National Secular Society
Religious bullies are on a roll. It’s time we all stood up to them
Posted: Thu, 25 Jan 2018 13:05 by Stephen Evans
Amid a series of concessions to religious
hardliners, Stephen Evans says those brave enough to resist their
demands need much more support.
No sooner had Sara Khan been appointed the new Commissioner for Countering Extremism than the reactionaries were howling their disapproval.
Baroness Warsi played the role of ringleader of the tormentors.
Accusing Khan of being a "mouthpiece of Home Office", she divisively
peddled the corrosive grievance narrative that has driven such a deep a
wedge between many British Muslims and the state.
Khan
has made clear her willingness to engage with anyone interested in
building a Britain that defends diversity without sacrificing our shared
values, fundamental freedoms and human rights. Those unwilling to
engage are likely to be part of the problem, not the solution.
But religious hardliners have every right to feel emboldened just now. They're on a roll.
Take
the case of St Stephen's school in Newham. When the leaders of this
primary school called on the government to take a firm stand on hijabs
and fasting among young Muslim children in classrooms it faced a tsunami
of pressure to recant. Within days its policy of prohibiting the hijab
for girls under eight was reversed and its chair of governors resigned,
fearing for the safety of the school's staff. Community 'leaders',
driven on by Islamists masquerading as civil libertarians, are now
agitating for school's head to go. Never mind that this school has
delivered outstanding outcomes for its students. The message is clear;
dare to stand up to fundamentalism and we'll come for you.
Then consider the case of Mary Hassell, the London coroner facing furious calls for her dismissal
for failing to "adequately respect" Jewish and Muslim burial
preferences. Some Jews and Muslims believe the dead should be buried as
soon as possible, preferably on the day of death. But when a death is
referred to the coroner, that obviously complicates matters.
If
a family's wish for an expedited service can be granted without
disadvantaging anybody else, or creating an unreasonable burden on the
state, then fine. But Ms Hassell has argued that repeated calls and
emails demanding preferential treatment has made her officers feel
bullied and persecuted, and that other important work has been delayed
as a result. She now faces disciplinary action for not meeting the
demands of religious communities by upholding the principle of equal
treatment for all people in her jurisdiction.
As religious groups have demanded her removal, the mayor of London, Labour and Conservative MPs and the mayor of Tower Hamlets
have lined up to condemn her. A justice minister said he recognised
that "there are some sensitivities around this issue" and he would be
willing to meet "representatives" to discuss it.
A
coroner is a judicial office holder, appointed by a local council to
deliver a public service. Why should any group of people have the right
to demand to be prioritised over others? The idea that religion is a
trump card that automatically exempts you from the rules and procedures
that everyone else follows is dangerous.
But
relentless religious bullying has weakened our resolve and so many
people now seem to buy into the idea that as a society we must tiptoe
around religious sensitivities and accommodate religious preferences.
The
slaughter of animals without prior stunning is an unnecessarily cruel
practice that would be unlawful if not for a religious exemption from
animal welfare laws. But the religious bullies scored another victory
this week when councillors in Lancashire backtracked
on their democratic decision to stop supplying un-stunned meat to its
schools following a furious backlash from the Lancashire Council of
Mosques. Never mind that around 80% of halal meat in the UK is
pre-stunned and is acceptable to many Muslims. Beaten into submission by
the hysterical reaction whipped up by reactionary clerics, the Council
took the path of least resistance and caved in.
Every
victory emboldens the religious fanatics who don't know the meaning of
compromise and insist everything must be on their terms.
So
emboldened are they, that Jewish Orthodox representatives marched into
the Department for Education this week and told the schools minister
there will be "no compromise" with requirements to teach children about gender and sexuality.
You
might have expected the Government to put a word in for the children.
Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the UK is a
signatory, governments have a responsibility to take all available
measures to make sure children's rights are respected, protected and
fulfilled. This includes the "freedom to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas of all kinds".
But according to
reports the minister responsible for faith schools "appeared very
sympathetic to the concerns expressed" and "agreed that it made no sense
to expect Orthodox schools to teach concepts totally beyond the
comprehension of children raised in a protected religious environment,
without access to social media".
This is incredible,
if true. An education minister siding with religious fundamentalists at
children's expense. But it wouldn't be the first time. When the National
Secular Society exposed the practice of a Jewish school censoring references to human reproduction and evolution
on exam papers, the then education minister Liz Truss respected "their
need to do this in view of their religious beliefs". Years of inaction
over unregistered and illegal faith schools highlights the reluctance to
protect children's rights in fear of upsetting religious hardliners.
Right
across the world, principles of secularism are under threat like never
before. The UK is not immune. We all have a duty to defend freedom and
fairness from the religious fanatics that know nothing of compromise and
tolerance.
Too often, those brave enough to put
their head above the parapet are left isolated and exposed. Abandoned by
those unprepared to stand up to oppression when it masquerades as
religion. This has to change.
It isn't about "leading
a state offensive on religious freedom" as the fundamentalists claim.
Secularism is a fierce and principled defender of religious liberty.
Secularism is rightly recognised as an important principle by moderates
of all faiths and none. This is about ensuring religion isn't allowed to
run amok in the public realm, demand special treatment and act as if
superior to the law of the land.
Secularism needs a
Spartacus moment. As the late Christopher Hitchens put it: "Sincere
believers have a common interest with unbelievers in resisting all forms
of clerical and sectarian bullying". Appeasing fanatics will only store
up more trouble for the future. It will not buy you a quiet life.
Bullies need to be confronted, not placated.
