Taken from Bradford Telegraph & Argus 12th December 2007 : -
Senior Muslim calls for inclusive Union Flag.
In the shadow of recent calls from Welsh nationalists to have representation of their country in the Union Flag, a senior Muslim community leader has called for the Islamic community to be similarly depicted.
"I think that the current flag is divisive", said Ghayasuddin Siddiqui of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain. He continued, "The flag of St George, with its association with the crusades, is offensive to many Muslims. I think that removal of the red cross and its replacement with the Islamic crescent would help Muslims feel part of the British nation. When you consider that the number of Muslims in Britain will soon exceed the number of Welsh, then I think that if any group should be represented in a new British flag then it should be the Islamic community."
Arthur Flange, secretary of the Heraldry Society, poured cold water on the idea, "The Union Flag's design goes back over 300 years and is instantly recognised world-wide as a symbol of British values. I see no reason to change that. If the Muslims want to be on there than it will be the Welsh next, and then the gays. Where do you draw the line?"
However, Nadia Mustaffa, a student on the controversial Islamic studies course at the University of Bradford, supported the call for change. "The current Union Flag has associations with racism and I think that most Muslims see it as a symbol of oppression. A flag based on that of Pakistan or Iran, for use in Muslim areas of Britain, would be seen as a positive step towards a devolved Islamic pseudo-state within the UK", she said.
What do you think? Should the Muslim community be represented on our national flag or is the idea sharia stupidity? Send your comments and designs for the new flag to the Editor.