It bothers me

I am quite bothered by the number of immigrants in this country and the constant flow of yet more. It is not very politically correct to say so but it is a fact.

However, I am also concerned by the increasing number of jokey - and not so jokey - emails which appear in my inbox, taking a dig at Muslims. There is no doubt about it, some are quite funny, like the one which says that women are now allowed to drive in Iran and is followed by a photo of a car, shrouded with a pale blue cover with just a heavy mesh over the windscreen.

Or the one which shows a dinghy carrying two heavily veiled ladies, who are being hailed by a naval vessel with the words "Where are the rest of you?" And their answer "We are the last two."

Yes, very funny I thought but isn't this the thin end of the wedge? Should I be laughing or  isn't this a form of racism too?

As it happens, we went to a Muslim wedding in Manchester last weekend. It was the bridegroom's parents' invitation, so there were only 430 guests! For the henna party there were 500 and for the religious ceremony, 1000.  We participated in the civil wedding and reception in a hotel, with the happy pair sitting on a white sofa on a dais. And the clothes and jewels have to be seen to be believed. Absolutely wonderful!  The West cannot compete in sumptuousness.

And, of course, no alcohol. Just juice.