This is what the famous Associated Press is pumping out to newspapers around the world about us. This was written by Ben McConville and has already appeared in the Washington Post.
“The majority of the 18,000 islanders strictly adhere to the books of Genesis and Exodus from the Old Testament, in which God declared the seventh day reserved for rest and worship. So after church services, they don’t use electricity, play games, shop or even hang out laundry to dry.”
9 responses so far ↓
asgerd // July 19, 2009 at 2:27 pm
And also in the Independent, and in hundreds of regional papers around the US.
asgerd // July 19, 2009 at 9:28 pm
And it appears that Ben McConville is a former foreign editor at the Scotsman and lecturer in journalism at Abertay. Which means he has no earthly excuse for peddling this kind of rubbish. A search turns up his email address on Electric Scotland; I’ve written to him.
Donald // July 19, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I’ve written to Oliver Wright at the Independent.
Email – [email protected] You are invited/urged/ prompted to deluge him with complaints – providing you’ve got electricity, of course.
asgerd // July 20, 2009 at 10:00 am
got a response from OW – it’s not actually him as it’s the ed of I0S we should be writing too, but anyway he’s passing it on.
Donald // July 20, 2009 at 10:12 am
Instead, it’s John Mullin at the IoS who has actually less excuse for printing this twaddle.
Knew him at Glasgow University.
Iain // July 20, 2009 at 10:16 am
Thank you, guys.
thecroft // July 20, 2009 at 11:13 am
Have written also. Been an Indy reader for 15 years too. Embarrassingly poor journalism.
calum // July 20, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Why not write to the religious fanatics involved for portraying the islands as a place where progress comes with strings attached and many still adhere to outdated , illogical and discredited middle-Eastern texts.
Like it or not, many people, even in Scotland are ignorant of the wider world.
asgerd // July 20, 2009 at 3:55 pm
It’s in the Guardian too.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8614662