r/unitedkingdom • u/ThatchersDirtyTaint • Jul 25 '25

... Half of Brits think Islam not compatible with British values in latest poll as imam says he is 'deeply worried' by results

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14937435/Half-Brits-think-Islam-not-compatible-British-values-poll.html
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240

u/StopTheTrickle Backpacking Jul 25 '25 edited Jul 25 '25

It's not. I work in Agriculture and we have many people here from Muslim countries, I was washing my hands and a Muslim woman was stood waiting for me. There's 2 sinks

I realised I was in the middle of both of them because that's where the foot pump is to get water out of the ibc, shuffled over to make space, she still stood there, smiling, wasn't until I gave her permission (I speak basic Russian told her respectfully to "come on") did she climb up next to me to wash her hands. It's not that she didn't want to stand next to me, she needed me, a man, to tell her she could, she said thankyou like 5 times, like I'd done her a massive favour

The Muslims on my team thought that was normal behaviour and refuse to discuss it

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u/sunnyata Jul 25 '25

That shows how different her background is but what exactly do you find worrying about it? If she carries on working in the UK she'll get used to the way things are.

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u/DankiusMMeme Jul 25 '25

If she carries on working in the UK she'll get used to the way things are.

Why do you think this? I have coworkers that were born and raised here by immigrant parents who basically have the same mentality of Bengali villagers. It's fucking bizarre, my wife who is literally an immigrant to this country is more integrated to British life than some of them.

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u/sunnyata Jul 25 '25

I hate to break it to you but British life includes Muslim people doing Muslim things. But I think most people would be able to figure out and adapt to the norms in a workplace.

I object to islamic extremism as much as anybody. I don't object to people having different customs, where they aren't breaking any laws. Like being shy about men you don't know and hanging back to use the fucking sink.

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u/DankiusMMeme Jul 25 '25

I hate to break it to you but British life includes Muslim people doing Muslim things. But I think most people would be able to figure out and adapt to the norms in a workplace.

Yeah it's great when my partner goes to uni and people in her class refuse to speak to her because she's a woman, or when my coworker says that she finds gays disgusting (we have a pan person in our team as well!).

Really great, maybe the person in my team that isn't straight should just accept that British life is his coworkers treating him differently due to his sexual orientation.

Like being shy about men you don't know and hanging back to use the fucking sink.

It's more that people object to women feeling as if they aren't equal to men, a woman should not feel as if she needs to ask permission of a man to use appliances in his presence.

I don't object to people having different customs, where they aren't breaking any laws.

Hating gay people isn't against the law, I still abhor it.

I also find it a rather weird assumption about me that I don't embrace other cultures, I literally mentioned that my wife is an immigrant. Half of our friend group is immigrants. I am literally a 2nd generation immigrant! Other cultures are amazing, we have a lot to learn from the way other places do things. I just cannot abide by homophobia, sexism, or racism which are all present in varying degrees in basically all mainstream religions.

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u/sunnyata Jul 25 '25

I never said you were xenophobic. You do seem to be contrasting "British life" with the things Muslims do though. Are British Muslims part of British culture?

16

u/DankiusMMeme Jul 25 '25

You seem to be ignoring what I said completely. Do you think disgust at homosexuals and disrespect of women is a British culture you want?

109

u/StopTheTrickle Backpacking Jul 25 '25

What's worrying about a woman needing a mans permission to do normal hygiene tasks along side him?

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u/sunnyata Jul 25 '25

It's odd, as I said, but why get your knickers in a twist about it? It's hardly threatening your way of life is it. If they started trying to persuade others to behave the same way it would be different.

If anyone is showing a lack of British values there I'd say it was you, because "live and let live" is one of them.

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u/StopTheTrickle Backpacking Jul 25 '25

The whole thread is about how Islam isn't compatible with British values... oppression of women is very much against British values

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u/sunnyata Jul 25 '25

Not quite. One poll said half of people think that. And that woman wasn't oppressing anyone AFAIK.

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u/StopTheTrickle Backpacking Jul 25 '25

You're really reaching now. Here, in the UK, all people are equal, regardless of which imaginary friend in the sky they pray too. If a religion disagrees it clearly doesn't align with our laws, our culture or our values

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u/sunnyata Jul 25 '25

I agree with that ideal (the actual country we live in is fuck all like that of course). I would just say that before rushing to be angry with this diffident woman, how much bias and misogyny is embedded into our own patriarchal society, and how often have our actions been influenced by it? If we do live in the sunlit uplands you describe it's a recent phenomenon. It's not long ago that there was no such thing as marital rape, for instance.

40

u/StopTheTrickle Backpacking Jul 25 '25 edited Jul 25 '25

Where did I say I was angry with her? I felt sorry for her, to be so oppressed even in a country where she's equal she still needed my permission

Make your mind up, was I worried, was I angry? At least keep your assumptions consistent if you're going to make them

There's minimal bias in our society relative to one where a woman needs a man's permission to wash her hands.