Nanny is constantly on the look out for things that may offend people, no matter how trivial the issue she strives to ensure that not one person in Britain can ever be offended by anything someone else says or does.Needless to say, this is an impossible task; as there is bound to be something that offends someone. I, for instance, find Nanny to be highly offensive.
Anyhoo, the latest word that Nanny believes may offend people is "purdah". This has been used by civil servants to describe the period leading up to an election, when politically sensitive announcements should not be made. Unfortunately, in Persian it also means curtain and in the Muslim world it takes two forms; physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form.
Nanny's chums in the Welsh Assembly have decided that for a non Muslim to use the word in reference to the pre election period is highly offensive to Muslims, therefore it has been banned during the Welsh Assembly election because it might offend Muslims and other religious groups.
An Assembly Government spokeswoman said:
"As the term 'pre-election period' is now
in common usage across the Assembly Government,
we didn't consider it necessary to give
specific guidance for the 2007 Assembly elections.
However, the guidance we issued to staff prior
to the 2005 General Election did contain such a reference.
'Don't use the term "purdah" to describe
the pre-election period. It has a specific meaning
for some religious groups and they may see
its use in this context as unduly flippant and offensive'".
What utter bollocks!
The word is clearly being used in a non offensive way, what rational sane person could find that to be offensive?
"what rational sane person could find that to be offensive?"
ReplyDeleteNot words normally applicable to religious fundamentalists it should be observed....
"what rational sane person could find that to be offensive?"
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are people in this world who are neither rational nor sane. I had never even heard of the term until reading it here today.
"Not words normally applicable to religious fundamentalists it should be observed...."
ReplyDeleteNor to Nanny or to any of the jobsworths so enthusiastically carrying out her orders.
"The Welsh Assembly Governemnt"! Interesting how these little pretend-parliaments are trying to outdo Westminster in the nannying stakes. No doubt more fun and games to come from 'Norden Airlan', to use the official Ulster-Scots version of the name
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose anyone in the 'Welsh' assembly considers whether the English find it offensive that just about anything to do with Government has, for a number of years, been a dual language translation requirement both in and outside Wales?
ReplyDeleteNot so long ago there estimate was that there were about 100,000 speakers of Welsh out of a popualtion of about 4 million (iirc). Most of them in West Wales.
No idea what the figure is now but the costs per capita of having all the government web sites created in both English and Welsh must far exceed any possible benefit gained. Certainly any practical benefit.
I find that somewhat offensive. Not in itself but in the apparent disregard for the interests of the majority being trampled on whilst minorities are placed on pedestals.