I Phoned Bbc North West On Thursday.....

[10ClarionSt]

...during a broadcast which featured people attempting to educate everyone about Ramadan, which, apparently is a Muslim festival of fasting and worship. I wanted to know why they were doing this as I didn't re-call them doing anything along this lines for the Christian festival of Lent. Or any other similar festival for Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists etc. They asked did I not think it interesting. No, not at all. Why should I? I don't do religion anyway, but why focus on one group, but not others? They just thanked me for my call and hung up. Ta da!

[Dee Sa]

I am not a "know all" but having lived in U.A.E for 14 years got to know quite a lot about Ramadan just so I would not break the rules & get jailed ! basic rules were do not eat, smoke or drink outdoors or in your car until Iftar [ when they break the fast at sunset] do not walk in front of anyone praying in the street as u break their line to Mecca and they have to start the prayers all over again, walk behind them, its the polite thing to do.
I was surprised on my return to live in UK that so few English people knew anything at all about The Holy Month.
I did tell my boss a fib that I went to church 5 times on Easter Sunday so I could get the day off !

[hc4361]

Local news usually does a feature about pancake day, lots of features about Christmas and Easter and usually Diwali, too. At least my local news does.

[anneasquith]

why listen to something that is of no interest to you ?

[andy-hughes]

Education usually consists of telling the majority something they don't know - in this occasion about a minority.

As a nominally Christian country, most people know what Lent is, but far fewer know about Ramadan, which is practised by Muslims - of which there are a large number in the UK, it may be the largest ethnic minority, which justifies educating people about its culture.

You may find they do feature other religious festivals, but since you 'don't do religion', you are unlikely to be interested.

[DaisyNonna]

What is your basis for this view andy?

[Svejk]

Ramadana-ding-dong is very important to the IBC.

[Svejk]

I could have told you it's a complete waste of time complaining to the BBC about anything. (but hopefully not much longer)

[Peter Pedant]

I use :
[email protected]
alot ( clearly channel 130 only )

fr'instance - dja remember lord Hall Chmn of the Beeb was threatened so the Beeb paid for protection for the poor mite ? And then they did a long bit about how well he was being guarded ?

In short Beeb money ( our money ) being used to cosset Lord Hall just a little bit more ? I protested:

.......can we please have a 120 minute instant info-mentary about how awful the stress has been for Lady Hall married to such an important and I have to say highly paid man ( no .... highly paid superman ! )

.....she gamely continues with her daily routine [ “ under fire “as she gamely quips and she steps into the chauffered RR supplied by her husband's employer on safety grounds ] – firstly to go to the House of Lords to sign on – for £300 / day as we all know -
if not for herself then for her husband – just like someone on the dole but the traffic is worse !

.....Then cofffee in the Houses of Parliament canteen. This is like a soup kitchen for the unemployed but, she jokes – the coffee at westminster tastes worse. countless hangers on cackle with laughter on cue...

......she is a lady who lunches, so now cue a table full of unprepossessing women hacking wildly at a raw carrot and caesar salad dressing
and talking fourteen to the dozen. The wine’s good ! someone jokes . Someone else pays – now that is the joke !

.....then an afternoon off – gym and then crown bowls perhaps

......back in the harness at 5 pm – an evening entertaining at the Beebs expense of course [ there has to be summit in it for her ]
a round of visiting dignitaries/ MPs/ men who set the licence tariff / givers out of more Palace honours/ other boring and exhausting people who can assist her husband’s career....

......God it is a hard life at the top ! This info-mentary is certain to be watched by millions and discussed by zillions all weeping at the sacrifices that the Great and Good make to bring us TOWIE, Emmerdale and Crossroads.

PP

....this is not a threat to my lords worthy life but in fact a request that the luvvies at the Beeb stop contemplaitng their own belly-buttons and get on with that they are paid to do – report news and not make it


.......and I have to say Lord Hall protection clip was a short lived piece on the Beeb !