Ireland is not friendly enough to Muslim tourists

SpaceTime

I find the whole thing a bit daft though. A few months ago we'd another survey from some islamic academics placing Ireland at the top of a list (along with Denmark and Luxembourg and several other Northern European countries) as complying most with the teachings of the Koran.

They didn't mean it in a "most islamic extremist" kind of way. What they meant is that if you analyse the positive aspects of what islamic texts teach, that those countries with strong social-democracies tend to rank very highly.

Despite all our moaning and groaning, Ireland does actually have a very solid social-democracy and very high levels of social involvement, very well evolved sense community, ideals of social justice, highly active and evolved democratic systems, open media, freedoms etc etc.

Ironically, most of the most islamic countries ranked very poorly.

http://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-is-more-faithful-to-the-koran-than-saudi-arabia-1507583-Jun2014/

It would seem you can't please everyone all of the time and that moderate, muslim academics seem to quite like the place.

whisky_galore

Sweet Jebus, lads if you don't like the full Irish just go on your hols to a Muslim country. It is that simple.

That's why I'll never go on hols in Iran, no bars and no booze (apart from some illegal gut-rot produced by locals)

Mint Aero

end of the road wrote: »

why would they want to adapt to our nations traditions. anyway what "traditions" would they be.

Our proud traveller traditions end of the road :p:p:p

RWCNT

ScumLord wrote: »

The survey basically says we don't have too many facilities for tourists we weren't really expecting to come here. Typically the media have reported it as Ireland being unfriendly, which is the usual antagonizing stance of the press. They've turned a simple piece of information into a flame war that neither side asked for.

It's not surprising we don't have too many Muslim restaurant or places for prayer, it wouldn't surprise me if the vast majority of Muslims that decide to visit Ireland are fully aware of that fact. But the press have put this in a way that sounds like Muslims are giving out about Irish people which isn't the case.

Thought this probably needed re-quoting for the last few pages of geniuses and their feels over the topic.

happy_knome

keithclancy wrote: »

How can you classify people by a religion when Muslims in different countries have completely different views on what is har-am and what is not.

You could have a Turkish guy that's born in Western Europe, that thinks everything is hunky dorey with his Turkish parents coming to visit thinking everything is a violation of Islam and Halal food isn't really halal.

Then some people from Saudi visit Turkey and have the opinion that all the women dress like whores and should be put in their place for driving cars when they should be at home waiting for their husband to return.

To target customers based on their religion is nuts.

It makes about as much sense as saying Ireland isn't doing enough to be friendly to Protestants.

The survey in itself promotes xenophobia based on a grouping that is poorly defined.

targeting customers based on religon is not unusual at all

sharia finance is quite a big sector within the financial industry , all the major investment banks offer products which cater to muslims

Gavster1982

the Mexicans must be a bad shower of hures then.....

ive been to a few places in my time and not always been welcome...i chose just not to go back. i didnt worry anymore about it though...same should be applied by those who feel unwelcome here...stay away..simples

RWCNT

Irish Stones wrote: »

And where is the beauty of travelling if you live abroad as you're in your own country?



Usually I don't do things that I don't like, and I don't go to places where I feel I could be in discomfort.
If I freely choose to do one or both af the above then I can't complain.



Well, no, but someone would like to receive the same treatment as they were home.

1) Totally subjective opinion. Plenty of people from Ireland want home with the sun from a package holiday.

2) Makes sense, I don't think these people do either, hence why they've made a list of places they'll most likely be comfortable. Also, nobody has been complaining.

3) What's the big deal? Refer to answer 1.


On the thread in general - Always amazing how people are willing to take a short article about nothing, more than likely not read it, and commence bashing the muslims. Just get "bigot" tattooed on your forehead and be done with it.

SpaceTime

Over accommodating can be annoying too when you're a bit clueless about the culture or individual you're trying to be welcoming towards.

I have had a few experiences of this:

1) In the US, I turned up at someone's house and they'd lovingly prepared me a meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage. It was possibly the most disgusting dinner I have ever had but I had to force myself to eat it. (Can still taste it...)

2) In Spain, I was in a hotel and they brought me down awful English breakfast sausages, a fried egg and some kind of tasteless baked beans while everyone else was having lovely Spanish breakfasts!!!

3) In France a family had heard that "les Anglais" don't like French food. So, they cooked a really delicious traditional rustic french meal and then presented me with a burger and chips and kept asking me if I'd enough ketchup.

I can just imagine some not-particularly-pushed about religion Turk arrives over and some hotel here would keep pointing out the prayer room, putting them miles away from the bar and taking all the bacon out of the full Irish and serving mushroom and vegetarian sausages and a couple of beans.

