Post Office worker leaves job

Here is an update on a previous post:
Post office boss bans customers with poor English

Here is the follow up as reported by the BBC

A postmaster from Nottingham who refused to serve customers who could not speak English has left his job.

Sri Lankan-born Deva Kumarasiri, who worked at the sub post office on Sneinton Boulevard, made the national news after announcing his policy.

He had claimed non-English speakers frustrated other customers and made it difficult to do his job properly.

Mr Kumarasiri said most people supported him but a "small minority" launched a petition against him.

"I was forced out by a small minority of people who don't want to integrate into society," he said.

He claimed he was threatened and said Muslim leaders in the community started a petition against him, so he moved at his own request.

He said he would now work at a different branch.

Managers at the Post Office said the service was for all and they were concerned about the impact on trade.

There were also reports Polish migrants had been boycotting the branch.

Abida Raja, whose family runs the branch, said they had to take action: "It was my brother's decision because obviously he was very upset by those comments, because we're losing customers because of it.

"He had to do something about it, because obviously we don't feel that way about anyone else, we don't discriminate against any customer coming in, because obviously the customers keep the business going."

Mr Kumarasami's policy had also been criticised by the local Racial Equality Council and MP for Nottingham East, John Heppell.

Mr Heppell said: "This was a little bit strange. What do you do with tourists?

"If I was abroad and if someone refused to sell me a stamp because my French or German was not good enough, I think I would have every right to be offended and I suspect people in this country would be offended by what this man was doing."

Mr Kumarasiri had told the BBC he had turned away about six customers who had wasted his time and annoyed other customers by not being able to understand English.

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

"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."

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Post office boss bans customers with poor English

POSTMASTER Deva Kumarasiri has banned customers from his branch who cannot speak English.

Mr Kumarasiri, who runs Sneinton Boulevard Post Office, says all immigrants in Britain should learn the language.

The 40-year-old, who moved here 18 years ago, says it is important to embrace British culture.

"If you come to Britain you have got to speak English," said the father-of-two, who is also a Liberal Democrat councillor on Gedling Borough Council.

"I am from a different country but when I came here I became British. My job is to give a service. I cannot give a service if they cannot tell me what they want."

Mr Kumarasiri, who helped raise thousands of pounds after the tsunami hit his native Sri Lanka, said he had banned about half-a-dozen customers.

"Some of them say 'you are not British'," he said. "I keep telling them 'don't come here or I am not going to help you'.

"One of the Asian ladies said 'you have a different language, why can you not speak that?'

"I said 'When I am in Britain I speak English.' Ethnic minorities came to this country to change their lives. They have to take pride in the country where they live. It shows that they care."

Banned customers who have returned with interpreters have been served.

Mr Kumarasiri, of Carlton, is campaigning for people of all races to feel proud about being British and has started a website – www.britishnessforever.co.uk

He said: "This is about unity among the people in this country who are proud to live here, whether they are Asian, black or white.

"Ninety-five per cent of people are proud to be British but they are scared to show it.

"It is being put into people's heads that you cannot say things to upset the minorities.

"The white person cannot stand up and say anything because they automatically become a racist."

He said people in Sri Lanka were proud to be associated with Britain, stemming from its days as a colony.

"Still we have the pride that Britain left behind," he said. "The laws are still there, the schools are still there. The kids have courtesy. They have discipline. Here all that is gone. Let's bring back all this."

Afzal Sadiq, chief executive of the Nottingham and Notts Racial Equality Council, said: "You are denying somebody a service that is there for everybody. It is not just there for everybody who can speak the language. (He also called Mr Kumarasiri a racists on a tv interview)

"In an ideal world these people would speak English. In the long term I understand the aspiration, but learning to speak English is going to take time.

"I would hate for them to be refused a service from the post office that is meant to be there for everybody. To deny someone a service is wrong.

"What about those people who cannot speak? What about those people from the deaf and dumb community?

"These are equality issues for me."

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Five held during parade protests

A story on the BBC site caught my eye today, you can see it here.
The story goes.....

Two people were arrested during angry scenes as 200 soldiers marched through a Bedfordshire town centre to mark their return from Iraq.

It happened as anti-war protesters held placards saying "Anglian Soldiers Go To Hell" and "Butchers of Basra".

What the BBC fails to mention is who the 'protesters' represent, the pictures below will give you an idea.

You can see a more indepth story and better pictures on the Mail Online website here

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St George's parade racists, Islamic Sharia law isnt

Here is something for you to consider.
A BBC news article here tells how a St George's Day parade in West Bromwich has had its funding withdrawn and been cancelled after being funded for the past 5 years.
The story mentions that:-
Council leader Bill Thomas said: "[Their] evidence showed categorically that extremists infiltrated the parade."

Now compare this to a story in the Daily Star here about a march in London today calling for Britain to adopt Islamic Sharia law.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but surely this march is guaranteed to attract and involve extremists, but is not banned or prevented.

Read the BBC article here
Read the Daily Star article here

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