Multi-culturalism has reached new heights in the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham. Both councils require all state schools under their control to close, not just for Easter and Christmas, but also for the Muslim religious holiday of Eid-Ul-Fitr, the Hindu celebration of Diwali, and the Sikh commemoration of the birthday of Guru Nanak, the religion’s founder.
Telegraph
Multi-culturalism has reached new heights in the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham. Both councils require all state schools under their control to close, not just for Easter and Christmas, but also for the Muslim religious holiday of Eid-Ul-Fitr, the Hindu celebration of Diwali, and the Sikh commemoration of the birthday of Guru Nanak, the religion’s founder.
Britain is still, at least nominally, a Christian country, so forcing state schools to close for non-Christian holidays is bound to be a controversial practice anywhere in the UK – but perhaps one that makes sense in communities where an overwhelming majority of the school children are being raised in the same, non-Christian religion.
What is odd about Waltham Forest and Newham councils’ policy of closing all their schools for Muslim, Hindu and Sikh holidays is that each of these religions is a distinctly minority commitment in the borough: only 0.6 per cent of Waltham Forest’s population is Sikh, for example. There are significantly more children of Jewish descent: but does the council require its schools to close for Jewish religious holidays? It does not.
It is extremely doubtful whether the policy does anything to foster “understanding” of other religions: it is more likely simply to create resentment – both from parents who are not religious, and from those who are deeply attached to one particular religion which they regard as the only true one.
Walthamstow says it is to “review” which holidays it is “most appropriate” to force children to celebrate by closing state schools. We hope that review will lead to a change of heart, and to the recognition that, when a council tries to endorse several religions at once by shutting schools to mark their different and incompatible celebrations, it ends up looking ridiculous.
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Row over school closures for Muslim, Hindu and Sikh holidays
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