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Flying the flag for Pakistan’s independence
Date published: 17 August 2009
LOCAL dignitaries watched as Oldham Mayor Councillor Jim McArdle hoisted Pakistan’s flag to commemorate the country’s 63rd Independence Day.
More than 100 members of the local community attended the ceremony at the Pakistani Community Centre, Glodwick, on Friday.
Prayers were said after the flag-hoisting ceremony, before guests were treated to refreshments.
Centre manager, Mohammed Asar said: “The whole event went really well. Some of the guests in attendance included senior lecturer from Kashmir, Quari Yaseen, and local councillors.”
Pakistan was granted independence in 1947, a day before India.
Comments
Agree with ProDriver, any flag but the English flag can fly over Oldham, I rang OMBC just before St Georges Day to find out if there would be some celebrations going on in Oldham to mark the day, 'sorry but we don't have any money' was the reply, never mind there always Ramadam to bring the communities together
I wonder if the council will be flying the American flag on independance day next year? Perhaps the German flag for reunification? Of course they won't, and they shouldn't have done this either, it's downright racist not to celebrate white countries independance, equal treatment means equal for everyone not just a few people who happen to decide local elections by block vote
Hear hear !!
I do hope they do the same for England and OLDHAM. After all this is there Adopted Country.DO you celebreate the Irish Welsh ANd Scotish too if not How come.
Read the full story, it says that the flag was raised at the local community centre not the civic centre.
hear hear prodriver. i saw the flag saturday night and could hardly believe my eyes. absolutley disgusting - you should be ashamed of yourselves oldham council kow-towing of the highest order. how many towns in pakistan that would allow our union flag to fly?
Well well well. When St George flags were flown around the town on our Patron Saints day council officials quickly swooped to take them down, and yet here we have our Mayor hoisting the flag of another country. Integration works both ways and it is about time we took pride in our own traditions and to be able to celebrate them as we wish.
Thats amazing, and were not allowed to fly the union jack when England play football, this makes me sick.
So, is OMBC going to fly other countries flags on their independence days? If not, why not? I don't recall the USA's flag being flown on 4th July. Why is an exception being made for Pakistan? As ProDriver says, this sustains the divide in Oldham; do these people not consider themselves British now? If they want to celebrate, let them do it in their own homes or hire a function room somewhere. Not a penny should be paid out of public funds.
I am happy for the minorities of the community to celebrate their heritage, but when our own English heritage is completely ignored it angers me so. Shame on Oldham council for not having the balls to take on the PC brigade. Royton had a St.Georges day party but this was only small.
Why not have a huge celebration in the center of town or dare I say it Alexander park, then the Asian communities can really see what our patron day is all about. And get the chance to integrate as the council say we should.
Watersheddings - once again its the councils problem!! they have not paid for the flag raising ceremony, they certainly didn't pay for the flag.
Why must everything done by volunteers in "one community" be a negative for you and the council. You do the same... instead of sitting and waiting for the council to do it
Flake - Any community who are celebrating their independance can contact the LA and ask for such a ceremony...but its up to that community to start the initial approach.. so its easy to criticse but hard to get off your back**** and approach the LA.
I wait to see what you do for all the "white countries" "independance days" seeing as your so passionate about them!!!
To all you wingers
The flag raising ceremony was at a local community centre organised by a committee of volunteers to which the mayor was invited, the LA did not organise it!!
Banning of Englsih flag flying at football matches was not the brainchild of Asians.
St George never set foot in England and was probably Turkish!
Your heritage is ignored by the LA, so do something about it!! dont blame the Asians, blame the white officers who deliberately do it to cause trouble for Asians.
Medsec – just for you information buddy, Faisalabad Pakistan’s third largest industrial based city, situated in Punjab is mapped out on the design of the Union Jack in honour of Sir Charles James Lyall as it was formally known as Lyallpur. Don’t believe me? Search over Google satellite images of Faisalabad and see or yourself!
Have Your Say
No problem with these people celebrating. Disgusting that Oldham Council chose to fly the Pakistani flag at the Civic Centre. The idea is to get people to buy into being Oldhamers and British. The local authority should not be helping sustain divides along nationality in an already badly divided town. No flags other than the Oldham coat of arms and Union flag should be flown, this is the United Kingdom.
By ProDriver @ 17/08/2009 16:15:13