Bacon gift to Muslim officer costs Pc's job

[Gadjodilo]

[size=7]Bacon gift to Muslim officer costs Pc's job[/size]

A police officer has been forced into resigning after he gave a Muslim colleague a pack of bacon and a bottle of wine as a joke present during a Christmas Day party.

Pc Rob Murrie gave the gift to his colleague as part of a "Secret Santa" at Luton station, though the consumption of alcohol and bacon is forbidden under Islam.

However, even though the Muslim officer did not complain and thought the present funny, senior officers in the Bedfordshire force were not amused. They declared that "behaviour of this nature is not tolerated" and welcomed Pc Murrie's resignation.

More here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... con114.xml

[Cashel Hill]

I think society has gone far too politically correct

Quite an understatement.

[odie1kanobe]

Nope a correct decision as the PC was deliberately acting in an offensive way to a colleague.

Given his actions against a colleague how could people believe he would act with members of the public.

[madura]

I think society has gone far too politically correct

Quite an understatement.

Dietary rules are no laughing matter. I once gave a bottle of wine to an Indian neighbour, a guy who used a Western first name, and caused absolute consternation because his wife was Muslim and so, of necessity after marriage, was he. I just about got away with it by pleading ignorance in my defence. People working in multi-faith environments need to be fully informed about the sensitivities involved.

[corkman2007]

The Muslim officer said that he thought the bacon 'was a bit below the belt' suggesting he was offended but didn't want to cause trouble for his fellow officer:

According to Pc Mahmood, who joined the force in September 2005, about 18 of his colleagues had decided to join in the Secret Santa - with each member of a group given the name of another to supply with an anonymous gift.

"We opened our presents in the canteen at breakfast time on Christmas Day. The gifts were chosen depending on the person's personality, and cost about £10."

One officer received a bus pass and a timetable because he lived so close to the police station that he did not need a car. Others received "boring" presents, Pc Mahmood said.

"When I pulled my present out, I did not realise that I had been given a bottle of wine," added PC Mahmood, who is married with a married with a child.

"Everyone was joking but I thought the packet of bacon was a bit below the belt. Judging from the reaction of everyone else, they thought it was a bit below the belt as well."

However, Pc Mahmood believes it was "not meant in a malicious way, just a bit of banter". He told a sergeant, who was "really disgusted", that he knew it was meant as a joke and did not want to make a formal complaint.

"I just took it on the chin. But someone else in the room must have thought it was a racist incident, and reported it," the officer said.

[Munion]

How can this be offensive if the recipient didn't feel offended?

[jimmyfour]

I wonder if that Muslim lady working in Marks & Spencers who refused to sell a bible to a christian pensioner and called the bible "unclean" will also lose her job - probably not.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../15/nms115.xml

One rule for locals (be oppressed and shut up), another rule for everyone else it seems.

[corkman2007]

How can this be offensive if the recipient didn't feel offended?

He did feel offended about the bacon at least but he didn't want to report it. In fairness, PC Murrie should have apologised and that should have been an end to the matter. Effectively forcing him to resign over what PC Mahmood accepted was intended to be a joke (albeit tasteless) was going too far.

[smiffy]

I wonder if that Muslim lady working in Marks & Spencers who refused to sell a bible to a christian pensioner and called the bible "unclean" will also lose her job - probably not.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../15/nms115.xml

One rule for locals (be oppressed and shut up), another rule for everyone else it seems.

Is PC Mahmood not 'local'? Where is he from?

[Chrisco]

I wonder if that Muslim lady working in Marks & Spencers who refused to sell a bible to a christian pensioner and called the bible "unclean" will also lose her job - probably not.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../15/nms115.xml

One rule for locals (be oppressed and shut up), another rule for everyone else it seems.

Theologically, that a Muslim would consider the Bible to be unclean is quite suspect; Jews and Christians are known in the Qur'an as the 'People of the Book', and it makes respectful references to both the Torah and the Gospels.