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A headless statue of a pig has become the focal point of an attempt to Islamize a park in Derby. From IndustryWatch, with thanks to LGF:
FOR more than 100 years it stood proudly as the centrepiece of England's oldest public park before being decapitated during a Second World War air raid.Now a row has broken out after plans to replace Derby's historic Florentine Boar statue were abandoned for fear of offending Muslims, whose religion considers pigs to be 'unclean'.
A replica of the statue, a crouching wild boar, was intended as the jewel in the crown of a Pounds 5 million National Lottery- funded restoration of the city's Arboretum Park.
But councillors have called for the proposal to be scrapped amid sinister warnings that the statue would be vandalised or stolen.
The Florentine Boar statue stood from 1840 until 1942 when it was beheaded by a German bomb. But it was last week branded 'offensive' during a meeting of Derby Council's minority ethnic communities advisory committee.
Councillor Suman Gupta, a Labour representative for Derby's Derwent ward, told the meeting: 'If the statue is put back in the Arboretum, I have been told it will not be there the next day, or at least it won't be in the same condition.
'We should not have the boar because it is offensive to some of the groups in the area.' The park is in an area known for its large Pakistani community.
Shokat Lal, a community leader, said at the meeting: 'In Normanton the majority of residents are Pakistani Muslims.
'I'm not saying we have to lose the boar, but we could put the boar in the city centre so it does not cause offence to people.' Local historian Christopher Harris told The Mail on Sunday: 'We are living in a multicultural society and I hope that would include English culture.
'If the boar had never been destroyed in 1941, these people would have grown up with it and would not have noticed it.
'Activists have jumped on the chance to make a statement. It is one that damns English culture-But the wild boar is part of Derby's culture.' He said a small minority of Muslims with extreme political views had issued veiled threats to the council over the statue.
The land for the park was donated to the council in September 1840 by Joseph Strutt, the first mayor of the Borough of Derby, a wealthy cotton mill owner who wanted to give the public a place to exercise.
He commissioned architect J.C. Loudon to landscape the area. The hollow ceramic boar was donated by Mr Strutt.
Sculpted on commission by W. J. Coffee - and based on drawings of a similar statue in the Market Nuovo in Florence - it was intended as a gift to the working classes of Derby.
Last week's committee meeting proposed that a statue of Mr Loudon should be erected at the Arboretum with a new site for the boar in the city centre.
Last night, Councillor Gupta told The Mail on Sunday: ' Communities change.'
Tory leader Philip Hickson said: 'The community is strong enough to stand a statue of a boar in a park. But we live in an age where sometimes things are a little more politically correct than they ought to be.'
Posted by Robert at March 28, 2004 9:13 AM
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I think I know what most of the people who post here will think of this, but I'd love to hear what some of this sites mohomadan visitors think.
Not just about this incident, but similar incidents like the removal of a picture of 'piglet' from a mural of winnie the pooh because of a similar porcine offence.
I can understand the Jewish objection as being part of a system. (Deuteronomy 14:3-8). But where the Jews have a principle, the mohommadans just have a prejudice. Also, no Jews as far as I know would feel themselves harmed by the sight of one of God's animals, they just will not eat this one. If these people are so offended by the very sight of a pig, does that imply that they would wipe out all pigs given the chance so that no mohomadans would have to see one?
If on the other hand, this opposition to this statue is mistaken and 'unislamic', could some of those 'moderate muslims' please step forward and say so to the councillors of Derby.
I did read that Muslims refer to Jews and Christians as "pigs and apes." I also read that in dhimmitude, the differentiating of Jews and Christians in dress involved the wearing of badges, "apes" for Jews, and "pigs" for Christians. I would say that the good people of Britain should feel very annoyed that their prize statue causes such revulsion among Muslims. Perhaps it's because they are reminded of Christians, and by extension of Jews, because I have also been told that "Christians are only another kind of Jews." Hmm. More religious bigotry passing as disgust toward an animal. Nevertheless the bigotry is unstated because most people don't recognize the symbolic meaning of the "pig" in Islam.
Posted by: epg at March 28, 2004 10:55 AMNotice the threat to destroy the statue if it should go up.
Very peaceful. Very tolerant.
What's next on the UK's Objects to be Hidden to Avoid Offending Delicate Muslim Sensibilities List? Stained glass church windows?
The Queen?
After all Islamic law forbids a woman to serve as head of state.
