CAIRO – The British opposition is accusing the Labour government of pursuing a state-sponsored attack to undermine the role of religion in society, warning that such policies put social and moral norms at stake, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday, October 6. “It’s an agenda driven by the political elite, who have hijacked the pursuit of equality by demanding a dumping down of faith," Baroness Sayeeda Warasi, the shadow community cohesion minister, said in a speech to the Conservative Party conference.
Warasi, a Muslim, cited several recent examples where people were being punished for adhering to their religious, particularly Christian, beliefs.
“We’ve all seen the stories, how appalling that in Labour’s Britain a community nurse can be suspended for offering to pray for a patient’s good health," she lamented.
“How awful that a school receptionist could face disciplinary action for sending an email to her friends simply asking them to pray for her daughter," added the opposition leader, citing another example.
A British tribunal earlier this week ordered Greater Manchester Police to pay £10,000 in damages to Sikh Police Constable Gurmeal Singh for discrimination over orders to remove his turban during a riot training last year.
“At the heart of these cases lies a growing intolerance and illiberal attitude towards those who believe in God,” Warasi insisted.
According to the CIA fact book, Christians constitute 71.6 percent of Britain’s population, Muslim 2.7, Hindu 1, other 1.6 and unspecified or none 23.1 percent.
Wrong-headed
Baroness Warasi defended the importance of religion in people’s life.
“For many their faith brings them closer to their neighbor, it’s the driver for their voluntary work, the basis of their social action," she explained.
“And for many, faith is the basis for some of the best schools in our country.”
The opposition leader insisted that the importance of religion applies to the followers of all faiths.
“As a British born Muslim, I believe that my faith makes me a better person.
“I disagree with those who believe that in the present climate, to say one is a Muslim is more a political act than simply a matter of faith."
Baroness Warasi also took a sweep at what she described as the government’s failed policy of multiculturalism.
“State multiculturalism is not integration, is not unifying and is not the British way," she said.
“For me, state multiculturalism, as I like to define it, is forcing Britain’s diverse communities to still define themselves as different, patronizingly special and tempting them to compete against each other for public funds."
She said this, in turn, fans intolerance and extremism.
“They have a simple, yet dangerous goal – to drive a wedge, to spread hatred and to sow the seeds of division.”
Source: IslamOnline
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