Sunday 15 April 2012

Not Too Much To Ask, Is It?

A London university is considering establishing alcohol-free zones on its campuses because so many of its students consider drinking to be immoral.

Professor Malcolm Gillies, vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University, said the selling of alcohol was an issue of "cultural sensitivity" at his institution where a fifth of students are Muslim.

Speaking to a conference of university administrators in Manchester, he said that for many students, drinking alcohol was "an immoral experience".
Hey, it's only a modest compromise. Who could worry about that, eh?
He said he saw little reason for the university to subsidise a student bar on campus when there were "at least half a dozen pubs within 200m".
They can always just 'step outside'.
Alaa Alsamarrai, the vice-president of student affairs for the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, said Muslim students wanted universities to be inclusive so that students "from all walks of life can come and share experiences".

"Alcohol is a barrier to many Muslim students participating in freshers' events and often in society activities, so we are in support of moves to have alcohol-free zones and events," she said. "However, if a student wants to drink, we don't want to ban them from doing that."
Of course not. It's not too much to ask for alcohol free public transport, a few outdoor areas, with the odd employer policy too.

No-one is asking for a ban at the behest of a vocal minority, are they? It would be scaremongery to say otherwise.

It's not like there's a template being followed, or anything.


16 comments:

Curmudgeon said...

As I said at Mark Wadsworth's place, I give it ten years before we get "local option" prohibition in Muslim-majority areas.

Mark Wadsworth said...

"The smoking ban is a barrier to many smoker students participating in freshers' events and often in society activities, so we are in support of moves to introduce smoking zones and allow smoking at events," she said. "However, if a student doesn't want to smoke, we don't want to ban them from doing that."
There, that's better.

…Zaph said...

2013 student smoky-drinkies then.

I'm sure Leg Iron would approve :)

Folks Observer said...

What the silly Professor is trying to say is the students should not drink on
the campus but call in a Muslim owned off licence ,take the beer home
and watch telly ,like Sir and his ilk do,in others words ,behave ,obey and mutate, a Fabian Hades for all.

Dog Soldier 

Mudplugger said...

20% of the students are Muslim, so the other 80% should be discriminated against for that small minority ?
Sounds like everyday life in 2012 Bradfordistan.

c777 said...

Hmm ,
Oh yes, I get it !
Next,the everywhere ban !
As in "everywhere" !

Legiron said...

 Definitely. I know some students who have developed a new interest in horticulture too.

Jaycas said...

'alcohol free zones and events':  well, there's always the orienteering society. 

rental mobil said...

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Anonymous said...

As on hardtalk the other morning when they spoke of Black Chief Constables and the guy being interviewed stated there were already 15 (I think he said) London Boroughs that were 60%+ black (his words) and that within 10 years (again I think that was the timescale) the whole of London would be predominantly black! I presume that this also includes Muslims.

My thought then was how many years, 50 or 100 before the whole of Britain is black and the natural indiginous British are gone¿

Anonymous said...

As on hardtalk the other morning when they spoke of Black Chief Constables and the guy being interviewed stated there were already 15 (I think he said) London Boroughs that were 60%+ black (his words) and that within 10 years (again I think that was the timescale) the whole of London would be predominantly black! I presume that this also includes Muslims. My thought then was how many years, 50 or 100 before the whole of Britain is black and the natural indiginous British are gone¿

JuliaM said...

This featured in today's 'Metro' letters page, with one letter pointing out that the old idea of 'tolerance' - whereby you might not like a thing or a habit, but you put up with it - seemed to be dying out, which just meant more and more of these issues cropping up further down the line.

Michael J. McFadden said...

Wonderful quote from 1998 ASH propaganda Dick!  Filing it away... Thanks!

- MJM

Teebob2themax said...

I couldn't agree more Michael! In fact I was wondering if anybody else had noticed it. How quickly times change!

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The principal objective of an Alcohol Free Zone is to prevent disorderly
behaviour caused by the consumption of alcohol in public areas to
improve public safety. Alcohol Free Zones can only
be established by Councils in accordance with Ministerial Guidelines
and the Local Government Act, and under consultation and endorsement by
Police.

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