This is absoloutly obsurd. If they do not want to study certain aspects of the course then they are not suitable to be doctors. Every part in the course should be studied just like when you study any subject. I believe in equality but I feel that it is going a bit too far now.

Chris O'Hanlon, Wrexham, Wales

The stupidity is so obvious, let me give just two examples:

1. corruption: a BIG no -no in any religion. In my country, everyday we hear muslims arrested/investigated for corrupt practices
2. just during the Ramadan months, hampers were sent to the officers in my office and they were happily carrying away hampers that contained sparkling grape juice in the shape of champagne bottle.

Perhaps the religious must begin to teach their folk not to find excuses from carrying out their responsibilities. Having lived in UK for many years, I sometimes feel that the authorities are too soft!

i.doh

ivan , kuala lumpur, malaysia

I'm a medical student in London. One of my Muslim colleagues refused to see a single female patient all last year on 'religious grounds'.

What is more shocking is that the BMA and GMC are aware of such students and do nothing to stop them.

Even more concerning is that a GP practice in south London has started asking its non-Muslim patients to consider going elsewhere for treatment.

To suggest that they are adhering to Islam is ridiculous, they are following their own brand of prejudiced, bigoted discrimination.

I find it offensive that they haven't all been struck off.
How are these people Fit to Practise?
Why do the GMC do nothing?

TC, London,

I live in Malaysia. Our Muslim doctors and nurses, of both sexes treat all patients of all races and religions and for all kinds of diseases.

Florence Symons, Johore, Malaysia

this is a very interesting article i am very shocked about the students what they have done. the best thing for them is to change there major. as for our religion, i have never heard that you are not aloud to examine a lady.

randa, lebanon, lebanon

England is not a Muslim country and therefore expects its medical students to perform all duties as prescribed by law which includes the treatment of women. If Muslim students don't wish to participate they should drop medical studies or go back to their own countries and practice whatever it dictates. This is a non brainer.

june davies, windsor, CA USA

Perhaps these medical students, doctors or pharmacists would be better served to choose a different career. No one forced them to attend medical or pharmacy school. They can work elsewhere if they will not attend to their duties.

Kaylee, Dallas, Texas/USA

I guess women will not be treated in the UK in about 20 years? Better not get sick ladies.

Bryan Mullinax, Monument, USA/CO

Perhaps it would be better to encourage the students to take up a following where they would not be brought into direct conflict with their 'personal' ideals.

I say personal because God made man and woman, and all their body bits too. If anyone is disgusted by what God has made, even the most grotesque deformities; then they are not in tune with God, but with the works of the devil.

If a doctor is thinking like this about their work, then s/he is thinking in a sexual manner and their thoughts are not on healing (as distance put between men and women, by men, is always for sexual purposes, not for God's purpose.)

God uses the conscious through His Spirit to divide men and women appropriately. Therefore no doctor needs to fear any examination if their faith is strong.

What is cultural and what is of God? This is what a man needs to ask himself.

Carol, Midlands, UK

I wonder if those Muslim doctors would refuse to treat Muslims who had received lashes under Sharia law, or the poor thief's who have hands and feet amputated?

There are women going without medical treatment in Afghanistan where virtually all of the doctors are male, because they refuse to treat female patients.

Scott, Brighton,

I thought that doctors all sign an oath: to treat people of all categories? Let's hope that tha BMA make a firm stand. Sainsburys are on a dangerous track on agreeing that Muslim pharmacists may refuse to sell the morning-after pill, or when they allow their Muslim checkout operators to refuse to handle customers' alcohol purchases. Sainsburys are actually supporting these Muslims' lack of tolerance!
Will the Muslim medics stop at refusal to learn about abortions or to treat women, sexually transmitted and alcohol-related diseases? Who'll they refuse to treat next? Smokers? Prostitutes? Hippies? Homosexuals? Or people like me who write naughty limericks?

Sandy Lunoe, Sandvika, Norway

Part of the fault for this situation lies with the gutless wonders in places like Boots and Sainsbury's that allow such nonsense

john, Glasgow,

If an employee is required to perform certain duties and refuses, isn't that grounds for dismissal? And if not, it seems a precursor to anarchy; i.e., everyone just does what they want.

josil, San Diego, USA/California

How about all modern Muslims go along a forward path, not a backward medieval one, and let ijtihad/scriptural reinterpretation continue today as a modern process, not stalled a thousand years ago, and also accept that the separation of church and state is nowadays the ideal.

fadi, liverpool,

what a load of nonsense. islam does not forbid you being a doctor and treating illness of any cause. i find what is going on ridiculous and as a doctor and religious headscarf wearing muslim am very angry that these idiots are blackening my name by extension

Henna, london,

I am a medical student at Guy's and I find the contents of this article difficult to understand. I believe that it is ludicrous to present this as a widespread problem and for the umpteenth time the situation has been taken out of context, exaggerated, embellished and sensationalised. Muslims have, and continue to, carry out their professional duties deligently and suggestions otherwise are wholly untrue and disgraceful. Why use a few isolated, unrepresentative examples to slur the whole community? It is disappointing and saddeing, but not surprising.

S Ali, London,

These people are behaving exactly like the hysterical straw-women used in arguments of yesteryear to keep women out of medical school. I would not have believed scientists could behave in such a manner. What a disgrace to their people and their profession.

Geekwad, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

As usual a minority are getting their way. So can non-smoking cashiers refuse to sell cigarettes? Non-drinking ones alcohol? What about us who don't like vegetables, or fruit, or ... so ruddy ridiculous.

What annoys me the most about this sort of thing is that if I visited a Muslim country, I would be expected to obey ALL their rules - there would be no "special allowances" for me - so why is it that any country of non-Muslim faith has to make allowances?

Next we will be reading about "gay" doctors not wanting to treat members of the opposite sex!!!

What a sad and pitiful world we live in these days.

Deirdre, Portsmouth, UK

Every day I grow increasingly alarmed at apparent climate of appeasement and PC gone mad and pandering to the whining of a small religious minority being demonstrated in my country of birth. No wonder one comment above suggests that there a noticeable shift toward more right wing views may be occurring. I'd suggest that all those people who are refusing to carry on their normal daily work for which they were hired should find another job and/or the organizations that hired them should have the right to fire them without recrimination. Perhaps all the Asian restaurants and shops run by Muslims should stop happily profiteering form alcohol sales.

Martin, Columbia, Missouri, USA

As with many religions, it's not the message, it's the messengers! If people are stupid enough to believe them, then they deserve what they get. This politic correctness bull**** is only allowing for ignorance and stupidity to spread.

guna, Liverpool, U.K.

In Arabian Gulf States medicine is, generally, practised without discrimination. Muslim doctors use alcohol swabs, and prescribe pills/linctus which often contain alcohol or pig derivatives (are the capsules of antibiotics made of pig gelatine?). Likewise, their supermarkets sell pork products but keep them in a clearly marked separate area, out of consideration, so that Muslims can see what are 'haram', forbidden, should they wish to avoid them. Looking around these supermarket pork areas, it is surprising to see how many products do contain pig derivatives...like marshmallows, and other items, not obvious. What a headache this could become for Sainsbury's. Perhaps vegetarian cashiers might prefer not to handle any meat products, Hindu cashiers, no beef? And let's respect those cashiers who only approve of chemical free fruit/veg.

Jan Denning, Paris , France

"All that is required for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing".

I respect the professionalism of the muslim doctors who have posted comments. I would be the first to acknowledge that Britsh muslims contribute to Britain in so many ways.
Unfortunately, modern day Islam is being hijacked by an element who interpret the Holy Koran to achieve their own ends.

Likewise the British media uses examples such as this to disparage muslims generally. Support for right wing organisations is growing among moderate Britons in response to a government policy of appeasement and political correctness gone mad.

The racial/religious divide is growing like a cancer within British society and all the comments about sending people "home" are not the answer.

