B&Q Bombers?

Unfair Daily Mirror headline

Just returned from dropping off the Curly family at school and popped into our local newsagent to find that the Daily Mirror is screaming B&Q Bombers under it’s red top, which I think must be something which is a tad upsetting to Kingfisher PLC and it’s thousands of loyal employees (many of whom are of the Islamic faith). Curly has contacts within the local South Shields store and is assured that they are not amused!

Sensationalism in headline writing can cause unforeseen damage to British business in this manner, and the apparent fact that some of the terrorists may have bought canisters of Calor gas at the giant DIY retailer is neither here nor there. Procedures are in place to record every sale and the name and address of the customer on a “contract” between Calor and the end user. Unfortunately a retailer has no viable means of verifying the truthfullness of the information offered by the customer. The Mirror states that the gas was bought at B&Q’s store in Paisley, however there are around 15 B&Q stores in and around Glasgow, so a purchase or two in each store is hardly going to raise suspicion. I suppose if the next terrorist buys bags of sugar at Asda then their company and employees will get maligned by the Mirror too, why can’t they just call them ‘terrorist bombers’?

Suspicions it seems have been raised within the security services with reports that a number of the terrorist doctors were already on the MI5 database and at least one was on a Home Office watch list, there is no point in apportioning blame to the security services or anyone else once these men had decided to carry out their terrifying acts. The important point, as our leading politicians have made, is to ensure that our fundamental British way of life continues as it is, we will not be afraid to carry on as normal, we will not be terrified by their evil deeds, we will not be ready to make knee jerk reactions, we will guard jealously our freedoms and democratic institutions, and the terrorists will not win!

Like many others, I have been impressed by the new Home Secretary’s measured and thoughtful response to the latest outrages, but have to question the procedures adopted by the Department of Health in applying their vetting and recruitment policies.

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley urged ministers to come clean about health service recruitment policy.

He said:

“It is important to note that the Department of Health’s Code of Practice states that Iran, Iraq and Jordan are among the countries from where the UK has agreed not to recruit health professionals. I am sure Ministers will wish to explain how this Code of Practice is applied, how it relates to the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme, and what process of checking is undertaken.”

I am also pleased that at last the Muslim Council of Britain has come out firmly in favour of the fight against the terrorists, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General, in a statement said;

“…this coming Saturday, (we will) be convening a meeting at the Islamic Cultural Centre in London of key Imams and leading community activists from across the country. At Saturday’s meeting we hope to discuss how we can work better with other partners, including the police, to try to undermine and defeat the terrorists who seek to attack us. It is our Islamic duty not only to utterly and totally condemn such evil actions, but to provide all the necessary support to prevent such atrocities from taking place.

We would take this opportunity to commend the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for the calm and reassuring tone of their responses to the recent attacks in which they made clear that it was unacceptable to hold any one faith group or community as being somehow collectively responsible for the actions of a few. We also appreciate the stance taken by the Scottish first Minister Alex Salmond, who re-assured the Muslim community in Scotland in unequivocal terms when he visited Glasgow Central Mosque recently.

It cannot be stressed enough that terrorists actively seek to divide us and to undermine our collective strength. To be successful in our collective effort to deal with the threats of terror it is imperative that we all work together. We need to have confidence and mutual trust in each other. The challenges facing us as a nation require us to work together for the joint benefit of all.”

Knowing that South Tyneside is an area enjoying excellent community relations between all faiths and cultures, I have no doubt that Dr. Bari’s words will be well received; and in the context of not wishing to change anything about our way of life, or in any way intending to cause offence, this blog will continue to lighten the news with it’s satirical content so here is a message for the NHS.

Sort yourselves out! (Even though it’s upsetting for you, too)