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TechnoratiThe British Red Cross has ordered a near total ban of Christmas decorations from its charity shops to thwart any Muslim reactions, a London newspaper reported today.
"We put up a nativity scene in the window and were told to take it out," Christine Banks, a volunteer at a Red Cross shop in Kent county, southern England, told the Daily Mail tabloid.
"It seems we can't have anything that means Christmas. We're allowed to have some tinsel but that's it ... We were told it is because we must not upset Muslims," Banks added.
Confirming the ban at the charity's 430 shops, a spokesman for the British Red Cross told the paper: "The Red Cross is a neutral organisation and we don't want to be aligned with any political party or particular philosophy".
"We don't want to be seen as a Christian or Islamic or Jewish organisation because that might compromise our ability to work in conflict situations around the world."
The spokesman added: "In shops people can put up decorations like tinsel or snow which is seasonal. But the guidance is that things representative of Christmas cannot be shown".
By Albert H. Lee
chtoday_editor@chtoday.com