The British goverment and British muslims have to work together to prevent this radicalisation of Islam and demonstrate that using religion to abuse the privilidges of living in a 21st Century democracy is not acceptable

Mike, Cheshire,

This is absurd! What happens in hospitals where the community is largely muslim, no treatment? Surely letting someone die goes against a religious covenant? What about the case of a women who has been raped and contracted HIV or Hepatitus? Should she be judged in this manner. If you are going to practise medicine outside the Muslim community then you can't pick and chose patients on what you deem to be there low morals. If you can't me unbiased then you shouldn't be a doctor.

Jess, Worcester, UK

hello, my american friends. we are not sleepwalking towards sharia law. these so-called moslems are a tiny minority and most (including most moslems) think they are annoying idiots. on the other hand, fundamentalist christianity, which is just as ridiculous and debilitating, seems to have made considerably more headway in your neck of the woods than "radical islam" (or hypocritical nonsense) has here.

perhaps if you owned a few less guns and a few more passports, you would be less ignorant and smug. you've had more people abducted by aliens than we have radical moslems.

jem, london, uk

Perhaps other students should refuse to learn anything about illness and dysfunction caused by female circumcision.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

Just because a minority of Muslim people have been taking their religion far too seriously, it does not mean they are all the same! The majority of muslim people i have come across are peaceful and try to adapt to Western society.

Rather than arguing, how about we try to understand why these people are taking these drastic measures? Are these people being brain-washed by Extremists at local Mosques?

Common sense needs to be applied here. If these people are not willing to do a particular 'job' they should look elsewhere. I'm sure there are thousands of Muslims who will be happy to sell alcohol (as part of their job description) to customers. So sack these silly people... how can it be racial? Same applies to the doctors!

Rakesh, Swindon, England

why are they here then--???? why dont they go and work for a muslim only community.
It is just stupid and immature actions by the part of a narrow minded minority that is giving a bad name to other muslim medics.
They should adapt to the ways of the society they live in and wish to work in .
Doctors are supposed to help anyone no matter who they are , where they come from or what they do .

Daanish , westcliff, uk

Enough.. Someone has to say STOP to these radicals.. This is not related with Islam.. This is related with "to be fanatic".. Then I cannot understand that, how these stupid people can reach to have education in this academy?

Mehmet Hilmi Soylu, Ankara, Turkey

And yet thousands of Afghan 'farmers' are quite happy to culivate poppies to make herion. I am sure there are some 'strict' muslims amongst them.

How far will this go? These people are building a dividing wall within society

Jon, Guernsey,

It's so sad. Why does Britain surrender so easily? It's disgraceful.

Marc, Munich, Germany

It must be possible to differentiate between, on the one hand unacceptable discrimination against employing a doctors for a role simply on the basis that they are Muslim or from a non- white british background and on the other the type of level headed discernment which one should apply when choosing the best candidate for a post.

The best candidate can never be a doctor who is incapable of performing their duties fully becasue of desicions which they claim are based on personal religious sensibilities.

In fact, surely these doctors themselves are in effect advertising that they will happily discriminate against people of different religious beliefs (including those of no religion) who are thus free to take lifestyle choices which a Muslim life excludes. Such behaviour must contravene professional standards and possibly the laws of the United Kingdom.

Bob, Reading,

The taxpayer cannot refuse to pay taxes for religious reasons, so why should doctors bankrolled handsomely by the taxpayer be able to refuse to do their work for religious reasons?
Such "doctors" cannot be trusted by the patient and are a disgrace to their profession.

Dave, Southampton, UK

In 1972 my girlfriend's Doctor (White British) said to her when it was found she was pregnant, "Come back and see me when you're married".

Being young, naive and embarrassed we did nothing about it. We’ve now been married 35 years and I know what I’d do in a similar case today.

Bigots of all kinds need to be removed from their positions and left to find employment that suits them.

Jim, Newcastle,

Equally, do we as patients have the right to choose between Muslim and other doctors on the grounds of incomplete medical education and thus not able to treat us adequately. And would we then be branded as racists because we had made this informed choice. This is madness. Are we seriously going to allow Muslims to be treated differently to the rest of us and is this preciselty what our equality laws are all about. Or do the Muslims in this country have the right to pick and choose to their advantage whilst the rest of us look foolish and exploited as we just sit back and accept this superior indulgence. Get a grip UK. I am outraged by this and I just wish that I could suspend my colossal tax payments and not have to fund the predilections of a few selfish and over-indulged medical stutdents, practitioners and pharmacists. I am outraged and offended: and completely sick of pampering to false sensibilities.

Karen, Macclesfield, UK

Throw them out of medical school. People like these bring nothing but disgrace on Islam. So what will these so-called doctors do, just let patients die. Next they will be refusing to treat non-Muslims. They are creating divisions in society. The government must not allow them to get away on this one. I lived in Mumbai and there Muslim doctors treat all, whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Parsee or Jew. My own brother (a very religious Muslim) had a surgery and he never asked the patients their religion.

Abdul Kalam, Coventry, UK

I will not be shopping at Sainsburys or Boots for the next six months.
Would others like to do that?

Ian Robertson, Manchester, UK

I suspect these actions are the result of young British Muslims that haven't yet grown up or have a remote grasp of how complicated real life can be.

Refusing to learn about STDs? Then you are refusing to entertain the idea that some people that contract STDs can be monogamous innocent individuals with promiscious spouses. Refusing to learn about alcohol? Then you are refusing to conside the ethics of treating infants with birth traumas complicated by STDs and fetal alcohol poisoning. Refusing to consider evolution? Then how do you work within hematology where new blood group deviations appear every week? How do you begin to dissect the problem with congential complications that blight a significant percentage of Muslim births in Bradford?

It seems to me that these students are silly children that think they are very clever purely because they got some good A level results -- and therefore should be listened to at every turn.

Alex, Leeds, UK

Its unfortunate that a small minority of muslims behave in such a way. Personally those who have these beliefs should not be alowed to qualify as a doctor and perhaps they should consider a career as a vet where they will not have to deal with alcohol related illnesses, or worry about seeing members of the opposite sex. either that or they should seriously consider leaving England as they obviously offer no benefit to this Country. If the wests principles upset them so much I'm sure they could go and work in developing countries, offering far less pay, that maynot have these issues to contend with

matt, Bristol, England

Nuts. What chance would a Christian have of such actions in a Muslim country. If they aren't prepared to abide by our laws, let them go to a country which will tolerate their bigotry. And why are we training them (the Doctors) here. It really is beyond the pale.

Richard, Isle of Man, UK

This is terribly sad because to an outsider it seems as though Britain is like the proverbial frog in a pot of water -slowly being boiled to death without realising it. As a Briton living overseas I can observe these changes perhaps better than people who are living in the midst of it. There is something absolutely appalling about Sainsbury's workers refusing to serve alcohol and Sainsbury's helping them in this intransigence.

Heaven knows what it will take to bring this situation to a head and reverse this trend before you are all living in Britistan.

marlo, sydney,

Forgive me for saying this but isn't the war with Iraq's Saddam Husein over ???....Then send all the refugees back, and for that matter, every other country they have fled from where the war is finally over..

Yes, they may have needed to leave, but guess what, the wars over, so please, nice having yah 'n all that, now there's the boat !!..

I'm serious. This is my country...i know that because i actually am one of the rare few who was born in this country with my parents being born here too !!!!!..

Martyn, Hyde, Cheshire

Application forms for medical school should include a question about issues which might make an individual unwilling to study or pracyice in certain areas.
If the applicant indicates that he or she is unwilling to study alcohol related disease, or examine a patient of the opposite sex, for example, the place at medical school should be given to another candidate who is willing to fully participate in the training programme.
If a medical student cannot graduate due to failing to fully participate as a result of holding such opinions, it is a waste of the taxpayers money, and he or she should be required to pay something back.

