Thursday, March 18, 2010

Scouts ejected from Harrods for wearing woggles

Scouts were turned away from Harrods because they refused to remove their scarves and woggles.

Security first said the teenagers could not enter in groups. But when they agreed to go into the store in pairs, the doorman told them to take off the items of uniform, it is claimed.



Paul Kosinski, 31, leader of the group from Bordon, Hampshire, said: “I said we'd shop elsewhere. We're proud of our uniform.”

A Harrods spokeswoman said: “We have no record of this incident but we certainly didn't want to cause distress to anyone.”

13 comments:

arbroath said...

If Harrods also forbids Islamic headscarves, it makes sence to also forbid Scout's woggles...

arbroath said...

I agree with Foreigner1 in a way, given the scots are a christian group (quite a militant one given my brief experience with them) but the hijab can be used to hide your face woggles.. not so much.

arbroath said...

The shop run by a terrorist should know what terrorists wear.

arbroath said...

Gahhhh, 
i hate that in the comments everything is cheapened by just badgering on about religion

arbroath said...

What's a woggle?

arbroath said...

Miss- Copy/paste from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woggle 
  "A woggle is a device to fasten the <span>neckerchief</span>, or scarf, worn as part of the <span>Scout</span> uniform" 

arbroath said...

As far as I'm concerned- If one starts to forbid Islamic headscarves and woggles, one also should forbid any typical uniform, hood, beany, cap, sombrero, bolar-hat, cross on a chain, rosary, orange scarf, and so on.
Because they all either prohibit the security-cam's from recognising one's face and/or they all identify one as part of a certain group.  

arbroath said...

E: But religion is relevant here. There are situations in which certain styles of dress are being banned. In some situations, this is done in the name of "public safety" (hoodies), and in others it's done in the name of "secularism" (hijabs, mostly) which is where relgion comes in.

If they're going to claim that these bans are motivated by a commitment to secularism, they should apply equally to Boy Scouts, self-professed "Jedis" (mostly young men; their religion comes from Star Wars and apparently requires them to be hooded at all times) and women in hijab.

Otherwise, they should be honest; acknowledge it's not really about secularism and state the real reasons. ("We are frightened by women in hijab and young men in hoodies, not so much by little boys in a Christian para-military/social organization." "Or "we think freedom of religion should not entitle people to cover their heads/faces in public." Or whatever.)

arbroath said...

Cath, I hope you're a lawyer.  If not, you'd make a good one.

arbroath said...

A scout neckerchief is worn around the neck - not over the head - how is that covering their faces?  Or causing them to hide their face?

Besides - the guards at Harrods entrances are NOTORIOUS for being jumped up jobsworths who I believe do this regularly to get the overly expensive store in the newspapers and on the web.  

Isn't the owner muslim anyway? So why the heck would they even complain about headscarves?

arbroath said...

I thought they already did ban hats and beanies...

arbroath said...

Cath, what is that Avatar you use...? I can't make out what the pic is.

arbroath said...

rikster: It's a picture of a broken windowpane.... it's not intended to mean anything; it was just the right dimensions.

Debbie: Um...thanks, I think (?). I'm not a lawyer --  I"m not smart enough, and I'm way too lazy.