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Concern over sex shop bid
Tuesday 16th October 2007, 8:00PM BST.
Plans for a racy window display at a Kidderminster sex shop have come under fire amid fears it could offend the town’s Muslim community.
But the owner, himself a Muslim, today said the fears were unfounded. Simply Pleasure.com has applied to change its licence so it can display items such as lingerie in its Horsefair store.
But the move has led to protests from both a councillor and a church leader in the town who say it could offend both Muslims and other members of the community.
Wyre Forest District Councillor Fran Oborski said: “I wouldn’t want them to display items in the window. I don’t object to the shop’s existence but I think the local Muslim community would be very upset if goods were displayed in the window as I am sure other members of the community would be too.”
Canon Owain Bell, pictured, chairman of the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership, said: “I think it would cause offence to quite a few people. At the moment the shop is fairly inoffensive. You know what they are but you don’t see anything.”
But Tim Hemming, owner of Simply Pleasure.com said: “It would not be offensive to the Muslim community because I am a Muslim. We have 38 licensed sex shops in the country and 50 per cent have open windows. The open window will have nothing offensive just lingerie and other items that people would see in other high street stores like Ann Summers and Le Senza.”
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Why have Muslims been singled out as the only people to be offended?
What has being Muslim got to do with being offended about the prospective display in some sex-shop window?
Good grief.
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hang on if it afends muslims well what do they wear covered head to toe in a black sheet,it is still a free country for now so if it afends anyone walk around the shop and don’t force your beliefs on the good charitable people of this country as i say in big letters {IT’S STILL A FREE COUNTRY FOR NOW}.
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Once again, why do white liberals single out Muslims as being ‘liable to be offended’? Surely Muslims will respond (and Christians will wholeheartedly agree) that the commercialisation and exploitation of the God-given pleasure of sex is something that should offend any right-thinking person, irrespective of their religion. Therefore, stop using Islam as an excuse to bemoan the faults and failings of the secular, godless society that we ourselves have created!
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Well it’s about as offensive as telling a child that we are all here because of Adam and Eve!!! Science has proved that wrong! I’m sure it will offend others and not just muslims, but just walk on by! If vegetarians can walk past a butchers whats the difference!
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It might offend the obese as well. They have a nightmare fitting into kinky lingerie.
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I dissagree with Boris i think ladies wearing size 22 leggings+ a crop top look stunning
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We were refused an open window ! We will be re applying next year.We will support our new application with evidence of other lingerie on display in other local stores that are not licensed pemises like ours. This will show how ridiculous the councils ruling was and hopefully they will drag themselves into the 21st century.
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