Schalker

I ve been in Ireland several times now,but I didnt go there for the Sauerkraut.

SpaceTime

Schalker wrote: »

I ve been in Ireland several times now,but I didnt go there for the Sauerkraut.

We have excellent Sauerkraut! It's just called cabbage in 'brown sauce'. A delicacy to behold!:D

Irish Stones

RWCNT wrote: »

1) Totally subjective opinion. Plenty of people from Ireland want home with the sun from a package holiday.

The weather is not part of a lifestyle.
Looking for sun, rain, snow is about personal tastes and doesn't affect religious beliefs.
I love heat and sun but spend my holidays in Ireland and almost never whined about rain. I know how your weather is, but it doesn't matter too much, I can adapt myself to a situation that lasts two or three weeks.
I think that everybody could adapt for a short period of their life.
I don't think that Muslims will die if they don't pray everyday five times a day, or if for a week they eat sausages.
After all, how many of us go to the Mass every evening or every Sunday? How many of us follow the strict rules of our Lent? How many of us died because of these terrible sins?
Over here I have seen Muslims drinking beer while hidden in a dark spot. Probably they will go to heaven anyway, their God will forgive them, after all we're all sinful humans.

Hans Bricks

RWCNT wrote: »

1) Totally subjective opinion. Plenty of people from Ireland want home with the sun from a package holiday.

2) Makes sense, I don't think these people do either, hence why they've made a list of places they'll most likely be comfortable. Also, nobody has been complaining.

3) What's the big deal? Refer to answer 1.


On the thread in general - Always amazing how people are willing to take a short article about nothing, more than likely not read it, and commence bashing the muslims. Just get "bigot" tattooed on your forehead and be done with it.

That's a harsh stretch. Simply pointing out that it's a bit absurd to expect to find your local traditions, culture or regional way of life catered for. I was more bashing the attempts of the Irish Times to push such a trivial non-issue into the headlines.

DeadHand

I have an idea.

We could start subjugating women, torturing blasphemers and persecuting homosexuals when the tourist season comes around.

Then visitors from the Muslim world should feel right at home.

end of the road

VinLieger wrote: »

I didn't say anything of the sort I just think coming to another country and expecting a different culture to adapt to your exact needs and demands is a ****ing joke, I travel quite a bit and never expect that of any country I visit and anyone who does is an entitled arrogant piece of garbage in my opinion. This has nothing do with them being Muslim I think this of any person who demands other cultures to change to suit their needs

nobody is "demanding" that our "culture" changees to suit their needs. just that where possible we should cater for them. we will always be able to get pissed, end up in a fight, and end up in the cells if we want

end of the road

Gavster1982 wrote: »

the Mexicans must be a bad shower of hures then.....

ive been to a few places in my time and not always been welcome...i chose just not to go back. i didnt worry anymore about it though...same should be applied by those who feel unwelcome here...stay away..simples

wrong. not "simples" at all. infact using the word simples should end be grounds for a public flogging. oh, one can dream

pmasterson95

If I go to a muslim country I'm sure I'll find nice catholic churches for sunday mass a nice few nightclubs for partying sure I'm sure its great craic.

end of the road

DeadHand wrote: »

I have an idea.

We could start subjugating women, torturing blasphemers and persecuting homosexuals when the tourist season comes around.

Then visitors from the Muslim world should feel right at home.

grow up

end of the road

pmasterson95 wrote: »

If I go to a muslim country I'm sure I'll find nice catholic churches for sunday mass a nice few nightclubs for partying sure I'm sure its great craic.

whats that got to do with anything? are you suggesting that because those countries behave in a certain way, being unfree and undemocratic, we should treat the people from those countries the same? if you are for such ideals you would be happy to live by such rules yourself. if so, you can always go and live in one of these countries. i on the other hand, am happy for ireland to be a free democratic country that tries its best to be welcoming to all cultures and religions

pmasterson95

end of the road wrote: »

whats that got to do with anything? are you suggesting that because those countries behave in a certain way, being unfree and undemocratic, we should treat the people from those countries the same? if you are for such ideals you would be happy to live by such rules yourself. if so, you can always go and live in one of these countries. i on the other hand, am happy for ireland to be a free democratic country that tries its best to be welcoming to all cultures and religions

No I'm glad you asked I wouldn't be happy going to a country like that so do you know what? I wouldn't go there, plain and simple if I dont like a place why go there and then complain until it changes to satisfy me. Just go somewhere that I will like rather than going to bitch.

