....

[PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker]

talking to a beautiful Somali lady today(they all have hollywood smiles don't they, bloody genetic miracles!!) and she confirmed that whilst her 5 & 7 year old dds don't cover their heads she gets harassed and pressured by men at the mosque that her dds should cover. She said that whilst she doesn't because she loves her dds hair, other women do cover their very young dds. She said the men also say that unless they do it from very young they will not do it when they are the right age!

So it's not only about copying Mummy, just like the rise of the burka it's a renewed stick to beat women with.

If a Pakistani person is born in Scotland, is raised there, chooses to live there, has a scottish accent and wants to call himself scottish - then I don't have a problem with that.

I think it is just bad phrasing, because it really sounds like you would be insulted for someone to presume your english, which as you are born in England and have an english accent is a reasonable assumption (whether or not you are/consider yourself english). You could just correct people politely if asked.

For the record I think this is quite a personal thing really. All my Great Grandparents and 2 of my grandparents are from Ireland, but I wouldn't consider myself Irish in the slightest. For me personally I am English because I was born and raised here, end of. I don't think blood is important.

People with Pakistani heritage who were born in Britain are British. It is not really very difficult...

Ok so whoever is born here has to be English then. Okaay. What if they are born here, but only speak Arabic at home, and are home educated?

Having lived in the middle east where the vast majority of muslim woman at the very least wear the hijab, if not a full veil I don't think I can recall ever seeing a girl under 12-ish wearing a hijab/veil.

(Unless you include my DD who is 5 and often wears an abaya with a chiffon scarf draped round her head because she thinks she looks like a princess!)

They are Pakistani, BRITISH BORN. Not English

spikey

do you deliberately misread what people are saying. No-one is calling you english - just asking why you are 'insulted' to be thought so.

No, they are British. Very few people even use the term English to describe themselves.

British born is born in Britain, as I was and have said throughout. English is English blood. What's with the disagreeing then?

I said Scottish actually, but maybe you consider them english - many non english people do, cripes - even the english sometimes! LOL

so am i french, british born then?

I am not in the slightest bit interested in what you want to call yourself....i would say that if i heard an English accent i would assume the person was English.
I certainly wouldn't assume that someone with an English accent was Italian.
Anyway...who cares?...if someone mistakes your ethnicity it's just that...a mistake....not an insult.

spikey what is english blood?

^^apart from if they wanted to be considered British. I know quite a few people (very mixed area) who would be really insulted if you called them Pakistani, and would tell you they are British. They speak Urdu at home most of the time. Like I said, I really think it is a personal decision.

No one is calling me English, no. Do you understand that repeated questionning of my ethnicity could be implying something? Purlease.

I think spikey got out of bed the wrong side this morning

implying what? That you are a dirty english person. Can't have that.

What is English blood? Being English, you know, from England, with an English family, who go red in the sun? English, as opposed to B R I T I S H B O R N

WHO IS FUCKING QUESTIONING YOUR ETHNICITY?
Spikey no one cares..

Just admit you want me to say I'm English. You are all telling me I've got it wrong I'm not Italian at all! Or if not, what is the questionning for? You don't tell people they are what YOU say they are!

You do care. Look at all the questions and but this but that.

But what is english blood? These is no such thing as english blood. We are all mongrels woman. My family originally came from Ireland, I still call myself Scottish even though most of my blood came from over there originally.

Spikey, there is no ENGLISH. No-one in this country is without ancestors who came from elsewhere. I go red in the sun because I have red hair. All redheads are said to derive from the Vikings. I may start wearing a badge that says "don't you dare call me English, I'm a Viking don't you know."

English people 'who go red in the sun'....
Can't be arsed with this thread any more,i'll sign off as a dirty English person[hgrin]

If there's no English, you can't tell me I'm English anymore then.