Beryl, Peterborough,

this really is something and nothing. the only thing that matters is whether a person can pass the exams to qualify and whether, as a doctor, he or she will treat anyone, irrespective of the patient or the illness. the reasons why a person might fail an exam or choose not do the job properly are totally irrelevant.

most people are quite happy with this, whether moslem or not.

it is not a sign of a tolerant, liberal society that we allow bigotry, racism and sexism flourish. part of claiming your own right to freedom has to be accepting the right of others to their freedom. intolerant religious teachings should not themselves be tolerated.

students who hold these ridiculous views will no doubt hold a whole series of dangerous and antisocial views. they need to be dealt with. concessions are not the answer.

jem, london, uk

The attitude of this minority of Muslims, makes the muslim faith look small minded and Bigoted, to put it bluntly they are Racist and Sexist.

The rest of the Muslim community should condemn these so-called people of faith, i know many Muslims, and they are not this petty.

We should stop being told what to do by a minority, and follow the wishes of the majority, it would be a refreshing change

Rob, Birmingham, UK

ted and others, there is a world of difference in forcing someone to perform an active termination on a live foetus, or prescribe a morning after pill, to expecting a doctor to be able to treat and examine both sexes, or advise on sexually transmitted diseases.
If you can't see the difference your moral telescope needs servicing.
Doctors don't have to perform abortions or give morning after pills out, but should advise patients of the options and treatments available, and where to get them.

bill, towoomba,

It's nonsense that because of such weird people, people thinking as whole the moslems are like that.

cem yildiz, istanbul, turkey

No medical student in the UK should be allowed to be 'picky' and still qualify (and take the large salary that results).

This equally applies to Christian students who refuse to agree to (or peform) the termination of a pregnancy. These medics should not be allowed to practice in the UK.

Ted Farley , Manchester, England

Thanks for a good article. There is nothing in islam that prevents a doctor from treating a patient of the opposite sex and Muslim scholars unanimously support the position of the BMA in their pursuit of equitable healthcare.There is in islam a prohibition of having sexual contact outside of marriage. At the same time should any doctor feel threatened either sexually or otherwise they have a right to decline to treat. As regards not learning about alcohol consumption to preserve one's faith, that is where sublime meets the ridiculous.

Muhammad Ismail, Stirling, United Kingdom

I believe that it is a basic responsibility of the medical treatment to give treatment to those who need it, based on what they need. Medical professionals should not be permitted to refuse treatement on Moral grounds. After all even convicted murderers are entitled to medical care, so surely the same should apply to alcoholics, even if you believe alcoholism is wrong (a sentiment shared my many non-muslims). Refusing to learn how to treat certain people must indicate an intention to deny treatment to those people later on, which I believe makes such students unfit to become doctors.

Andrew Wimble, Brighton, England

I think this is fast sounding like a witch hunt. I can only find one other person pointing out something very obvious before diving in. The Muslims referred to who are refusing to do whatever are a tiny minority, not supported by their professional organisations, or, by the sound of things, by quite a few other Muslims here. ONE case is actually cited of ONE Muslim medical student who refused to examine a female patient and got failed as a result. Big deal - and if the story is true he has already been somewhat heavily punished. for a moment's daftness. A few people working in Sainsbury's or Boots have to get a colleague to serve a few items. Oh wow! How many live has that destroyed so far? Please get a grip. As someone else has pointed out many Roman Catholic doctors refuse to get involved in abortions - but then it is not open season on Roman Catholics this week, so we are not all babbling about it. By the way, just for the record, I am an atheist.

Julia, Birmingham, UK

If the medical students are deliberately refusing to aquire knowledge and/or demonstrate that they have the knowledge of any disesease, they can not be be fit to practice as medical professionals. They should therefore take the next logical step and withdraw from the training. They have in fact occupied training spaces and used national resources under false pretences and denied the nation to train willing professional.

Gulab, Surbiton,

Wow. It just gets worse! First the Muslim guy who wouldn't handle alcohol in Sainsburys even though it was part of his job....and now this? What next?

Carly jones, Bangor, N.Wales

There is concern that the present training regime for doctors forces them to be consultants too quickly, before they have become well rounded practitioners.

Perhaps it is not a good idea to have doctors who are not well rounded.

If this group prevents itself from being well rounded, how are they to proceed?

Antony Rigby, Farnham,

whats that old saying "if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen", If you know your going to come into contact with things which will cause you offence why put yourself into harms way, I know that if i walk on the road i could get hit by a car... so i don't do it.

I wonder if those Pharmacists dispense to their diabetic patients Porcine Insulin?, or whether those checout assistants scan their customers bacon. If you cant do the job properly leave it!!

Rob, Doha, Qatar

Who treats muslim women in muslim countries?????
What is the issue here? because the woman is not a muslim or because she is a woman??
if you can not treat humans, male or female alike then you should not be in mdical school, or may be should not be living in Europe if you can not treat non muslim women.
This is a religeous/gender discrimination.

noble, Brighton, UK

This is outragous!!! Islam encourages us to be educated to the highest level. Even if this means that you have to learn about something that you don't believe in. Religion is being used as something that is a personal choice. When you go into a profession such as becoming a doctor then you know that you will have to examine people of the opposite sex, if you feel that you cannot fulfil the requirements of the job then go into a profession where you know you will be able to fulfil the requirements.

Nazma, Bolton,

This is not Muslim's rejecting to treat the opposite sex, alcohol problems or sexual diseases it is a few Muslims. They are entitled to their opinion and if they do not wish to learn these area or treat patient they will fail their exams so not really a problem.

Our society has rules to which we are expected to follow and is not Sharia law, if these minorities do not like Britain's society behavior then they should feel free to change it via the electoral register or move to a society that follows their beliefs.

If I go to the chemist I expect them to behave in a professional manner and if they fail to do this I would report them to the appropriate authority.

Joe Kellie, Edinburgh, Scotland

I'm Mormon and I don't drink alcohol or coffee. Does that mean I can never go into a grocery store or a gas station? Wake up and use common sense!!!! One of the biggest principles in any religion is free-agency, the ability to choose. I would never look down on someone who wants to have a beer of cigarette, that is their choice and I would never consider myself better than them. These actions by these Muslims is an act of elitism where they think they are better than others and refuse to come in contact with these lesser beings. God did not teach this, it is a misconception and pride has become the major driving force behind these actions. Bad news!!!

Chuck, Idaho,

If the practice of medicine interferes with religious beliefs, then one should not practice medicine. It's folly to allow students to pick and chose what information and skill they'll learn. The only answer is immediate dismissal from the programs when this arises.

I could not chose to ignore mathematics in school despite my deep spiritual aversion. I was forced to not only attend, but pass several mathematics courses in order to get my degree. If only I could have attended university in the UK and explained that algebra violated the tenets of my religion.

Sunny, Miami, FL, USA,

This article doesn't answer a fundamental questions: how many Muslim students are behaving in this way? Even a rough figure would do. You only give one second-hand example of such a student. If you read the article closely, there is nothing to contradict the idea that only two cranky Muslims have ever raised such objections in recent years while thousands of others have gone on to become perfectly professional doctors, which would hardly merit a story.

Jon, London,

As a Catholic nurse, I am allowed to refuse to take part in abortions on religious grounds. However, as a sensible person, I would not apply for a job in a field of nursing that required me to do so.

A. Watson, London,

The argument that one should treat a female patient in an emergency but not during a "superfluous" training exercise is hogwash. How on earth is that physician supposed to be effective in an emergency if he's never practiced in a non-essential situation before?!

Medical training is standardized to produce competent physicians. No ifs ands or buts. Kick these kids out of the program. After they graduate, if they can find a hospital or private employer willing to put up with this crap, good for them. But nobody's going to doctors who refuse to treat more than 50% of the population. That's dumb business.

