Policeman Sued His Force Over Epic Beard

Just typical. If the same thing had happened to a Scottish vegatarian greek orthodox christian policeman with the same silly beard most people would recognize that this guy would never fit in with his co-workers. If you stand out like that, you'll get a few jokes. But because he's a Pakistani muslim his co-workers are at fault because they're racists and anti-muslim bigots.

Miranda >> When not even fellow police officers respect the police uniform, why should anyone else?

As soon as I read "Daily Mail" I set perceptions to LIES.

They are notorious for not fact checking,especially if it dovetails with their world view.

Then I read that the Police were calling a Pakistani fellow officer a "Fucking P*aki", and I thought....no that actually does sound like most coppers I've met.

It's a terrible thing when the rozzers manage to live down to your expectations.

It is a recorded fact that police from any ethnic minority are many times more likely to be brought up on disciplinary/performance related issues than the white/anglo counterparts.

Racist? "The Filth"?....no, say it ain't so!

I know firemen can't have beards because of the oxygen masks they need to use.

How can a cop gas a peaceful demonstration, or an unarmed old lady if they have that big beard. It just makes sense that the other cops wouldn't approve.

Hell, some handcuffed kid might be able to grab that beard while you are shooting him in the back.

I really think the cops have a point here.

he should expect to be mocked, it looks silly. he's living in the real world after all.. if it was my religion to wear a giant plastic penis on my head whould i expect not to be mocked?
i think this story has been fabricated anyway, but of course there are racists out there so who knows.

The operative question here is, "Is he really a ‘f***ing Paki’"?

It's the beard's fault. It looks comical.
It would be difficult for me to take someone with that, seriously.

Worst. Beard. Ever.

I'd be making jokes, too. Not racist or hurtful, more along the lines of jug-band and moonshine jokes.

That beard seriously looks shopped.

Turn his head upside down and he could have a great career guarding Buckingham Palace.

I'm just curious about that early 1970's LED watch he's wearing in the pic...shopped and poorly, I might add...me doth thinks so...

That beard is hilarious. It looks like a black ferret is sleeping on his jaw, or a nest of social weaver birds.

The trouble with the whole thing is that if a muslim gets sacked even for a good reason, he can always cry out that it was because of racism or islamophobia. They know that those two words make us westies humble and apologetic. The "racist-card" always works: no one wants to question it or doubt it, because they fear that they would be accused of racism.

@ Rick Brown - that LED watch looks like he won it in one of the Tokyo Flash Treasure Hunts here.

Hey, it's Wooly Willy!

If I were him, I would start a religion based on that magnificent beard of his.

Yes Frau, that could be very well possible but I still prefer watches that tell time instead of mental gymnastics to impress drunker people at the bar. Besides, the crop below the chin is too high up on the lip. Man creatures abhorr it that close and it catches all weird sort of food debris..not really impressing the date that much...

I read a lot of ignorant bable from a lot of people that have no courage themselves. I am not a Muslim or member of any religion. However, I am a man, and men grow beards, simple. Now, if having one interferes with your job performance, it would be wise to shave.
If it does not, you should be able to have one. For those of you who criticize this dude for his beard; well, I feel bad for you. Why? Because you have been hoodwinked by all of the fashion magazines, tv shows and so on to accept a force fed image of what a man should look like to be acceptable in the eyes of fools.
If you choose to shave on your own accord, because of preference, great...all power to you; it's manly to have your convictions. For those of you who look down upon facial hair, you might as well chop your penis off when mainstream thought tells you that that is what men do in the real world.

Beards are a symbol of manhood, maturity, ferility, and social courage.

Men grow beards you lady men.

It is true that firemen and some emergency service workers can not have their beards due to the actions of some gases that may be traped in the beard, and the difficulty of obtaining an adaquite seal against the face with a gas mask. However, those who make fun of vegatarianism and beards need to read their bibiles. They also need to resurch the history of Judaism and Chrisianity. Roman Catholism seems to be the odd man out on the subject, and that only for the last thousand years. World war two also had a profound effect on the normal appearance of western men. Ignorance is ever the font of predjudice.
Vegatarianism is part of the personal piety of many christians, Christian monks are in part Vegatarian or varrities thereof, the book of Levitcus forbids the eating of blood recomending scaled fish, beards are actualy part of holy tradition up held by the bible and numerous laws and comments by the church fathers. A beard is the normal part of a man, just as the finger nails are. As a Paramedic I purposely do not train for areas where work in gas enviroments are neccary. St. James wrote in James 4:17;
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not,to him it is sin". In the book of Leviticus it says "You will not round the edges of your beard".
Respectfuly, Gregory