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Originally Posted by Skybird
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Do you have evidence from a major news source to support this article you have linked to? I question the accuracy of the article and more importantly what it is implying. I work in the Airfreight Logistics industry and I'm based at London Heathrow airport (LHR). I have seen a mass of St George flags all over the place and I've asked some business associates who run airline cargo offices at LHR and they have told me that they have not heard of any such ban. I also phoned up BAA themselves who told me that no such ban exists within the terminals. What they did say to me however was that the construction companies involved in the building of the new LHR Terminal 5 have banned
any flags from being hung or displayed at the worksite. The reason given for this was that items such as flags pose a occupational health and safety risk. They said that the flags might get caught in the wind and fly on to a runway.
I am struggling to find another news source which makes the same claims as the article you linked to. It mentions the Sun tabloid newspaper here in the UK and I have now looked at
this article. I can't find anywhere in that Sun story or elsewhere anything to suggest that Heathrow Airport or pub chains across the UK banned the St George Cross flag because the extremist group al-Muhajiroun threatened these organisations as the article you linked to Skybird seems to suggest.
I did come across this
article from a couple of year ago in which a pub banned the flag because of what they called, it's association with football violence and the BNP. This is something that I find ridiculous. Quite frankly I don't know why England doesn't have a St George Day bank holiday once every year. Why on earth this country has allowed the BNP to hold it's own flags hostage is beyond me. Take it bloody well back.
As to my own personal experiences within the British Muslim community I haven't found either a member of my extended family or a friend for that matter who has a problem with the flag. Heck, one of my brother-in-laws, Saraj, has his car covered in St George flags. He seems quite happy to pay thru the pocket with the increased fuel consumption as a result of the drag created by them flying in the wind. The Muslims I know and my own opinion are best summed up by what London Barking Mosque Secretary Ashfaq Siddique said in response to Barking Borough Councils action to stop the local fire stations hoisting up the flag. He said “We’re not offended — it’s a national flag!” I of course won't fly the St George flag because I am backing my own country Australia who yesterday did well for a 1 all draw with the number 3 ranked side in the world, the Netherlands.
So what say you Skybird?