Posted by: Susan at March 28, 2004 11:11 AMWell, if the boar is vandalized, at least they can round up Mr. Suman Gupta as a "suspect", especially since he communicated the threat to harm the sculpture. As long as Europe continues to accomodate Islam, it will be swallowed by it.
Posted by: peggy at March 28, 2004 4:29 PMWe must not give into the demands of a devel worshiping religion; nor to their demands to trade our history for theirs.
Posted by: christian at March 28, 2004 5:35 PMPlaying the devil's advocate here... it's offensive to most westerners to eat puppies. Now let's say someone in your town decided to install a statue of a cute little puppy (say he was going to be playing with a bone, or something) in the local park--wouldn't YOU want to distroy it, call the local government and make veiled threats? See? I thought so.
Posted by: JLM at March 28, 2004 5:51 PMDoes Mr. Gupta and the other members of the Pakistani community understand the cultural significance of this statue?
When these persons go to the supermarket and go down the beverage isle and see alcohol, do they protest to the manager? If they are at the meat department or the butcher shop, do they ask that the pork be separated from the other meats? When they stop by the newstand to get a paper, do they ask that Cosmo or other women's magazines with women exposing their skin to be hidden?
If this demand is given into, the above scenarios are next.
The United States Supreme Court has a bust of Mohammed in it's hall. I wonder when muslim groups will demand that it be removed. This is part of the "history" of the Supreme Court.
John
Posted by: John at March 28, 2004 5:57 PMThis is of a piece with the other absurd demands mohammedans make in Western countries. One of the funniest is that of CAIR-affiliated folks raising a ruckus and demanding that "Judeo-Christian" be replaced by "Judeo-Christian-Islamic" in relation to Western history. Sorry Ibrahim, but islam had nuthin' to do with American history.
As for islam having common moral themes with the other Abrahamic faiths....well....I'm not so sure. Unless/until I feel the urge to either fly a plane load of innocents into a building, killing other innocents, be either a vocal or silent apologist for said suicide pilot, or strap a load of C4 and nails around my torso and blow it up on a school bus, I just don't see how much I have in common with islam as a culture.
I work in the DC metro area, and from personal experience I KNOW I have much in common with individual muslims. But as an ideology, fuggitaboutit.
Posted by: Doug at March 28, 2004 7:30 PMJLM:
For a moment I thought you were serious!
The local Muslims seem to be hyper-sensitive to real and perceived slights and put-downs from the local Anglo folks. It;s an indicator of how separate they feel. They could just as easily join the community in getting the pig back into one piece; hold a fund-raiser; celebrate!
I could understand their objection if it was a statue of a pig being prepared for dinner, but it's not. It's just a pig!
These folks should ask themselves whether they are first and foremost a Brit or a Muslim?
Good luck in England. I think you've got some rough sledding ahead.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Hartrich at March 28, 2004 7:36 PMIslam is a religion that emphasize form over substance. Hence while Muslims claim that Islam have the same roots as Judeo-Christianity (form), in reality and practice, they are very different in substance. Islam is a religion of outward form that equates righteousness/holiness to the Muslims' obsessions with outward expressions of their beliefs - the meticulous rituals before, during and after prayers, rituals for personal hygiene, anachronistic punishment - crucifixion for robbers/murderers, stoning for adultery, the killing of apostates (they do not care whether an apostate is merely recanting his apostasy to escape execution), the revulsion they feel to any outward form that is considered "haram" dirty and the list goes on.
Next to pigs are the dogs. Consistent to this emphasis on form, Muslims are taught in a hadith that their prayers are invalidated should a dog walk pass by in front of them.
I have known and seen the extremes (sometimes comical)Muslims will go to eliminate the symbol of the cross.
Posted by: Nicolei at March 28, 2004 9:09 PMjust a random thought are arabs decended from ishmael if so didnt god then say that there decendents will be like wild asses of men and if they are ishmaels decendents doesnt that make them all part jewish and its right most muslims i see on tv or when i was growing up were overly concerned with form ie 5 daily prayers etc... i say build the statue if they dont like it go back to the 4th world country where they dont have to look at it hmmm.... boar = pig = ham sandwich i gotta start drinking again sobriety gives me wierd thoughts
Posted by: jimmytheclaw at March 29, 2004 12:47 AMHail the Pig, raise the Pig....bow to pork!
