Is this guy a racist ?

[bhaexpress]

From the BBC :-


Postmaster's foreign language ban

A Nottingham postmaster has said he will refuse to serve people in his post office if they cannot speak English.

Deva Kumarasiri, who moved to England from Sri Lanka 18 years ago, runs the Sneinton Boulevard Post Office.

Mr Kumarasiri said he could not serve people if he did not understand what they were asking for.

In a statement, Post Office Counters Ltd said its "branches were open to all customers" and "steps would be taken" to ensure this at the Sneinton store.

Mr Kumarasiri said he had turned away about six customers after he said they wasted his time and infuriated other customers because they could not understand English.

"If somebody stands up and says 'sorry, I can't serve you if you can't speak English', then they'll think twice," he said.

"I am part of a service but how can I serve them if I don't understand what they are asking for?"

The 40-year-old felt he was only asking people to make the same efforts he had done himself.

"I was born and raised in a different country, my language was different, my religion was different.

"But when I came to England I obeyed the British way of life, I got into the British way of life.

"That is what I ask everyone else to do - respect the country where you are working and living."

Mr Kumarasiri said his idea was popular in the local community.

'Stereotypical view'

Ina Norgate, 49, from Sneinton, said: "I agree with him. It's a bit ignorant to come here and not speak the language. If you went to France you would have to learn French."

But Mohammed Ahmed, 22, also from the area, disagreed.

"This is a multicultural society and this is not right really," he said.

"If they come here to work, it's their right to stay here even if they speak their own language. Some people can't speak English but they can learn the language once they come here."

But Afzal Sadif from the Nottingham Racial Equality Council said Mr Kumarasiri's stance was "unacceptable".

"This is a public service, the Post Office is there for everybody and we seriously have to look at the stereotypical view he's coming across with.

"In the long run, I believe, if we're living in Britain, over the course of the years, you have to speak English to get by but you can't force it upon people."

__________________________________________________

You have to say he does have a point but it's a good thing he's an immigrant and not white.

 

[Dave the OAP]

It may quite rightly be a multi cultural society as Muhammed Ahmed said, however that should never be an excuse not to learn the language of your host country.

"In the long run, I believe, if we're living in Britain, over the course of the years, you have to speak English to get by but you can't force it upon people."

I know a Polish guy who has been here for 40 odd years...his English is not good, but he can make himself understood and surely that is the point.

 

[sam86]

Perhaps we should all learn the languages of every nationality that comes here so we can make them feel at home...

 

[Black Country Seagull]

If the post master was white, his actions would have been branded racist, in this case as the gentleman is from Sri Lanka, then the tone from those who disagree are not so aggressive.

At the end of the day, you can not serve someone if you have no idea what they are asking for! Should Mr Kumarasiri therefore have to pay someone from his business account to interpret for him? Or even perhaps the council could use tax payers money if they feel so strongly about the situation to provide and interpreter for the post office in question.

Or even lets open a post office specific to English speaking people, one for Polish, one for French, one for German, one for Pakistani speaking people and so on!

 

[Tooting Gull]

If it's considered racist to expect people to learn the language of the country they choose to live in, then I must be. It's a mad definition.

If I went to live in Spain or France, I'd learn the language, I would expect to, and I would expect in any kind of formal or semi-formal situation dealing with authority that there would be a need to speak those languages.

If people live here and choose to live in a family unit and speak their native tongue there, that's totally up to them. But they need to learn English as well, to deal with all the situations life throws up.

I'm all for a period of adjustment and government interpreter help in the short term, whatever is reasonable - maybe two years - but after that it's sink or swim, and you pay the fines if you've ignored letters etc etc

 

[bhaexpress]

There was a report on the BBC website that 1 out of 7 primary school pupils does not have English as a first langauge. In fact in one London borough it was 77% of pupils.

Draw your own conclusions. Maybe the teaching of Esperanto should become compulsary.

 

[bhaexpress]

If it's considered racist to expect people to learn the language of the country they choose to live in, then I must be. It's a mad definition.

If went to live in Spain or France, I'd learn the language, I would expect to, and I would expect in any kind of formal or semi-formal situation dealing with authority that there would be a need to speak those languages.

If people live here and choose to live in a family unit and speak their native tongue there, that's totally up to them. But they need to learn English as well, to deal with all the situations life throws up.

I'm all for a period of adjustment and government interpreter help in the short term, whatever is reasonable - maybe two years - but after that it's sink or swim, and you pay the fines if you've ignored letters etc etc

To be fair about Spain I have a relative who has had a second home in Spain for about 10 years. He and the majority of the expats there can hardly speak a word of Spanish and it's fair to say that we British are not that good at learning other dialects.

 

[Dave the OAP]

There was a report on the BBC website that 1 out of 7 primary school pupils does not have English as a first langauge. In fact in one London borough it was 77% of pupils.

