What would "Dads Army" do and deal with the Migrants by the tunnel

I read that article too and must admit I was a little surprised that the young man felt he had the right to criticise the couple's daughter for not being married and for not covering her head. The couple said they understood that he found it difficult to comprehend the lifestyle of western women. Possibly he thought he was doing her parents a favour by reinforcing standards that he felt all parents would naturally wish their daughters to adhere to.

I very much admire the couple in Calais, They must be very special people to be able to understand and overlook remarks that would, given the hospitality they had offered, probably anger most people. It seems that although it was not always a comfortable situation they had no regrets about helping someone in such desperate need and no doubt they have the satisfaction of knowing they did something good and kind.

No. Just a combination of pragmatism and just plain good manners!

Isn't that a tad hypocritical Petra, not criticising because you were getting something

We once offered accommodation to two middle eastern young men. Sitting down for dinner they were angry at me joining them for a meal at all far less sitting at the head of the table opposite DH. They were not ideal house guests and didn't stay long.

I'm the first to admit that I criticise many aspects of dress worn by Muslim women. But that is purely because of what it represents.
I would no more dream of criticising a family that were feeding me than flying to the moon.

I don't think the current situation is comparable to previous wars. We used to think the enemy was Russia and WW3 would be nuclear. Now we have this ' war against terror'. These fundamentalists are bombing innocent people all over the world -Thailand being the latest. Bad things are happening, nothing much is being done about it. The more powerful countries seem paralysed by fear - based on commercial concerns -oil etc or fear of being politically incorrect - its their choice to genitally mutilate girls etc etc. Meanwhile what do we actually do?

WWII and the current situation are not comparable. Nations were at war with other nations. This is governments attacking their own people.

When a country goes to war it provides it's combatants with weapons, training and support. When a government goes to war on it's own people the supply of weapons etc is one sided.

I do think it is wrong - and worrying- that the young man criticised the dress and lifestyle of the daughter of the people who took him in. (The Guardian link)

To accept someone's hospitality then criticise their way of life is extremely rude - I am sure Dad's Army would not have tolerated it and I don't think we should nowadays either on a wider scale.

I wouldn't Merlotgran if they were charitable or not, but I don't criticise the choice of dress worn in any country or choice of dress worn by people who live here but wear the dress of the country of their birth.

Oh I quite agree vamp. Our country faced the blitz and very genuine fear too but our men didn't flee. Is there something about this being the first generation of men who weren't willing to fight for their country? I should say I'm not trying to be argumentative. There are so many aspects to this conflict. Is it in fact WW 3? Many countries involved?

I can't help thinking it's easy to be brave from the safety of the UK. Perhaps it's not so easy when the bombs are dropping, the bullets are flying, there is a possibility of gas attack or you might just be picked up in the street and disappear.

I gathered that Anya

Would you critcise somebody's dress if you were a guest in their home, Anniebach? Especially if they were being charitable by taking you in?

So the fact that Assad is bombing and using chrmical weapons against Syrians is completely irrelevant to your point about Syrians fleeing their homes, and the fact that the USA is bombing Deash, on the Syrian border, in an attempt to stop their murderous advance, is to be abhored.

I'm afraid your logic escapes me Annie

But Petra, many in this country criticise the dress of those from the Middle East ,

Nothing unusual in male immigrants leaving their country to find a place to live and then sending for their families . I have seen many,many children in the boats and in the camp

DJ. I read your link Re the Calais family. Like them I couldn't see somebody hungry and cold. But I'm sorry, the moment he started criticising my daughter in regard to her marital status and covering her hair that would be the end of the 'friendship'
This young man is computer savy, he must read what is acceptable or not, in what is acceptable in our culture. He chose to ignore that and in my opinion was very rude to these kind people.
Can you imagine what he thinks, now that he is in the uk.

Yes Anya, because Iraq and Syria haven't bombed us - yet, and the discussion is people from the Middle East fleeing their countries to seek a new life in Europe and the reasons why

Is there documented evidence that the majority leaving Syria are young males?

There are many women and children in the refugee camps - perhaps their menfolk have left them there in comparative safety while they try to seek a better life for them all.

Whatever the truth, I would imagine that many of them would still hope that one day their homeland will be restored to peace and they could return there.

This is where a concerted effort needs to be made by the EU (for if it cannot sort out something like this crisis as a coherent body then it is failing).

There seems to be no system to sort genuine refugees from economic migrants - and also to sift out those whose intent could be to do us harm.

Turkey is carrying a huge burden with the number of refugee camps open there now - help is urgently needed. Things we take for granted here are desperately needed:

love-in-the-language-of-yarn.blogspot.co.uk/

And mine.

I rest my case.

I just read (in an article on world pollution levels) that the population of Syria has dropped by 50%. If a majority of those leaving are young males, as seems to be the case, who's protecting the elderly, the children, the women (who are unable to leave their homes without a male relative with them)?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet Dj!
Fine. Go ahead. Let everyone in. Watch and wait. Luckily, as the older generation we wont have to suffer as long. Shame about the kids. Meanwhile the fundamentalists march on......

" For reasons of accuracy, the director of news at Al Jazeera English, Salah Negm, has decided that we will no longer use the word migrant in this context. We will instead, where appropriate, say refugee.

At this network, we try hard through our journalism to be the voice of those people in our world who – for whatever reason – find themselves without one.

Migrant is a word that strips suffering people of voice. Substituting it for refugee is – in the smallest way – an attempt to give some back."

From the Stop the War Coalition quoting Al Jazeera.