Muslims in Britain, I haven't read where anyone's asked for your opinion. Get over yourselves you arrogant, self absorbed, band of freedom haters.....you don't like the hog? then don't look at it, jerks.
I will contribute some money to assist in the raising of this Pig, if for no other reason, than to agitate these people that think their importance is far greater than it truly is....
Oink!
Posted by: D.C. Watson at March 29, 2004 1:30 PMD.C Watson:
A capital idea! Let's start a fund to 'Restore the Boar!', as an expression of Anglo-American friendship. Get an online petition going.
We should invite the local muslim community to join in the celebration of local tradition and ask them to contribute! Let's create a 'Moment of Truth' for the local 'moderate muslims. Let everyone know where they really and truly stand.
Mike H
Posted by: Michael Hartrich at March 30, 2004 12:42 AMRestore the Boar! *LOL* I love it. Count me in.
I think you guys have a great idea.....if we could only find an address in Endland to send the funds to.....
Posted by: D.C. Watson at March 30, 2004 9:13 AMI know one thing, I have a 400 sq. ft. deck on the back of my house, I think I'll set up some pigs and boars on a part of it....take some photos and post them up on my site....if anyone would like to contribute photos to this project, please e-mail them to DCWatson37@aol.com
If all of you would, I'd like to see if I can get some help with a catchy name for the site....
Let's have some fun.
Posted by: D.C. Watson at March 30, 2004 9:18 AMHey all, I was just joking. I don't have the time to build a site in the name of pigs, wish I did. Anyway, my offer to donate to the raising of the boar in England still stands.....
No nation's history should be threatened by newcomers because they don't happen to agree with it. Damn are these people ever going to stop being so intrusive? No they're not. So we must continue to eliminate them from our lands if they don't want to be part of our societies.
D.C.
Posted by: D.C. Watson at March 30, 2004 9:47 AMHere is the link to the council members in Derby. I have already emailed them that we want to start the 'Restore The Boar' campaign.
http://www.derby.gov.uk/HiRes/YourCouncil/Councillors/councillorsByMembership.htm
Look 'em up and email them. Let's get the ball rolling!
Mike H
Posted by: Michael Hartrich at March 30, 2004 9:52 AMI just mailed this to Anne McDonald at the Council in England.
Dear Ms. McDonald;
My name is D.C. Watson. I am part of a group of concerned Americans and would like to offer donations to raise the Boar once again. The Muslims in your community, like many of the Muslims here, seem to believe that their opinion is the only one that counts. They seem to forget that in a Democracy, the majority rules. I don't believe they have any sort of grasp on this concept.
Raise the Boar, put a Police Officer there to guard it from these vandals, and move forward with restoring a part of your country's history. They are no one to make threats against the mother country. If they don't appreciate the country's history, then they can move. You have our full support over here. Us Yanks will back you all the way.
Please do not let political correctness stand in the way of cherished national history.
Respectfully,
D.C. Watson USA
Posted by: D.C. Watson at March 30, 2004 10:15 AMGood work! I have the feeling that this PIG issue could actually become a 'BIG' issue; pardon the pun! A veritable 'cause celebre', a true victim of political correctness and islamnic intolerance. Can we get this poor pig a hearing? Without support his bacon is cooked! What a greasy mess! A media hearing is needed to keep it on the front burner! This issue has real sizzle!
Seriously, this specific, particular issue has all the elements of a watershed moment. It's an incredible opportunity for media exposure of islamic intolerance.
How can this be developed? Start an e-mail tree? Raise funds to pay for police protection? The press is always looking for a good story and this is a good story.
Mike H
Posted by: Michael Hartrich at March 30, 2004 10:48 AMMe and my partner have come up with the greatest deterrant to the classic islamic 'Suicide Bomber'.
All you have to do, to ward off any terrorists, is to buy loads of toy pigs and arrange them around your property so the suicide bomber cannot cross the 'pig line' and therefore cannot complete his/her mission.
Perhaps we are missing a supreme deterrant here! How about surrounding the British Isles with ceramic pigs, nose to tail - that would stop the buggers! Remember - If you don't want to get blown up in your automobile, an inflatable 'Porky Pig' in the driving seat is the answer! - Simple!!
Excellent comments; will e-mail the councill to and show my support. islam muslims should not and will not destroye our heritage.
Posted by: christian at April 1, 2004 7:01 PM
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