Muslims Offended by English Flag

Tue, Oct 4, 2005 at 9:14:21 am PDT

A poll at CNN asks, “Is it time for England to change its national flag?”

Why in the world would such a thing even be considered?

To avoid offending ... you know who: Race fears spark St. George ban.

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, said Tuesday the red cross was an insensitive reminder of the Crusades.

“A lot of Muslims and Arabs view the Crusades as a bloody episode in our history,” he told CNN. “They see those campaigns as Christendom launching a brutal holy war against Islam.

“Muslim or Arab prisoners could take umbrage if staff wore a red cross badge. It’s also got associations with the far-right. Prison officers should be seen to be neutral.”

Doyle added that it was now time for England to find a new flag and a patron saint who is “not associated with our bloody past and one we can all identify with.”