Newsflash, Alex: They Aren't Going To Get That In Colleges, Either...

Young people in the workplace don't have the skills to debate, disagree and work alongside people with different opinions, Channel 4's chief executive has said. Speaking at the Royal Television Society's Cambridge Convention, Alex Mahon said 'particularly post-pandemic' Gen Z youngsters 'haven't got the skills to discuss' and 'haven't got the skills to disagree'.

And to what does she attribute this phenomenon? 

The Channel 4 boss cited the time youngsters had spent 'being out of colleges' during the pandemic, meaning they had not been exposed as much to 'people with a difference of opinion'.

As regular readers of David Thompson's blog will know, it's hardly likely to be a skill they pick up there... 

Last year Channel 4 carried out research which showed these youngsters are less tolerant of others' views than their parents or grandparents. The study found that young people could therefore be said to be 'less liberal' than their elders. The research branded this phenomenon as the 'rise of the Young Illiberal Progressives' or 'Yips'.

Their parents and grandparents learned real tolerance, where you may not have liked a lifestyle or viewpoint, but you respected a person's right to it. And crucially, where you weren't expected to celebrate it.  

There's Only One Real Answer To This, Isn't There?

After working with international feminist organisations for more than a decade, I can attest that racism is prevalent in the sector. White women occupy the majority of leadership and decision-making roles. Black and brown colleagues are subjected to microaggressions and toxicities, ranging from awkward to harmful. This should be unacceptable in any workplace, let alone one whose aim is to end poverty, misogyny, and discrimination. These claims should be taken seriously – with legal action where appropriate.

BLM loons going head to head against feminist movement and charities?  

"I guess I just wasn't made for these times..."

Brian Wilson and Al Jardine have backed a boycott of their former band the Beach Boys, who are booked to perform at an event organised by...

Oh no! Surely, someone beyond the pale? The Ku Klux Klan?

...hunting group Safari Club International.

Oh. Of course...

Wilson tweeted: “This organisation supports trophy hunting, which both Al and I are emphatically opposed to. There’s nothing we can do personally to stop the show, so please join us in signing the petition.”

Isn't this rather unAmerican? As, indeed, the group points out:

Love said in a statement that the concert would go ahead as planned: “We look forward to a night of great music in Reno and, as always, support freedom of thought and expression as a fundamental tenet of our rights as Americans.”

If you don't like hunting, then the answer's simple. Don't hunt.

Why Should We Fear ‘Alienating’ A Culture That Is Alien To Modern British Values?

It’s a question the progressive press seems unable to answer, despite writing reams on the subject, every day, ad infinitum....

Matthew Goodwin, ‘The Guardian’:

During a generally unpleasant four years, the basic message appeared to be that the government was simply not that interested in anti-Muslim hatred. In fact, to my knowledge, and despite increased concern over extremism and disillusionment among British Muslims, the government has still not undertaken any research into what causes Islamophobia and what might be done about it. How does the government hope to foster trust and support among communities if it does not appear to take their grievances seriously? … The success of Britain’s counter-extremism strategy will ultimately hinge on its ability to engage across all communities and inspire their trust. Working in this way, in sharp contrast, is only likely to fuel their disappointment.

From ‘The Independent’:

The Prime Minister unveiled further measures to protect children and youngsters from being radicalised in a speech on Monday, including plans to close down mosques where extremist meetings have taken place. However, the Muslim Council of Britain challenged Mr Cameron, asking: “Do such mosques really exist?” Dr Shuja Shafi, the organisation’s secretary general, questioned how proposals to ban extremists from mosques and from using the internet would work in practice. “By whose definition are they deemed to be extremist?” he asked. “We cannot help also detect the McCarthyist undertones in the proposal to create blacklists and exclude and ban people deemed to be extremist,” Dr Shafi added. He said the Government's counter-terrorism strategy was based on "fuzzy conceptions of British values" and risked "alienating" the very Muslim communities that are needed to confront the likes of Isis and Al-Qaeda.

I’m tired of the ‘alienating Muslims’ excuse being trotted out as if that was something we needed to be wary of.

Frankly, if the demands of living in a society with equal rights and free speech alienates them, they know where Heathrow is.

There’s plenty of Muslim countries. Perhaps one would suit them better?

You Know What Else Is 'Unacceptable'? Blackmail.

