Burn A Koran Day

[Rhianne]

It seems to me that symbolism is a big thing for Americans and those in certain parts of the Middle East – or perhaps it’s really just with religious folk.

You may, or may not find this relevant (and tedious).

Back in the late eighties or thereabouts, early days for what we now call ‘reality TV’, they ran a short series of programmes over here filmed in a small Spanish hotel. Tourists from four countries – England, Germany, the US and (I think) France stayed in the place for free on consecutive weeks understanding that they would be filmed. The guests didn’t know much about the show or that there were stooges in residence too – the idea being to see how the different nationalities would react to different situations. Meals would be served late, the bus driver taking them to an outing would be drunk, one of the stooges would steal drinks from the bar (the English helped him, the Germans tried to stop him and reported him immediately when he wouldn't) – that sort of thing.

Anyway, on their respective last days the groups returned to the hotel from an outing to find a large national flag that had hung in the dining room for the duration of their visit had been partly burned. No-one cared much, in fact if I recall correctly the Germans found it funny. Not so with the Americans though – there was anger and something approaching violence to the hotel staff. With the show over the participants were told that all the incidents, including the flag burning, had been faked for the show, and they all showed the expected amusement – but not, as you guess, the Americans. They were fine with everything else but not the flag, women were in tears, one of them insisting she be allowed to take it home to American soil for burial. Some of the production crew took refuge behind their equipment after someone from the team suggested that it was ‘just a piece of cloth’.

My point? Oh, you think I have one?

Well, I suppose it’s only that just because you find something important doesn’t mean everyone else does and if you do find some kind of symbol important to you be aware that others might have their own. Flags and Bibles and Korans don’t mean much to me but while I might be happy to toss one in a bin or burn it while clearing out I certainly wouldn’t do it in attempt to upset or antagonise others.