Chris Bryant claims that an alternative symbol is needed for the Red Cross because of the logo's supposed links to the Crusades.
Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant said that the historic emblem risked undermining the work of the humanitarian organisation.
His intervention came as MPs debated the adoption of the 'red crystal' - a diamond-shaped badge - to avoid the religious connotations of the cross and crescent symbols currently used by the international body.
Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant said that the historic emblem risked undermining the work of the humanitarian organisation.
His intervention came as MPs debated the adoption of the 'red crystal' - a diamond-shaped badge - to avoid the religious connotations of the cross and crescent symbols currently used by the international body.
But critics said the new insignia was a sop to political correctness and warned that it may be the first step towards it replacing cross and crescent. Others fear that it may not be as widely recognised on the battlefield.
'It is, in an effort not to be contentious, possibly too anodyne to serve its purpose,' Tory MP John Hayes said.
Philip Davies, a Tory backbencher, said: 'At face value to the layman it seems at best a solution looking for a problem and at worst another example of extreme political correctness.
'No one has ever suggested to me that the Red Cross refers to the Crusades.'
Shadow Foreign Office minister David Lidington said that use of the crystal over the cross by the British military should 'be the exception rather than be allowed to become the norm'.
Tory Oliver Heald said the Red Cross symbol was widely recognised and counselled caution that 'we are careful not to undermine that'.
Mr Bryant told the Commons: 'The reference to the Crusades is... not lost to some people which, of course, anybody involved in the Red Cross would wholly deprecate.
'The truth of the matter is that it has been difficult in some places for us to ensure that these connotations of a religious war or a religious crusade don't undermine the work that the Red Cross or Red Crescent is able to do.'
Strange how there is no call from Mr Bryant to remove the Islamic crescent, that was also used in the Crusades. Crusades that were started in order to defend Christian Europe from islamic attacks.
There is only one word for Mr Bryants PC twaddle.... PANTS!
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3 people have spoken:
What utter sh!te isn't it. I do hope this isn't one of these proposals which 'slips through on PM's prerogative' or whatever it's called.
Painting a red cross on a white background is a simple procedure and therefore can be accomplished by anyone with a piece of white fabric and a handy source of red liquids.
How many wounded will be able to paint a crystal?
Foolish proposal.
Ah yes, I was reading about this earlier. Fucking retarded eh.
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