Lauren, Washington,

There are two kinds of bigotry on display here - both at their most ugly: one shown in the article, the second shown by the 'kick them ALL out' brigade.

Dr., Lancashire, UK

I can see where this kind of division and prejudice is heading. Let's extrapolate: I am in a shop queue. The person at the checkout is European / Chinese / Sikh / whatever. The line next to mine becomes free and the Muslim operator asks me to come to his aisle. I respond, "No, I have alcohol and don't want to be served by a Muslim." What an encouraging portent for multi-culturalism.

C. Laing, Auckland, New Zealand

How can it be that these people are taking up places in scientific institutions?

Bill, Sydney, Australia

I am an American born South Asian Muslim. There is nothing in Islam that prohibits the pursuit of education. These students are making a mountain out of a mole hill. It is a shame that they subject the world to their narrow minded thought process under the guise of Islam.

By forcing others to bend to their whims and fancies, they damage the reputation of Islam and its followers around the world.

Siddiqi, Chicag, USA

OK, so let's have 2nd rate doctors looking after us who haven't even had the courage to live in the 21st. century. I believe students who refuse should fail their exams as anyone else to didn't come up to par.

Roger Malstead, E Wenatchee, USA

As a Muslim I am absolutely disgusted (though not entirely surprised) by this. Hospitals and medical support are initially a "Muslim" concept with clinics and education set up to deal with deaths during the Crusades.

It is baseless and pointless and, actually, if they are training as doctors, I would be inclined to ask them to leave the course and take their nonsensical views elsewhere.

There aren't enough characters here for me to rant and rave about this because not only does it embarass me that a selection of my "fellow" Muslims can be so insular. I wish real Islam could be in these headlines instead - a feature on what Islam actually states about numerous things.

There are no religious restrictions on patient care and as far as Sainsbury's go - why do managers allow this? If you're going to put restrictions on what you can and can't sell, start your own pharamacy.

Pathetic.

Eshaan "I really am a Muslim" Akbar, London, England

If a doctor wont treat everyone equally, you can't be a doctor in my opinion.

You treat medical problems, you don't subject your religious beliefs on the public. People have medical problems due to many lifestyles. While you may not agree with them, you treat the medical condition and send them on their way.

It's no more of an endorsement for their behaviour as is treating an HIV patient is condoning homosexual conduct.

If you won't see patients, you won't be a doctor and should fail the class's. Too bad.

Joe, San Antonio Texas, USA

It is wrong for Muslim trainee doctors to refuse to treat alcoholism and female patients. Keep religion seperate from religion. If your religion forbids examining patients of the opposite sex do not become a doctor or take up any job which involves close contact with the opposite sex. All religions have changed due to social and technological changes. You cannot be selective in accepting only changes that suits you. Change in society is inevitable, if you do not accept you will be a loser.

Hindupur Rajagopalan, Mississauga, , Ontario, Canada

Wow. You Brits are giving up your country without a fight. How sad.

I guess that's what happens to a culture that thinks laying flowers on the ground or a moment of silence substitutes for fighting for one's way of life.

Vince P, Chicago, IL

I feel the same whether it is a pharmacist in the US not wanting to provide birth control or a physician in the West claiming all sorts of things are against his/her religion. Don't take up a vocation which requires you to perform actions you feel are against your religious beliefs. Or get your education, then work, in a country which agrees with your beliefs. It seems so simple, rather than trying to upset the apple cart amidst a culture which cannot begin to understand such beliefs.

Mona Bee, Florida, US

I'm yet another Moslem,

Not British or living in the UK . But I have been born and raised in a country with a substantial Moslem population and have yet to encounter this kind of behavior the part of Moslem students.

It seems anyone thinks they can get away with anything if it's in the name of religion these days. Don't let them get away with it

It definitely gives the islamophobes an excuse to shout bloody murder.

Musa, Amman/Jordan, Jordan

The admissions procedure for medics is not working if pathetic idiots like this manage to get through. How did they manage to convince scholars that they have a serious desire to save lives and practice medicine??? So what if they had good A-levels?? Applicants should be asked if they are religious, and if so, how they will reconcile that with medicine's aims and the fact that, as a science, it assumes evolution to be true. Medicine, perhaps more so than other disciplines, relies on a humanistic MATURITY which Muslim radicals are never going to achieve while they are in the throes of their growing pains, just like any other adolescent clutching to ideology. After admission to the course, they should continue to have to tackle this issue in tutorials, etc.
I wonder if these same individuals would refuse treatment to gays by the way?
Oh well, at least these idiots draw attention to themselves... as Doctor Simon has pointed out, might be a good idea to keep an eye on them now....

Chris Wood, Manchester,

I will boycott Sainsburys from now on! Boots too! I am British and were I too travel to a muslim country and impose my views upon them I would probably be stoned to death!

anne, norwich, uk

the views portrayed are of a minority , if you were to look further you would find there are similar views portrayed by a minority within all of the other faiths, there may always be a few. I agree the plan is simple if they refuse then they should not have taken up a job which coflicts with their religion, and the exceptions should not be made . but please stop blaming all the muslims and making such generalised statements about them, when actually you are only ever hearing about an extremely small minority. the majority of us do not even have time to think about such things as we are to busy doing our jobs

a dedicated british muslim doctor, england,

Maybe it should be pointed out that they are breaching the Hippocratic oath by proceeding with this stance and are therefore unfit to practice medicine.

I wonder what would happen if Western-born doctors working in the Middle East were to refuse to treat victims of severed limbs?

Mark, Edinburgh,

Yet another reason why I don't trust foreign-educated or foreign-born doctors. Their religious and cultural differences can compromise their judgment and decisions in ways not acceptable to me. Clearly these students belong in a Muslim medical school in a Muslim country. I wouldn't trust them with my health care.

Susan, Thornton, Colorado USA

Yet another reason not to trust foreign-educated or foreign-born doctors. I don't want my doctor's judgment and the quality of my care to be affected in any way by religious or cultural beliefs.

Susan, Denver, USA

As a Muslim medical student in the US, I am horrified! I do not understand why these radical students get such press. There are millions of Muslim physicians practicing all over the world that have no problem upholding their ethical responsibility and treating patients regardless of their illness, religion, sex, or race. It seems to me that Britain winds up with the most radical Muslims who truly do not understand even the most basic tenets of Islam. Islam is a religion of peace and understanding. Yes, you may not drink, but no where in any holy scripture does it say to not treat someone who does. That is beyond absurd and is against the core value in Islam of helping anyone in need. These few students should not be allowed to continue their education, since they fail to understand the core principles of humanity and dignity that are central to the practice of medicine. I am truly saddened that these few students have allowed the British public to get such a negative view of Muslims!

A.C, United States,

To the muslim medics and other muslim commentators. I have been greatly cheered that you have condemned these ridiculous attitudes and have been pleased to learn a bit more about Islam. I don't know how many such responses the Times have not published, but they have certainly published enough to make me believe that we are dealing with a radical minority, not a majority muslim view. However, I would ask that you and your colleagues take the stance you have shown into the Muslim community and do what you can to address such radical minority views which cause such harm to the image of Islam.

Bev, Oxford, UK

I am a practising Muslim Medical student and I have only one thing to say. This is absolute rubbish, this article does NOT represent Islam whatsoever.

There are 1000's of Muslim doctors working in the NHS, have you ever heard any of them refuse to treat alocholism or STI? In fact on of my Muslim friends is a Consultant in STI in Swansea.

Ahmed, London,

I am am Muslim medical student and I have to say that this article is completely inaccurate. The NHS has thousands of Muslim doctors across the country who are dedicated and help people with problems related to alcohol on a daily basis. I myself am a practising muslim yet I work in A&E every night and treat people with alcohol related problems and STDs all the time, and as a student I am willing to learn about alcohol and STDs just like any other topic in the course. If you were to do your research properly and not in a biased fashion you would find that the VAST MAJORITY of muslim medical students in this country have the same views as me.

