Red Cross Symbol Should Be Axed- Labour/Fabian Finding It Hard To Face – The Christian Cross..AXE Fabians Instead!! Chris Bryant What about The Mosque’s Minarets and Their Sign Of Islamic Political Power?

Calls for Red Cross symbol to be axed over links to the Crusades

By Michael Lea
Last updated at 7:54 PM on 10th June 2009

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A Labour minister has sparked controversy by claiming that an alternative symbol is needed for the Red Cross because of the logo’s supposed links to the Crusades.

Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant said that the historic emblem risked undermining the work of the humanitarian organisation.MAINLY Organisations
Chris is a member of The Fabian Society…ISN’T HE THE ONE THAT PRANCES AROUND IN HIS UNDERPANTS….ANYTHING TO WIPE OUT ANYTHING CHRISTIAN EH…COMMIE FASCIST?

His intervention came as MPs debated the adoption of the ‘red crystal’ – a diamond-shaped badge – to avoid the religious connotations of the cross and crescent symbols currently used by the international body.

Cross, crescent and crystal: The Red Crystal could be used to protect medical and other relief workers in combat where the Red Cross or Red Crescent are inappropriate

But critics said the new insignia was a sop to political correctness and warned that it may be the first step towards it replacing cross and crescent. Others fear that it may not be as widely recognised on the battlefield.

‘It is, in an effort not to be contentious, possibly too anodyne to serve its purpose,’ Tory MP John Hayes said.

Philip Davies, a Tory backbencher, said: ‘At face value to the layman it seems at best a solution looking for a problem and at worst another example of extreme political correctness.

‘No one has ever suggested to me that the Red Cross refers to the Crusades.’

Shadow Foreign Office minister David Lidington said that use of the crystal over the cross by the British military should ‘be the exception rather than be allowed to become the norm’.

Tory Oliver Heald said the Red Cross symbol was widely recognised and counselled caution that ‘we are careful not to undermine that’.

‘There is also a risk of confusion with many different symbols, and that terrorists may exploit that to mask themselves when carrying out attacks,’ he added.

The founding Conference of the Red Cross Movement in 1863 adopted a red cross on a white background – the reverse of the Swiss flag – as the emblem of the voluntary medical personnel who assisted the wounded on the battlefield.

It was never intended to have any religious meaning and is thought to have been intended as a tribute to traditionally neutral Switzerland, which hosted the conference.

However, the symbol unintentionally raised suggestions that it was somehow linked to the Hospitallers, a military order which took part in the Crusades, the centuries long series of military campaigns waged by Christians from Europe.

Subsequently, a red crescent emblem was adopted in tandem.

Mr Bryant told the Commons: ‘The reference to the Crusades is… not lost to some people which, of course, anybody involved in the Red Cross would wholly deprecate.

‘The truth of the matter is that it has been difficult in some places for us to ensure that these connotations of a religious war or a religious crusade don’t undermine the work that the Red Cross or Red Crescent is able to do.’

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement hope that the neutrality of the red crystal will help improve protection for casualties, military medical services and humanitarian workers.

It was chosen because it is devoid of religious and other partisan connotations.

A treaty which established the red crystal as an additional protective symbol became part of international law in 2006.

It will now receive the same status in UK law as the red cross and red crescent under the Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Bill passed today.

The impartial movement is the world’s largest humanitarian network made up of almost 97million volunteers, supporters, and staff in 186 countries.

Leigh Daynes, spokesman for the British Red Cross, said: ‘The British Red Cross strongly supports acceptance of the Red Crystal emblem.

It would give another option for the protection of humanitarian workers, as well as for the medical services of the armed forces, in situations where use of the Red Cross or Red Crescent emblems might be misunderstood.

‘In these circumstances, the Red Crystal would make our workers and the medical services of the armed forces safer. The British Red Cross will continue to use the Red Cross emblem, which, after more than a century, has served us well.’

 

WE ALL KNOW THE REAL REASON ARSEHOLE DON’T WE—HENCE WE SEE IN OUR TOWN A BLOODY CRESCENT MOON STOOD ON  PLYNTH…………….COMMUNIST BASTARD’S!! READ UP AND LEARN WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL COMMIES WHEN IRAN BECAME THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC!

THOSE THE RED CROSS OFFENDS SHOULD JUST PISS OFF!!

Politically correct garbage. UK Politicians have better things to think about right now. If they are concentrating on insanity such as this – insanity which is the concern of the Red Cross itself, and none of their business – then they are continuing to waste our time and money.

It’s a symbol which has been in use for over an hundred years. The only organisation which should change it is the Red Cross themselves.

