I have just had a conversation courtesy of msn with a very good friend in the TRNC, she is a wonderful lady and heavily involved in the childens charity SOS out there. She just told me that they are busy planning and making arrangements for a Santa and presents for the children being looked after by the charity. This prompted me to write my blog because at this time there are a few councils who are 'worried' about the effect of our (British) traditional celebrations such as Santas, decorations, public holidays (religious ones), the public singing of carrols and many more equally pathetic examples. Their concern? Well, apparently just in case muslims and other non christians are offended! Please note it's not the non christians who are complaining by the way, it's the brits in the council who are coming up with these totally ridiculous objections. Why, when there is so much 'real' suffering going on in the world do they expend their energies dreaming up these ideas? Would I think about complaining about the celebrations of Bayram and Ramadan in a muslim country? or in fact even in my own country! Surely the human rights issue here is that people should be free to celebrate their traditions freely. So why are we being forced to drop our form of celebrations, don't our human rights matter anymore?
So, it was a 'breath of fresh air' to learn about the Santa that the British expats are organising for the children of the TRNC, well done to them all and I look forward to the time I can join them and work alongside to help. It's just a shame I think that I have to look forward to my retirement so that I can leave my country due to the fact that nearly everything about it is fast becoming so alien to us. I'm sure the brave men who lost their lives fighting for freedom for our country and people in the wars are turning in their graves. Not to mention our lads out in Iraq and Afghanistan - what are they fighting for? - Don't get me started on that, I need to take the dogs for a walk!
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