Originally posted by @Barry-Sanchez
Why the point out the need to point out a Muslim , it is someone, a person saying Merry Christmas/Happy Christmas/Happy holidays, not a religion. Anyway off to walk the hound.
Well I can’t speak for SoG, but I’ll have a guess.
You created a thread about social integration.
In that thread you’ve done an excellent (truly) job of drawing the distinction (that definitely should be drawn) between culture and religion on this thread.
For all the academic differences, like it or not, our cultures owe a great deal to the religions practised in our society.
As a predominantly Christian society, or at least historically so, the UK has many cultural practices and traditions that stem from those religious practices.
Rest on a Sunday, Christmas working practices and gift-giving traditions, the ritual abuse of children by the clergy, etc.
So, for a Muslim, the traditions that shape his/her cultural interactions would likely be different.
No rest on a Sunday, no Christmas festivals, no ritual abuse by the clergy.
So, given that within a single generation* you will not see the degree of mixing of blood that you, ostensibly, want to see, what is the best we can hope for?
Well, I’d suggest that a step in the right direction would be that IF a Muslim, that had grown up in a religion and its inherently different cultural traditions, then went on to wish someone a “Merry Christmas”, it would be a recognition of a move to integrate into a culture (informed and shaped by a different religion) that was markedly different to the one in which he would have been immersed from birth.
That’s really what I believe.
It’s also what I believe SoG believes.
Now, on to your question of why SoG felt the need to point out that it was a Muslim barber.
I’m not sure if you’re playing games with me Barry, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.
You see, this is the second time I’ve addressed this point, and, well, it’s really quite obvious.
You started a thread, the premise of which was that social integration is NOT happening.
SoG went for a haircut where a Muslim, who, had social integration not been happening, would have wished him good day, but instead bid him “Merry Christmas”.
Now SoG probably thought to himself “I’ll post that as an example of social integration on that thread that Barry started as I think it shows social integration IS happening, albeit probably slower than, ostensibly, Barry wants, but then again, it’s unrealistic for Barry to maintain the contradictory views of a) wanting social integration to happen more quickly, but b) believing that only mixing of blood shows true social integration, whilst c) not recognising that puberty and before that the gestation period are the main factors that will control how quickly blood-mixing social integration will happen.”
So there you have it.
SoG mentioned that it was a Muslim, because, well, it was a Muslim that demonstrated an act that proves to him (and me, but not you) that social integration is happening - albeit slower than you, ostensibly, want.
*For the record, I do not know how long a generation is.