If you want something truly interesting to ponder over than you should be thinking about the fact that hundreds of muslim medical students have been writing in to this blog yet the times is obviously very reluctant to show the views of true muslim medics.

a, london,

This angers and upsets me no end. I am a 5th year medical student in the UK and I believe strongly in the duties of our profession to treat people in a non-judgemental manner.

Burying one's head in the sand is not going to make problems like alcoholism go away - part of our job is to help those who are afflicted by such problems, and try to educate people about it.

I also see no reason why taxpayers should fund the education of those who refuse to learn, and so will turn out to be inferior doctors.

Its simple - if you are an intolerant, ignorant and narrow-minded, then don't do medicine.

Bhaskar Narayan, uk,

Actually, people are making lots of fuss about the religion concept. Muslims are allowed to seek the knowledge& Doctors cannot practice without learning. What about in their Muslim country, if their fellow is drunk or has been transfused HIV contaminated blood, would they refuse it? NO. Yes, there is issue for opposite sex
Patient, particularly the private area of man/woman. Any male doctors could be able to treat sister in-law/mother/ blood related family connections private part/or female doctors to treat private parts of their close kin (father, father inlaw, etc. There are ethical & moral issues and always has a resolution to accomplished by the same sex. In free liberal society, where nudity is not issue in their home/are religion free, this issue doesn’t exist

Shawn, Boston, USA

To the author "Name withheld, London," here is a plea.

Please try to encourage other Muslim doctors to act in the same way. How else do we change this?

You can see the vitriol it has evoked. Most (white I would suggest) people are fed up with told to be so "tolerant, understanding, welcoming to all", only to have it completely thrown back in our faces with endless examples of others being incredibly intolerant, unreasonable and not understanding; all with the liberal laws as reinforcement.

Where has common sense and acting reasonably gone?

Surely it doesn't take a genius to work out (whatever creed or religion you are) that the stance taken by these Muslim doctors is utterly offensive, without logic or a tolerance of others. Islam - the religion of peace we are constantly told. It appears to us outsiders as nothing but a religion of sheer intolerance, sexism, physical punishment and bigotry.

The wool is finally slipping from our eyes.

MMK, London,

When I was in Iran many years ago I stayed with the very conservative and deeply religious family of a young woman who was studying medicine; I expressed surprise (and delight) that this was possible for her and she replied that it was important to study all aspects of human life as Allah had created it---so it must be good. Game, set and match!

dectora, London, UK

I'm not english, living in Denmark and I must say, that I'm stunned, how Britain one step at a time, allows more and more radical opinions to be integrated in the daily life.

I see a country with frightened leaders. There is a reason why the period 200 years ago, was called enlighenment. Now you can call it the period of ignorance, caused by a naive point of view, that tolerance of others intolerance must be the pinnacle of tolerance.

Only people without knowledge of the past, would allow for that to be the poltical correct point of view.

For God sake wake up Britain! Churchill would roll over in his grave!!!

Flemming, Copenhagen , Denmark

We cannot let these things happen. Mad ideas from fanatics were allowed to spread across Germany historically. Bit by bit we are allowing ideas of segregation and sexism to spread. We are allowing men and women to be increasingly treated differently and kept apart. We like being human beings together and we like having the freedom to access alcohol in this country - no one is forcing anyone else to drink it. How dare supermarkets allow people to make judgements about us at their tills. What sort of doctor would refuse to treat another? Will they also refuse to treat anyone who has eaten at fast food outlets and mafe themselves unhealthy? Will they refuse to treat the greedy - most of the country who are overweight? We must resist this and protest strongly to any organisation permitting such unacceptable practices which are contrary to all our traditions here.

Robin Bailey, Bournemouth,

WIll the law to be changed to allow me to say that I don't want to be medically treated, served in a shop, or partake of any other service, by a member of any of the numerous superstitious groups flexing their muscles and demanding special privileges/exemptions? Can I demand a different checkout operator if I find the one serving me is muslim, or to be seen by a different doctor if I note that the one I am seeing is wearing a conspicuous cross?

I doubt I will be granted this right to only deal with rational sane people, so until I am why are we granting exemptions to people who live in a fantasy world?

Mark Allen, Nottingham,

The people who hold these views are of course religious radicals, who we mostly consider to be danger to the public. Given that these individuals witsh to or do wish to practice medicine and will have exposure to controlled drugs, may be we should take a hard look at firing them as in breach of their contracts or a refusal to complete their course studies and excluded. How much more do the honest people of this once great country have to endure from a religion not of this country.

Simon Barnard, Reading, UK

Isn't this racism in many ways and the backdoor route to a two system medical establishment in the UK and the fracture of British society. Soon they will have muslim schools on a large scale, muslim hospitals, sharia law in force and inacted in their communities. What a lie this multi culturalism is, many communities 1 system. We should thank the muslims for being the most honest amonst all the minorities about just how much they want to join in with the rest of us. If Britian does not find fracturing apart and becoming city states like that of Italy long ago then that's fine but people should know what the likely future will be and not be misled and have discussion terminated simpy by holding up the 'racist' card. That deterrent to discussion is one I always enjoy confronting now since normally those that use it are vacumless and hoped that such a statement would instantly stop discussion, they have nothing more to back up their arguements with, simple as they are.

Trevor, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

As person of muslim origin, I am disgusted at these "holier than thou" muslim students/workers. This is absolutely insane! If they are unwilling to abide by their responsibilities as future medical practitioners they should be let go.

There are many more deserving students/workers "muslim or otherwise" who will gladly take their positions without any such insane pre-conditions.

Robin Khundkar, Los Angeles, USA / California

I think this is a very slippery slope, a doctor is tasked to heal everything and everyone. They better not let this slide or else other doctors may claim other reasons for not treating their patients and in the end the person that is supposed to be helped by the medical system is actually hurt by it .

Kevin .R, Toronto, Canada/Ontario

To a certain degree, I agree with Dr Simon from Israel. Being a muslim myself I find this totally absurd! There is nothing prohibiting a muslim doctor to treat the opposite sex in Islam. If body parts have to be uncovered then yes a female doctor or nurse is required to assist and vice-versa. With regards to selling of alcohol, yes there is a prohibition "on the selling of alcohol" but naturally if one is to follow logic-upon the aceptance of the job as checkout assistant and being made aware they will be touching alcohol they should ask to be relocated to another section of the store or better still resign.

I wont go as far as saying we are a treat to the civilized world. It is very easy to throw mud on others but you must bear in mind that you will not stay clean for long. Every religion in manner or form thinks it is supreme. It is unfortunate that in the last few years Islam and Muslims have been under the limelight for all the wrong reasons

Faiz Kayani, Glasgow, UK

get them off these courses and give them to people who don't have religious hang-ups about such matters. Alcoholism treatment is a key area for medical practitioners these days, and if they don't want trained in such matters wave them goodbye. I'd vote for any party any time if they have that policy.......and don't even THINK about giving me a racist label !!!

james Mackay, Motherwell, SCOTLAND

The problem with this Country ,that the Government has sold out, is that we are trying to mix races in much the same way as one could try mixing oil and water , it is not going to mix. The fact is that muslims have an entirely different culture to us and yet out Government insists on allowing hundreds of thousands of them in ,when in fact they despise us. Is it only myself that wishes we were back living in 1960 or 70 ??.
God knows why we joined Europe, that was the biggest mistake we made. Now we have not only muslims that hate us but also many criminals from Romania, Bulguria, Albania,Poland etc etc etc and we are strangers in our own Country.
Look at the USA who have just realised and stated that there are so many black people in jail that they fear the following years as there are not enough prisons places. I wonder whether our UK Government has realised that we have also a potentially huge problem in the large number of immigrants who are here. .It is time for Govt action.