We are governed by fools.

- dave, Dystopia, UK, 10/6/2009 19:19

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Noooo!!! Stop this totally idiotic and pathetic idea now. This is a world wide recognised symbol, seems to me that the fear of offending is not only out of control but the person who came up with this asinine idea should have a serious word with themselves. There are people all over the world at one time or another has been grateful to see this sign. For crying out loud, this fear of offending has to stop, it is fast becoming one of the most dangerous things, breeding unrest distrust and nervousness. The world has become a crazy dangerous place and idiots like this are making it worse!

- linzi, Warrington, 10/6/2009 19:18

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What a complete idiot, what else do this bunch want to ban.? It beggars belief, for god sake get rid of the PC brigade before there is nothing British left,

- Dave, Essex, 10/6/2009 19:17

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I live in Turkey and don’t automatically become offended when I see the red crescent, any more than non-Christians are upset by the cross. Sounds like Mr. Chris Bryant needs something useful to do with his time instead of meddling with little details like this.

- Phillip Keates, Antalya, Turkey, 10/6/2009 19:15

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Absolute pc rubbish.

- Tony, Worthing, 10/6/2009 19:12

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I’ve heard it all now!!! This is disgraceful!! Leave well alone!

- Carol, Ireland, 10/6/2009 19:11

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Can’t somebody please shut these PC idiots up

- Richard, Nottingham, 10/6/2009 19:06

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labour policy ? election now !

- mike, durtham, 10/6/2009 19:06

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I give up…………

- Tony, Buckingham, 10/6/2009 19:05

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I get the impression that the PC brigade had run out of things to ruin…until this. Well, at least the one sad act who finds the red cross offensive will be happy now

- Matt, Manchester, 10/6/2009 19:05

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Why change a symbol that has served well for many years? Does this jobsworth have nothing better to do? If you are going to change the Red Cross symbol you may as well change the English flag which also features a very large red cross!

- Sue, Basingstoke, 10/6/2009 19:04

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Another daft idea from the PC brigade.

- Anne, North Yorkshire, 10/6/2009 19:04

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Can I just point out, whatever the previous connotations of the symbols… that was then, this is now.

They’re fine, leave them alone and the minister involved should earn his keep and do something more productive than faff around with pictures.

Anyway its not a cross, its a plus or addition sign. See how easily I overcame that problem?

- Chris, Shrewsbury, 10/6/2009 19:04

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Here we go again.

- R R ichards, Shrewsbury Shropshire, 10/6/2009 19:03

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What a load of PC nonsense. The Red Cross has worked for years and is trusted. Can’t these people go and find a real job?

- Nigel, Somerset, 10/6/2009 18:58

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The Red Cross and The Red Crescent work closely together – why on earth change things.

- Margaret, Suffolk, 10/6/2009 18:57

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So does this mean we will soon have to also abolish the cross on the English flag? That is also after all a ‘red’ cross, is it not? Where does political correctness stop?

- Mark Gollop, Poole, Dorset, 10/6/2009 18:56

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If I was about to die and needed help I would not care what symbol people were wearing.

- Stephen, Vancouver Canada, 10/6/2009 18:56

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Leave it alone, they don’t need to spend millions re-branding!

- sandra, alicante+spain, 10/6/2009 18:54

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here’s an idea, if you are offended by the red “cross” you won’t get any help from it. Just stay there in pain thinking about your own stupidity

- megan, milan italy, 10/6/2009 18:51

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If the Red Cross offends the people in that country, then the Red Cross should not help those ungrateful people.

- Steve, Conway, Arkansas USA, 10/6/2009 18:30

THE SWISS HAVE IT RIGHT!

Discussing the “long progression” of Islam — now 4.3 percent of Switzerland’s mainly Christian population of 7.5 million — into Swiss life, he explains that what concerns him is “not the (Islamic) religion, but the law,” meaning Islamic law, or Sharia. And while there is religious freedom in Switzerland for new mosques, this same freedom does not extend to minarets, which he sees as political more than religious symbols. “Minarets are not necessary for the practice” of Islam, he explains.

Indeed, historically, the minaret has often served as a sign of Islamic political power. In our own era, it may be seen to symbolize the introduction of Islamic law into formerly non-Islamic societies.

“In that case,” Freysinger continued, “we said: `OK. We’ll attack the symbol. It’s always about symbols because symbols have a big truth behind them. And so we attack this symbol of conquering Islam and we say: You are welcome in our country, but there is one law, and one constitution for every person in this country. And there is no special law for an Islamic girl, or an Islamic man. There is no Sharia. Nothing.”