BizzyC

pmasterson95 wrote: »

If I go to a muslim country I'm sure I'll find nice catholic churches for sunday mass a nice few nightclubs for partying sure I'm sure its great craic.

Actually, if you look at islamic countries, a lot of them are very accommodating.

Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco...they're not all like Saudi Arabia/Iran

Golaco

BizzyC wrote: »

Actually, if you look at islamic countries, a lot of them are very accommodating.

Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco...they're not all like Saudi Arabia/Iran

Don't think that's necessarily to appear more welcome to visitors though? The culture of those countries, in general, is more relaxed than Saudi or Iran I've found

Vi Peterson

At my college, since last year they have tried to ban a Christmas tree being put up, because the Muslim students thought it was insensitive. Thankfully, the principal rubbished these complaints.

I've met many Muslims, some are nice, some are not, but when they start wanting to live by their own countries rules and not even slightly adapt to the Irish culture, then I have a problem.

I'm not saying they have to start sleeping around, partying and attending Sunday mass, but don't try to impose your views on me.

BlaasForRafa

whisky_galore wrote: »

Sweet Jebus, lads if you don't like the full Irish just go on your hols to a Muslim country. It is that simple.

That's why I'll never go on hols in Iran, no bars and no booze (apart from some illegal gut-rot produced by locals)

I wouldn't care much about the lack of drink, it's other stuff that would put me off Iran. And the thing is, it's meant to have some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world and some incredible ancient buildings and monuments. Some concerns would be doing something randomly wrong that would offend the religious police in some way or the fact that a western bloke wandering around with a dslr and some big-ass zoom lenses could get you accused of being an "american spy".

BizzyC

Golaco wrote: »

Don't think that's necessarily to appear more welcome to visitors though? The culture of those countries, in general, is more relaxed than Saudi or Iran I've found

Yeah, but we're talking about muslim tourists, not Saudi/Iranian tourists.

I was making the point that there are islamic countries that will be accommodating to people of other cultures/religions.
People seem to be associating all islamic countries with what they'd expect to see in a handful of them.

Golaco

BizzyC wrote: »

Yeah, but we're talking about muslim tourists, not Saudi/Iranian tourists.

I was making the point that there are islamic countries that will be accommodating to people of other cultures/religions.
People seem to be associating all islamic countries with what they'd expect to see in a handful of them.

Agreed. But the fact that some Islamic countries are accommodating to visitors/tourists is almost inadvertent I think. They are not necessarily making a conscious decision to be more welcoming. They just have a more relaxed culture which is more welcoming in itself.

I suppose what I'm getting at is that I don't think any country or it's people (Muslim or otherwise) should have to compromise their own customs or beliefs to be more welcoming to visitors. You go to Country X, you abide by their laws, customs etc. in my view.

Last bit isn't directed at you btw, I know you didn't claim otherwise

BizzyC

Golaco wrote: »

Agreed. But the fact that some Islamic countries are accommodating to visitors/tourists is almost inadvertent I think. They are not necessarily making a conscious decision to be more welcoming. They just have a more relaxed culture which is more welcoming in itself.

I suppose what I'm getting at is that I don't think any country or it's people (Muslim or otherwise) should have to compromise their own customs or beliefs to be more welcoming to visitors. You go to Country X, you abide by their laws, customs etc. in my view.

Last bit isn't directed at you btw, I know you didn't claim otherwise

I don't think you should alter your culture, but making a few prayer rooms available etc isn't a huge compromise.

Just by making some minimal effort you could capture a larger chunk of the largest growing tourist group.

323

I'll bet the report in the article in the OP was compiles by a muslim/muslims of the Middle eastern or North African variety.

Travel a lot. And more often than not I've have found them self centered, arrogant with an attitude of entitlement that expects everyone to adapt to them. Fcuk em.
Maybe its just the people/culture, not the religion as I've not experienced the same terrible attitudes with muslim folks from Asia.

Also spent a lot of time in Mexico, proud to be lumped in with them on this.

keanosbeard

BizzyC wrote: »

Actually, if you look at islamic countries, a lot of them are very accommodating.

Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco...they're not all like Saudi Arabia/Iran

To be fair though, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco have a significant minority of Islamonutters who want to turn the clock back to the year 622 !

This thread is a bit of a misnomer. If anybody read the article, it was a pure PR puff peice for some company called Crescent trying to drum up business for themselves. Lazy journalism in the extreme !

DeadHand

end of the road wrote: »

grow up

Says the one with the same command of English as a nine year old.

end of the road

DeadHand wrote: »

Says the one with the same command of English as a nine year old.

yes, that is certainly true of you and your bigotry