Kenneth, Kempton, Bedfordshire

Faith is a personal matter, it must not be mixed with professional nor with scientific issues. A truly respectful, faithful individual must not impose his/her believes and affect other people's way of living. If someone's behaviour is threatening people, that is a criminal attitude and should be punished, no matter if a "religious belief" is claimed as excuse.

Omar López, Mexico City, Mexico

One of the fathers of medicine was Ibn Sina, a devout Muslim who whas also a very compasionate person. He certaily treated women (he used a perforated sheet to examine the part involved and not anithing else, as THOUSANDS of muslim doctors did in the past). And in one of his marvelous medical writings, he described symptoms of alcohol comsumption, and remedies for hangovers.
The reality here is that they are trying to prove a point, that their muslim extremist is much better than our christian beliefs. Great boys, go ahead and keep proving it. You certaily are doing a great job!

Tony Chavez, London, UK

If still students, they should be sent down and not allowed to take finals. It has been a great mistake to be so tolerant for so long of Muslim intolerance and bigotry.

Stu G, London,

I really hope that this is media 'hype'. It is NOT acceptable that Doctors in the UK pick and choose their patients for ANY reason. This opens the door for refusing treatment for any number of reasons.

John, Reading, Uk

I am an atheist but work for an organisation which gives grants to places of worship. If I were to refuse to deal with them I would be sacked. Treating someone for the effects of alcholism or a sexually transmitted disease is not the same as drinking or having sex outside marriage yourself. If someone's religious belief stops them practising the core requirments of their job, they should not do that job. The same applies to doctors with other religious beliefs who refuse to advise women on abortion.

emma, london, england

This radicalism which appears to be sweeping the country seems no more than a replacement for racism. Treating people differently because of the colour of their skin is no longer acceptable behaviour, thank god, so why replace it with a religious fascism. If students find issues in treating sick and ill people who come to them for help…the country still needs plumbers and engineers and they should be directed towards those professions and not ones where peoples lives hang in the balance.

Lyndon, London,

The UNITED KINGDOM is by and large a CHRISTIAN country,as a health care professional,we did not ask these people to train here, they chose to & if they don't like the way we train OUR doctors & nurses they can train elsewhere.

george, cheshire, U.K

According to that reasoning, medical personnel should not learn how to treat people who have been beaten up, stabbed, mugged, raped and a host of other maladies because religiously speaking people should not mug, steal, attempt murder, nor rape.

Mary, Santa Cruz, CA

I am a muslim and work as medical lab officer and when i worked in dubai or qatar we treated everyone regardless of their gender or creed. I think what we have here is a group of misguided people, a sensationalist newspaper article and the howls of angry people some who are genuinely angry and some who can't contain their anti muslim glee.

What's so sad is that majority of the people here seem to think these actions are acceptable by muslims as such. I have lived most of my life in muslim countries and this is the first time i have come across this lunancy

Yusuf, Sheffield,

It is becoming increasingly clear that the civilised (i.e non muslim) people of these island will have to refuse any
dealings with muslims and companies such as Sainsbury's
that pander to them.

John, LONDON,

These muslims do not understand that the Koran tells them to learn about the world, and it includes these things. Learning about alcohol is not the same as drinking alcohol.
These fanatics should not be given special treatment for this ridiculous interpretation of Islam. Only in heaven they will realize that they put words in the mouth of Allah, and that this is the worst Blasphemy.

Amir Almesri, Toronto, Canada

If Muslims are not willing to fully participate in the professional or work roles to which they have elected, then the government should not fund medical education for them nor should they be allowed to practice selectively. Either Muslims want to be part of the modern world and civil society or they shall remain in the regressive time period in which contemporary Islam is stuck.

James, San Francisco, California, USA

Fail them and get them out of the system now! Quit wasting resources teaching those who lack basic tolerance for others and who, by their own admission, are willing to put others at risk because of their own supposed "moral rectitude."

This is about youngsters politically trying to game the British system; it's not about the serious study of medicine by any serious student. To even suggest that the British medical authorities are giving these students' threats any serious consideration would be intolerable to the health and well-being of a nation.

At least, now we can identify those Muslim students who have the potential to be the next suicide bombers.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

As far as I am concerned these students have commited deliberate FRAUD. They were muslims when they started the the course and knew what was required of them if they passed the course.

The police should be informed as this action is premeditated and deprives other more deserving students from gaining places on these courses. At the least action should be taken to recover the cost of the courses.

Also make all student sign that they undertake to treat all without predjudice.

andy Page, London,

This is religious intolerance to the level of stupidity.
If examining female patients or studying about the effects of alcohol goes against your belief in your faith, then why study to be a pharmacist or a doc?
For the record, I'm a Muslim myself, and sadly, the act of a few intellectually challenged individuals grab the headlines, and paint the Muslims in a bad light (like we needed it).
I'm glad that some Islamic scholars have raised their objections to this kind of behavior by these Muslim docs-in-waiting/pharmacists.
I think Sainsbury's, as noble as their intention was, was wrong to provide these 'benefits' to Muslim employees.

Hifzur, Iowa, US

If a student doesn't complete the prescribed course of study, let them fail. The world needs ditch diggers too... no need to handle pork, alcohol or deal with women in that profession, unless the woman in question is your supervisor.

Jeff, San Francisco, CA, USA

I am a devoted practising Muslim.I am quiet competent in Islamic Law as well.I have to say these so called "Muslim Students" dont know anything about Islam in the first place.
Thay are just novices who are lost in the extreme heartless teachings of Radicals and Wahhabis. Islam is the religion of Love and Humanity.Muslim doctors were the first ones in the history before europeans to develop many new ways of operating and treating patients to the highest standarts of their time. Islam emphasizes the fact that to help someone to cure someone is a great way of acquiring Merits in ALLAH'S eye.
We must have love and affection towards all creation for the sake and love of the Creator, Allah Almighty". Muslim Doctors should be fountains of affection and love towards they are patients. Thay have no right to involve Islam in such a invalid excuse.Shame on them really. I pay for the they see the light and the truth. May Allah guiede us all , Amin.

Ottoman, london,

From the comments, it seems that our country is finally waking up to the realities of Islam.

We view these kinds of cases as just being overzealous extremists misunderstanding their religion, and perhaps that is the case. But it shows how far we've come in bending over backwards to accomodate these West-hating Islamic beliefs: that there is even a vague question about whether these students' beliefs should be tolerated.

The slide towards increasingly tolerating hypersensitive Islamic beliefs into everyday Britain has done us few favours. From the comments, it is clear that British people are fed up with having to tiptoe around Islamic beliefs that are clearly anti-West, divisive and oppressive.

Obviously it's cases like these that make the headlines but are there stories of Muslims zealously helping people, regardless of their beliefs? Of kindness, love, compassion towards non-muslims? Is that in Islam? If not, we need to wake up and 'smell the coffee'.

Toby, Beds, UK

For years this country has been tolerant and show respect
to people of other faiths. Perhaps is time for a rethink. In the context of these Islamic believers, they ought to consider moving to Pakistan, Indonessia or Muslim country where their belief will be embraced. There is no place for people of this kind in this country, particularly, in the NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, funded by the Public.

a person, lond,

Kate , Caversham, I am definitely not shopping at Sainsbury's again.

A nice piece of retaliation bargaining, go on then I'll join you.

S Boyne, Fairfax, UK

Joe Jones in Birmingham, it's the fault of liberal politicians because they have permitted this state of affairs to occur in wildly politically correct Britain by allowing Muslim immigrants to not assimilate into British society and to live apart from it. They are afraid of being viewed as intolerant and as a result have played right into the hands of the extremists.
Whether your statement about the religious right in the U.S. is true is irrelevant, the two things have nothing to do with one another.

J, Brisbane, Australia

The pandering to Muslims must stop. They need to keep their religion to themselves. The more society makes allowances for them the more they will ask for.