Cllr Mulla, a former Blackburn with Darwen Mayor, phoned Nando’s head of customer engagement, David Manly to warn him the London-based Halal Food Authority accreditation used by the company’s suppliers was unacceptable to the LCM.

The HFA allows the stunning of chickens before slaughter, which Cllr Mulla and his organisation believe fails to meet the strict criteria of Islamic law.

The LCM insist on accreditation and inspection by the Leicester-based Halal Monitoring Committee which forbids it.

So? Don't eat there, Mulla.

Cllr Mulla said: “I have been in touch by phone with Mr Manly and told him unless their chicken meets our guidelines, we will not consider it to be Halal.

“In that case we shall urge all East Lancashire Muslims to boycott it which will make it very difficult for the new Blackburn restaurant to trade successfully.

“No young Muslims will go there.”

Wanna bet..?

“The HFA permits stunning before slaughter which we believe is un-Islamic. Only restaurants and suppliers certified by the Halal Monitoring Committee are currently acceptable to the LCM.

“I hope they will take account of our views and follow our guidelines for certification if they decide to open the restaurant as halal.”

Look in a dictionary sometime. See what the word 'guidelines' means. Here's a hint: it's not the same as a rule!

But 29-year-old Bastwell shopkeeper Mr Khan, who worships at Randall Street Mosque, said few young Muslims would follow Mr Mulla’’s advice.

He said: “If Nando’s and the HFA say it is Halal, that’s fine by me and I would go in and have a burger or some chicken.

“If Nando’s Blackburn restaurant is accredited by the HFA, I think most young Muslims will eat there. I think the LCM and HMC are over the top on their interpretation of what is and is not Halal.”

Heh! Gosh, once again, we see the squeaky wheel determined to get all the (halal-certified) grease. While everyone else rolls their eyes at the nutter, and gets on with their lives.

Something’s Missing…

A successful Christian school has been warned it is to be downgraded by inspectors and could even face closure after failing to invite a leader from another religion, such as an imam, to lead assemblies, it is claimed.

Umm, what?

The small independent school in the Home Counties was told it is in breach of new rules intended to promote “British values” such as individual liberty and tolerance in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal, involving infiltration by hard-line Muslim groups in Birmingham.

Ah, right. So, once again, collective punishment ensures Christian schools suffer for the actions of Muslims.

But wait! Of course, it’s not just Christian schools. Far from it:

It follows complaints from orthodox Jewish schools about recent inspections in which girls from strict traditional backgrounds were allegedly asked whether they were being taught enough about lesbianism, whether they had boyfriends and if they knew where babies came from.

Any complaints from Muslim schools..? No. Not in this report. That’s odd, isn’t it?

A Government consultation paper published in June, explaining the new rules, makes clear that even taking children on trips to different places of worship would not be enough to be judged compliant.

So…what on earth do they have to do..?

Nobody Wins

Returning to Lancashire, I see this dispute over halal meat suppliers is still rumbling on:

The leader of the county council has accused mosque chiefs of using Muslim children as pawns in their battle with the authority over halal food in schools.

It comes as the Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) renewed its call for parents to urge their children to boycott any meals supplied by Lancashire County Council.

Well, this is a 'community' drawn from a religion not unfamiliar with the concept of using their offspring as human shields and suicide bombers, so I rather think you're expecting a bit much, Geoff...

A meeting between bosses of the two authorities ended in deadlock after council leader Geoff Driver refused to agree to allow animals which have not been stunned before slaughter be put on school menus.

Interesting! A clash between the Mohammedans and the animal rights people! * gets popcorn*

Salim Mulla, chairman of the LCM, said: “The county council is supposed to afford exemptions to people with religious requirements.

“They’re not listening to the requests from Muslim parents and the boycott will continue until they do.”

Hey, it's your kids you're hurting! Go right ahead...

County Coun Driver said: “We asked the LCM if they would consider letting the children eat fish and vegetarian options provided by the county council.

“They said they would only do this if we removed the halal meat from menus from schools we provide to.

So…someone’s eating it? Just not this little (perhaps unrepresentative) group?

“This would put us in breach of equality laws and we can’t do it.

And just to show what an own goal they've scored here:

“It’s really very unfortunate that they’ve gone ahead with the boycott because a good number of the children affected are on free school meals.

Ahahahahahahaha!

“I think it’s extremely wrong for LCM to use the children as pawns in their battle with the county council over what they consider halal.”

I think it's funny as all hell...