Help! present needed for Muslims moving in next door!

gelato_cat

Definitely a wind-up!!!

Suze

highland wrote:

Please forgive me if I have got this all wrong but there is something about the tone of moneymans posts that hints at wind-up to me
I hope not I'd like to think he was just a friendly neighbour.

moneyman4u

Susey, its all true, I just add a little humour to try and get through it, otherwise I would be pulling my hair out!

gelato_cat

Well, to be honest I did have a guilty little giggle. Telescope? Belly dancing? Bombay mix? "Welcome to your new home friends"? :rotfl:

Let us know how you get on

Suze

moneyman4u wrote:

Susey, its all true, I just add a little humour to try and get through it, otherwise I would be pulling my hair out!

loveandlight

Originally posted by Revenge of the Devil
No - the neighbours got to accept they are living in a non Muslim society and only one in every sixty odd people are Muslims - they're gonna have to interact.

A few months ago we tried 'interacting' with our neighbours and my OH who is asian and our 7year old son were nearly murdered by 20 locals who ganged up against them and made it clear they were not welcome. We definitely won't be trying to 'interact' again and I'm white, British and non Muslim! We certainly won't be doing anymore 'interacting' - it's safer that way!;)

margaretclare

loveandlight wrote:

A few months ago we tried 'interacting' with our neighbours and my OH who is asian and our 7 year old son were nearly murdered by 20 locals who ganged up against them and made it clear they were not welcome. We definitely won't be trying to 'interact' again and I'm white, British and non Muslim! We certainly won't be doing any more 'interacting' - it's safer that way!

This is very sad, but it's not what is happening here. The OP has done his best to be friendly, welcoming and neighbourly, in the best British/English tradition. This is what we're normally like. He has had his friendly, welcoming and neighbourly overtures thrown back in his face, literally when he arrived with a cake as moving-in present, he was met with 'no - no - no' and the door slammed in his face. A friendly call of 'hello' over the garden fence was met by the woman running indoors as if wild animals were after her.

As a nation we have recently been accused of 'not being welcoming' to Muslims. Here we have a good example of what can happen. We can be as 'welcoming' as we like and they don't want to know us. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't.

By their clothing etc it would seem that these are 'extreme' Muslims and don't want to 'interact'. OK, there are many people in the indigenous population whose pride and dignity it is to 'keep themselves to themselves'. But few of these even would refuse to return a friendly 'hello'. (Although, come to think of it, there are people around here - all English! - who return our 'good morning' with a sour look and a grunt!)

Neighbourliness is part of our tradition. Neighbours would help neighbours, long before an Australian TV soap ever told us so! Where DH and I live we have young couples living on either side of us. On one side the young guy takes the wheelie bins out on a Thursday evening and we bring them back on Friday. We take in parcels for people who're at work. We usually tell each other when we're going to be away and we keep a look-out 'just in case'. DH and I keep an eye on the old lady across the road who lives with her daughter - she is just too darned independent and has been in danger of tripping over the doorstep.

Incidentally, you say your OH is Asian. Asia is a huge continent and not all 'Asians' are the same.

Margaret

full-time-mum

ringo_24601 wrote:

I wouldn't give an Xmas card.. you might be able to dig around for a 'Eid al Adha' card (Dec 31st). It does pang of ignorance when people buy me Xmas cards knowing i'm Jewish.

I'm sure a bunch of flowers will do nicely

I send and receive cards from our Jewish and Hindu friends. I do make sure that it has a non-christian type picture and message and it is sent (and received) in the spirit of friendship and 'goodwill to ALL'. I have tried to establish what their Hindu religious traditions are as I would like to send a suitable gesture for Diwalli but they keep that side of thier lives to themselves. I would be flattered if they were to send me a diwalli card. I think that it is all about religious/racial tolerance and understanding and should be encouraged.

Is it really ignorance? Or do you not think that it is your friends/collegues trying not to exclude you from 'our' festival, maybe you could include them in yours.

I think that the OP's gesture is nice and I'm sure if they were to take a cake, it would be appreciated - maybe a list of ingredients attached with a note to the effect that you hope you haven't included anything that is forbidden to them - you have obviously made the effort to find something appropriate and are sending them a message of friendship.

loveandlight

Originally posted by margaret clare
This is very sad, but it's not what is happening here. The OP has done his best to be friendly, welcoming and neighbourly, in the best British/English tradition. This is what we're normally like. He has had his friendly, welcoming and neighbourly overtures thrown back in his face, literally when he arrived with a cake as moving-in present, he was met with 'no - no - no' and the door slammed in his face. A friendly call of 'hello' over the garden fence was met by the woman running indoors as if wild animals were after her.

Tut, tut margaretclare. Its such a shame that you have been so quick to be so critical of my post when, if you had read it properly, you would have realised that nowhere did I criticise the OP. It was the comment that had been made by Revenge of the Red Devil that I was reacting to. In fact, if you'd read earlier posts you would have seen that I have complimented the OP on his kindness and thoughfulness. NOWHERE have I said that what happened to us is what is happening here.

originally posted by margaretclare Neighbourliness is part of our tradition.

Correction. Neighbourliness WAS part of our tradition but sadly seems to have been eroded over time along with other things. That's not just my opinion but has been made by many other people I know as well. We used to give gifts to our neighbours but stopped doing it when we realised that they didn't want anything to do with us. We would be absolutely over the moon if someone did that for us regardless of what race they were.

I am actually aware that Asia is a huge continent as I have travelled extensively throughout the world. I am also aware that not all Asians are the same. I never said they were. To be honest I don't understand why you have reacted in such a hostile manner to my post. I was merely pointing out to Revenge of the Red Devil that due to our experiences of nearly being murdered by our local neighbours we NOW prefer to keep ourselves to ourselves. I don't see anything wrong with that and won't apologise for it either. If you'd also bothered to read the earlier posts you would have seen that I have actually put in a request to live next door to the OP.;)

Revenge_of_the_Red_Devil

Yeah - but you keeping to yourself because of a few hooligans is the same as all Britons keeping away from Muslims becos of the few terrorists.

loveandlight

originally posted by Revenge of the Red Devil
Yeah - but you keeping to yourself because of a few hooligans is the same as all Britons keeping away from Muslims becos of the few terrorists.

I didn't think this thread was about the British and the Muslims otherwise I wouln't have posted. We keep ourselves to ourselves out of fear. It has nothing to do with being British or Muslim. I just don't want to be a widow or lose my only son. I am actually half english and half scottish. I am not going to argue with you about this as I am entitled to my opinion the same way as you are entitled to yours. I thought you would be interested to know why some people prefer to keep themselves to themselves given your earlier comment.

emma_b_4

what an interesting thread and if it isnt a windup the OP should wirte comedy i was laughing so mauch at the bombay mix and belly dancing! thatd scare me off sharpish!
would have LOVED the cake though...wer do you live, we will be moving in 2yrs when i qualify! maybe the telescope thing would be a bit worrying though..and how bigs the house for 22 van loads, even if it was a small van?!

when we moved in the ppl who lived here before had left taxi cards, takeaway menus, a local paper and a welcome card and letter. we were really impressed and vowed to do the same when we move on.

next door camr ound within an hour and took all our boxes to the tip and we have remained good friends