Draw your own conclusions. Maybe the teaching of Esperanto should become compulsary.

there is a primary school in Brighton where a reception class has 29 pupils and only 2 who have English as their first language.

Whereby normally you would have 1 teacher, 1 TA and a couple of parents as helpers, it has 1 teacher, 2 TA's and 12 parents in as the council will not fund any translation service people for more than 3 hours a week

 

[matt]

"Perhaps we should all learn the languages of every nationality that comes here so we can make them feel at home... "

Thanks Jim Davidson....

 

[bhaexpress]

If the post master was white, his actions would have been branded racist, in this case as the gentleman is from Sri Lanka, then the tone from those who disagree are not so aggressive.

At the end of the day, you can not serve someone if you have no idea what they are asking for! Should Mr Kumarasiri therefore have to pay someone from his business account to interpret for him? Or even perhaps the council could use tax payers money if they feel so strongly about the situation to provide and interpreter for the post office in question.

Or even lets open a post office specific to English speaking people, one for Polish, one for French, one for German, one for Pakistani speaking people and so on!

I agree with what you say. I think it should become a requirement of becoming a resident of this country that you have mastered some level of the English langaue with five years of being granted your Visa.

 

[keaton]

"If somebody stands up and says 'sorry, I can't serve you if you can't speak English', then they'll think twice," he said.

I reckon they'll think at least twice before they realise they don't understand what he's saying. Because they can't speak English

 

[Dave the OAP]

The only real problems my Mrs has is children from Middle east and countries that regard women beneath them. To be ignored and looked down upon by a 4 yaer old because you are a woman is not something she should have to put up with especially when the fathers of these "children" seem to think it is perfectly acceptable

 

[Tooting Gull]

To be fair about Spain I have a relative who has had a second home in Spain for about 10 years. He and the majority of the expats there can hardly speak a word of Spanish and it's fair to say that we British are not that good at learning other dialects.

I know that happens but I'm saying what I think, not what some others do. For me, it's a total waste of time living abroad if you're in some expat-dominated, gated community. What's the point? At the end of the day it's about your strength of character. If you want to, you'll do it. If you're lazy, you won't.

 

[bhaexpress]

I know that happens but I'm saying what I think, not what some others do. For me, it's a total waste of time living abroad if you're in some expat-dominated, gated community. What's the point? At the end of the day it's about your strength of character. If you want to, you'll do it. If you're lazy, you won't.

I agree with you whole heartedly. I was fixing a few of their PCs a few months ago and the level of Xenophobia of some of them was quite tragic.

 

[NMH]

Well, not much point entertaining someone who can't be understood while the line grows full of irate waiting punters.
How does he tell the gibbering ferner though, to "feck off back home or learn the lingo, towelheaded tosser" if they can't understand him?

Just as well he's of foreign descent too, so this time we natives can't be fingered as typical racists for a change. Great how they do that, while their home country would slice us for the merest squeek of complaint - and often for just daring to practice harmless beliefs of our own.

 

[Dave the OAP]

when my youngest was at Brunel Uni....143 people on her course...(she was the only white person not that that was aproblem as she had a great time) BUT the main problem on the Uni campus was between Asians and Affro Carribeans - they hated each other and the main bar kept having to be shut down to stop fights

 

[NMH]

The only real problems my Mrs has is children from Middle east and countries that regard women beneath them. To be ignored and looked down upon by a 4 yaer old because you are a woman is not something she should have to put up with especially when the fathers of these "children" seem to think it is perfectly acceptable

Wait....what is she doing out of the kitchen anyway??

 

[Black Country Seagull]

The only real problems my Mrs has is children from Middle east and countries that regard women beneath them. To be ignored and looked down upon by a 4 yaer old because you are a woman is not something she should have to put up with especially when the fathers of these "children" seem to think it is perfectly acceptable

My mother in-law teaches at a school in Walsall that has a large Muslim student base and says that over the past 5 years the attitude of the boys towards her and other female teachers is deteriorating every week, she was called by one child who was later expelled and worthless f'ing women who........

Some of the other horror stories I have heard would just make you jaws drop!

 

[bhaexpress]

when my youngest was at Brunel Uni....143 people on her course...(she was the only white person not that that was aproblem as she had a great time) BUT the main problem on the Uni campus was between Asians and Affro Carribeans - they hated each other and the main bar kept having to be shut down to stop fights

Not that uncommon sadly. From what I gather from my working enviroments Asians look down on Afro Carribeans. Mind you with the Caste system they have problems with their own race.

 

[keaton]

Not that uncommon sadly. From what I gather from my working enviroments Asians look down on Afro Carribeans. Mind you with the Caste system they have problems with their own race.

At my school the white's liked the Afor-Caribbeans because they were good at spitting and fighting