Those Offensive Piggies

According to an Australian Associated Press story in The Age [www.theage.com.au], British banks are banning a time-honored symbol of thrift and saving because, they say, it just may offend Muslims. They're giving the boot to those nasty old Piggy Banks. That's right, freaking piggy banks. Halifax and NatWest banks will no longer give piggy banks to children or use them in their advertising. Their reason: "Muslims do not eat pork, as Islamic culture deems the pig to be an impure animal." So, from this dietary restriction, the banks have made a great leap in logic to believing that little hollow ceramic pigs will be offensive to one who follows the injunctions of the Q'uran (Koran). And some folks support this move. Salim Mulla, secretary of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, says, "This is a sensitive issue and I think the banks are simply being courteous to their customers." Courteous? Since when is full-blown idiocy a courtesy??? Others, I am happy to say, view the move as political correctness gone mad (mad I tell you!), and I agree. One sane voice in this debacle comes from Khalid Mahmoud, the Labour MP for a Birmingham seat and one of four Muslim MPs in Britain, who says:

"We live in a multicultural society and the traditions and symbols of one community should not be obliterated just to accommodate another." 

Wow, that's so good I could feature it as a Quotable. To Mr. Mahmoud and his supports Prophet or Madman says: Amen my Muslim brother of another mother! Fight this idiotic application of political correctness!! 

Read the full story (without my ranting) here.