Steven, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Caveat to brewers' draymen - Don't crash near a hospital with a Moslim fundamentalist doctor on A & E.

gwilym rhys-jones, costa del sol, spain

So acording to these fanatics and their Koran, Allah is all merciful, all compassionate. So much for the words of this book of ancient fiction when they discriminate against people.whose lifestyles they disagree with or women. I have never come across a teaching so vindictive, bigoted and rooted in superstition as Islam and these students,doctors and pharmacists who bring this bigotry into the workplace should be told that they either comply with the secular laws of this country or find work elsewhere.

simon , Watford, Herts

This is a case of Muslims "pushing the bounderies". I do not accept for one minute it is anti-islamic to treat opposite sexes or "sin-related" conditions. In Pakistan & Iran, for example, these practices do not exist - you are a practicioner so you practice!
No, this is more sinister - this is political & radical - a small group of self-styled Islamists seeing what they can get away with - once it's accepted it's law - a drip-drip plot. We must tell them, as we did with the idiot schoolgirl who refused to school without her veil, where to get off - be that the benefit office or the port makes no odds to me!

David Hiscoke, Lincoln, UK

They should not be allowed to continue medical duties, i qualfied from Medical School this Summer, I am Hindu and am strongly against Terminations of Pregancy. However the curriculum required me to turn up, so every thursday I scrubbed in to help my gynaecologist with this.

Decleration of Geneva, Hippocratic Oath, GMC, all suggest the patient comes first, you as the clinician come second... do these musims consider themselves to be over and beyond our own bible (or Koran) of medicine???

I take pity on these medical students and their attitudes, anything to get their name in the press, my best friends are muslim, when i met them on the wards today, they were appauled at what this society is transformaing into.

GMC - WAKE UP!!! All clinicians have personal beliefs, do NOT make exceptions for a select few.

If you must, then rewrite the Oath, call it the "Decleration of Medina"

R S, Leicester, UK

This is absolutely ridiculous. It is anti-Islamic to learn...it is against the faith to wallow in ignorance, which is what these abstainors seem to be doing. In the US, we are trying rather hard to not come off as cavemen but these individuals are taking the image back into the Stone Age.

Za, New York,

Can I ask where the Commision for Racial Equality is please?
If this was a white anglo saxon who was saying this no doupt they would haul them into court and pillory them as racial bigots, my, I can't hear a word perhaps they are content to leave well alone considering it involves "one of them".

steve, Birmingham, GREAT Britain

What a load of rubbish, if the people commenting here have any intelligence they will realise that this article concentrates on publicising a tiny number of muslim students who have warped beliefs on what their religion prescribes.

Why even bother writing it? is this yet another attack on muslims by media? I mean when is it going to stop? is it not enough that you have the world believe we are all terrorist killers?

Ask yorself how many muslims practice medicine as doctors and other healthcare professionals in the UK quantify them, and think of how they treat everyone regradless of race, gender, illness. There are thousands.

I can not understand why an article was written on such a small group of extremists who in my opinion shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine unless they change their views.

Being a good muslim is all about being a humanitarian and not judging people, these medical students clearly aren't good at either and need guidance.

Irfan Hussain, London, UK

buy a condom, before i could, now i cannot, why, because of some sainsbury's employee's personal belief, i will either call his superior and see if he or she can sell me the condom or buy somewhere else right?

andy , dublin,

I am glad i am not the only one who feels their blood pressure rising at the thought of britain again bending over backwards to accomodate these social misfits. we would not have these rights in their countries so why do we offer them choices here. anyone not willing to comply should be sent home so we can start to get the country back on its feet.

danny, dover, britain

Can i just point out we don't use the hippocratic oath any more.
Its been out of date for many yars.
We take the oath of Geneva now, any we don't do that until we graduate.

However we get it drilled into us to look at the patient as a person, blinded to colour, race, creed or sexuality.
To do otherwise is to fail the basic ethical test of being a medic. To be fair i know several very religious students at medical (of various religions) and have never seen it affect thier work.
The problem here must be with a very small number of students who should be up for Fitness To Practice (FTP) to decide if they can be carry on.
Don't get too worried though i work with many muslim medical students and i see no difference in thier actions to my own, they use alcohol gel, examine female patients, ask all about alcohol on history etc.
Basically if you get treated by a medic your more almost 100% likely to get treated by one who treats you as they would anyone else.

Damian, leamington spa, England

Please please please, don't let the Muslim madness infect our culture any more. If you can't perform under well established and sensible European rules, get out of Europe and go do your thing elsewhere. What's so difficult about that? See how you like living in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan! Please stop the Islam getting any more foothold and have their backward ways set us back centuries.

Joe Quadrofolio, Amsterdam, Holland

i think its a disgrace that people want to use religion as an excuse to be racist and sexist etc. What kind of country is this becoming.

As a doctor you should put aside your own personal view and look after the interests of your patient. So basically if you are a student doctor and feel you are incapable of treating women then you are not an appropriate person to be a doctor.

As for the pill i think sainsburys actions in allowing this is frankly disgusting, if a woman needs the morning after pill she should be entitled to it. if sainsburys want to stop selling it at all stores then that is fine, but to choose when to do it or not based on the ethnicity of the pharmacist is infact racism itself. I believe this pharmacist falls into the same bracket as the med student where they obviously are not fit to provide impartial medical advice to the public

michael, newcastle,

From the constitution of the Muslim Doctors and Dentists Association UK:

2.1.1. To advance the Islamic religion in the practice of medicine in the United Kingdom.

and

2.1.4 To promote the preservation and protection of the good health of Muslims in the United Kingdom.


http://www.mdda.org.uk/web/constitution.php


All islam, all the time.

Everyone else, too bad.

Is this going to be our future?

S, StopThemNow, US

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Andrew Goloskof, Tewkesbury, Glos.

Whatever! I, for one, refuse to be touched by a Muslim doctor, or dentist; because, obviously, who among them can be trusted to behave in a professional manner. Ditto any Muslim professional - I will NOT do business with them; frankly, they are the only ethnic group I truly worry about!

If they cannot adjust their behaviour to the principles of European culture, then they must be driven out - Sarkozy is on the right track!

Victor, Nanaimo, BC

It is all crap ... they r just demeaning Islam when they behave like this cause Islam forbids practicing it not learning it!!! there is a difference... There are a bunch of people who misinterprets Koran and think they know it all and spread it while running baseless Islamic groups brainwashing innocent Muslims.

Simi, Montreal,

Very interesting comments by readers. But how come no body reacts when a huge number of Doctors- Anesthetists and Gyneycologists - refuse to take part in "medical termination of pregnancy" not on pro-life or moral grounds but on "religious" grounds. Should they be forced to do it or shall we let double standards prevail?

Tughlaq, Bristol,

The worst part of this latest sorry episode is 'Why do we have to depend on such people to carry out our 'Caring' services'.

You would think that those who believe that their own intolerance is more important than the well-being of those they serve would surley be more comfortable working in a country where the religion and laws of the land are inseparable.

Knowing the curriculum of the training course, if they refuse to complete the entire course, kick them out, present them with a bill for training received, and the 'powers that be' ensure in future that they more carefully select its applicants. The added benefit would be to the poor people of the countries where those individuals or their parents emanated from (the needs of those poor people, whose needs are far more dire than ours, should take precedence over us...

M Luchag, New Town, UK

"At a Sainsbury’s store in Nottingham, a pharmacist named Ahmed declined to provide the [morning-after] pill to a female reporter posing as a customer."

If you are going to complain about medical students wanting to renege on their Hippocratic responsibilities as healers, you cannot also condemn them for not wanting to sell abortifacients - unless you just want doctors and pharmacists to dance like bears.

Kevin, London,

If it's illegal to discriminate against someone because of their religion, regardless of how reactionary and offensive that belief is, it should also be illegal to give any special treatment to a person because of their religion.

