to think that all muslims should not have to stand up and rally

[hiphiphurray]

Let me elaborate :-) In my work place, someone said that the local public sector office (dont want to name it) is banning food on desks for employees (in month of ramadan) as it may upset the muslim employees!

My stance was (initially surprised that they have done this - it is unnecessary if those are indeed their reasons) that one shouldnt believe everything they hear about muslims getting offended, as most of it, especially what is in some of the media tends to be 1% true 99% false.

The conversation then progressed to something like, muslims should stand up and say that this is not fair
And that non-muslims cannot say that this rule is unfair as they are afraid of being labelled racist.
Oh...and that politically correct officials are giving muslims a bad name!

I am all for standing up for a cause, but I just feel a bit and and also by the conversation as i dont understand why 'muslims need to be seen to stand and rally' about an office that has imposed this rule - just to calm the others down who dont want to be 'seen as racists'.

I couldnt help but feel that this outrage was more directed towards muslims than the PC officials despite the fact that the conversation didnt 'blame' the muslims.

So...who is right? Am I just being overly sensitive and AIBU?

Are you also banned from eating at your desk when it is a Jewish fast day? Or an RC one? Or a hidu one?7

What about lent - can you eat at your table then?

Stupid rule, probably thought up by an idiot who doesn't know muslims are not the only ones to fast.

Well Muslims hardly ever publicly cindemn Muslim suicide bombers.

How many Muslims do you actually know SoleSource? And I mean actually KNOW, not seen depicted on sky news or an EDL hate video .

The story about the office banning food sounds like a load of nonsense to be honest, a classic story of the Winterval-genre used to rile up feelings and cause tabloid-friendly debate.

It doesn't even make sense anyway. I used to fast for religious reasons when I was a child - for Lent (esp. Good Friday and Ash Wednesday) - and the more people ate around you, the better it felt to be fasting for Lent because you were doing it for religious reasons, to resist temptation. We'd also do 24 hour fasts to raise money for charity through our Catholic school - other people eating food around you was part of the deal. I can't imagine any Muslim getting wound up by seeing someone eating a sandwich at their desk just because they're fasting. Otherwise, they'd be having a regular fit every time they saw someone eating a ham sandwich or drinking a beer as well. It's just nonsense.

I do admit to cruelly waving a box of chocolates under the nose of one fasting Muslim Ward Dr - he's a major chocaholic so it was very evil of me. He was good & didn't get tempted by the Cadbury's though.

He does enjoy spending time trying to wind me up & prove he knows everything better (he will even spend time finding research to prove to me he's always right - men!!! aarrggghh!!). So it was karma. :)

SoleSource: your posts are ridiculous. Just because you've obviously had a shitty experience with Muslims because your exH was Pakistani does not mean you have to tar all Muslims with the same brush. You clearly have not 'learnt a lot'.
Also your post 'how about you' to nailak in reference to thinking suicide bombing is wrong was just offensive esp after shed already posted that it was 'obvious' that it was wrong

About the OP. I have spent many Ramadans in an office and never even thought to be offended by people eating. Of course my colleagues are always really polite when they open up their sandwiches or whatever and say 'oh sorry is it alright if I...' and I always say ' no course not. Go ahead please'. It's the little dance we do every lunchtime

My fasting BIL went out for the day and came back with a very nice takeaway from my favourite chinese because he knows I like it (and is a lovely guy). He didn't pass out bringing it, nor did he have a problem with the wine he brought me as a present.