As an atheist, I find it bizarre that someone can be let off certain duties, be given time to pray, etcetera, just because they believe in some pre-medieval nonsense.

Steven W, Lancaster, UK

It used to be that Islam encouraged tolerance and education. It is unfortunate that a few seem to interpret the teaching of their religion so that it is very narrow and very intolerant. I am equally disturbed by Christian fundamentalists trying to force biologists to stop teaching the theory of evolution.

If your religion forbids you to do certain things, eg prescribe the morning after pill, then you should not be a pharmacist or a GP in Britain. There are, after all, plenty of alternatives jobs you can do.

You have the right to campaign for changes through politics, but you do not have the right to impose your views on the majority.

Equally you do not have the right to claim you are a victim, because you challenge the system.

I would however ask people who feel aggrieved to read the history of Islam, particularly of places like Islamic Cordoba around 900 AD, which was a great centre of tolerant learning for Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Paul Odtaa, Richmond, UK

I am fed up hearing about what people of the "Muslim" faith will and won't do. I get the distinct feeling I am being morally judged at every turn by the "superior" Islamic faith. Every time I talk to a "Muslim" about my beliefs and relate them through Islam they judge me and look at me with silent scorn. But to be honest the nations of Islam and the practices carried out in these countries are amongst the most abhorrent in the world. The Koran may be a good book but out of the one billion Muslims in the world there are precious few I would aspire to be like. This conceited sense of superiority is just that contemptible conceit and it should be treated as such, throw them out of medical school at the first sign of such behaviour to show that it is completely unacceptable to treat your adopted society in such a contemptible manner.

Chris MacInnes, Glasgow, Scotland

Is the world going mad!?!?!?!?!?!? Where will it stop . . . . .

Bal Jaj, Reading, England

I see two issues here. First, the individual is not selling the product, the company is within the law of the UK. If they have a personal conflict then they have a choice to work for these companies. Second, doctors cannot be selective on whom they choose to treat, I suggest if their convictions are so strong they study and pratice in the countries that support such an approach, it has no home in the UK.

Mark , London, England

Your in higher education for a reason and chosing to pot out of doing somthing cause of religion is by far rediculas.
If everyone in the world used religion to opt out of stuff then we would be living in a world where nothing would ever get done.

Its stupid that people are allowed to use religion just to be lazy.

matthew, sheffield, south yorshire

Training doctors who refuse to complete their studies should be thrown off the course - regardless of race, religion, etc.

Also, Pam has a very short-sighted view - she is missing the point entirely. Does she know, I wonder, how many women die each year due to DIY or backstreet abortions the world over? That's the problem with ideology - it ignores the real world entirely...

susan, devizes,

I so agree with Mark - for goodness sake what is happening to the world we live in. Basically they are training to be Doctors, to help save lives not just those lives that suit them. I beleive in living in harmony and have no prejuidices, I enjoy working and living amongst people from all cultures.

What concerns me is that if this is the new "fad", does it mean that there are already Doctors within the system which could start having this view,? Are they going to stop giving care to people who have sexual transmitted disease or are abusers of drugs / alcohol?

I would like answers by anyone who has trained as a Dr in a muslim country is - do you not cover these topics in your curriculum?

Sy, Penarth, South Wales

'Think of it: Holy Qur'an says that alcohol has some beneficial properties but the harms exceedes the benefits. And my silly collegue (I am also a muslim physician) refuses to learn anything about it. Can we be more religious than our religious book? It's the same for sexually transmitted diseases. You may not approve or practice it, but on which source you found any prohibition to save a person who ever had commited a sin?
For the opposite sex issue, Islamic law has approved to be examined by a doctor from the oposite sex in certain conditions. It must be not more than the needed, briefly. All those things must be inquired from competent ones.
"Every other day that I log on to the Times Online, there seems to be a different story about some Muslims having ridiculous demands. " maybe that's the answer. In many European countries, demands of different religions has to be confirmed by that religion's scholars as whether they are truly religious. Not the mediatic escalation of hatred!

selcuk, ıstanbul, Turkey

Health professionals in all disciplines have a duty to treat everyone, whether we like it or not - and that includes rapists, murderers and paedophiles.

Any medical student who behaves like those descrbed won't qualify, and any doctor who refuses to treat a patient on spurious grounds has to be prepared to take the consequences - being struck off.

The sad thing is that the attitudes of the few tarnishes the reputation of the many hard-working, caring Muslim doctors who help keep the NHS running.

Dr A Neary, Leicester, UK

So lets say, hypathetically that a young white british female has be raped by a known drug user and alcoholic, known to the services to have STD's is admitted to her local A+E.

A male muslim doctor now refuses to treat her because she is firstly female, smelling of drink has been alerted she may have a STD and requires the morning after pill due to her forced sexual predators actions, now your going to tell me that after all this she has to ask for another doctor for any chance of being fairly treated.

This country sickens me, get a life but as said it's the press that glamorises and adds the fuel to many incidents by it's un warranted high profile journalism.

K. Weddell, Edinburgh, UK

As one who partially traces his lineage back to your fair isles, I find this growing trend in the UK very disturbing. Obviously Muslim doctors do not operate under the Hippocratic Oath, an idea borne from Western thought that all life, whether it is male or female, either suffering from alcoholism or drug abuse, is sacred and confirms yet again that Islam is wholly incompatible with Western culture.

Lee Johnson, Atlanta, GA

Weng-Chung Lee, London. That drs after qualification may choose to specialise in an area that does not conflict with their beliefs is reasonable, but here we are talking about training. A doctor has to have a reasonable chance of spotting a particular condition even if it is not s/he who ends up treating it. Opting out or core elements of the curriculum is just not on. As for those who say that we shouldn't give the oxygen of publicity to a fanatic minority, I disagree. Sainsbury's, Boots etc probably gave in to these riduculous demands because they feared being subject to the condemnation of the PC brigade. Only if sufficient numbers of right thinking people shout loudly ENOUGH is ENOUGH and demand that freedom of the indiviudual (of which we are rightly proud in the UK) is balanced with the need to conform to certain core social norms can we expect a reasonable level of community harmony.

Bev, Oxford, UK

HIS IS JUST THE START.

Minority appeasement is the concept which applies here. This is the worst concept of all as a minority is pampered and satisfied at the expense of the Majority. I myself am a Britiish Indian which makes me a minority and do not believe in appeasement policy neither in the UK and especially in India (where it is practiced by Pseudo secular politicians).

Is this a joke? Cant handle Alcohol.

Sikh's are permitted to carry a knife on their person as permitted by their religion (to defend themselves from Islamic jihadists in India who tried to convert the Whole country). BUT NOT one SIKH IN THE World CARRYS ONE IN THE 21ST CENTURY BECAUSE WHAT APPLIED THEN DOES NOT APPLY NOW, BUT THE way things are going it soon will.

IF THE JOB CONFLICTS WITH RELIGION LEAVE!!

Jai, Mumbai, India

Is this SERIOUS?

These Muslims who make such demands at their jobs are in fact the Middle class 'Moderate' Muslims to be honest. If this is the mentallity of the Moderates, then the UK is in trouble within the next decade.

If this is the minds Educated Middle class moderate Muslim doctors then how will it be possible for UK to act against Islamist RADICALS who are the LOUD minority. It's not possible. When there was a demonstation against the war on terror in London thousands of Muslims came to PROTEST.

But where is the PROTEST against Islamic terrorists who commit acts of terror on the UK soil? If they do not condem it by ACTIONS, not cheap words, then they are Condoning it, whilst they sit at hoime on their armchair. Maybe it's because the moderates support the terorrist attcaks as it furthers there cause .

IF job CONFLICT WITH YOU RELIGION LEAVE IT OR DONT APPLY FOR THE POSITION.

LAWS OF THE UK LAND should not be changed TO ACCOMMODATE Religion.