The next stage in the multicultural project: schools are forced to close for Eid and Diwali

You said, it Father Ed. The logical outcome of this madness is that we all choose half-a-dozen days to celebrate (so I could take Christmas, Easter, some birthdays, St George’s Day, Trafalgar Day and the anniversary of Peter Mandelson being hit by a bowl of custard); then at any given time some of the class, and possibly the teacher, would be absent, so we would have complete anarchy. This would formalize the fact that, at least until age 13 or so, schools do very little that is useful and it is the parents who are effectively educating the kids.

“Black and white parents will now have to take time off work during these festivals to look after their kids, ”

Ooooh dear, my heart bleeds !! Why don’t you write a blog about it ??

“Ooooh dear, my heart bleeds !!”

We can only hope.

Secular atheists, eh?

You say “first they make Christianity “just another religion”, and when this creates greater sectarianism, and more outlandish demands from fringe religious groups, as it inevitably does, it simply confirms the widespread thinking that “religion destroys everything” by creating divisions in society. Their aim is to rid society of religion by turning the population against it – but instead they’ll turn the population against each other.”

What utter, unbelievable crap. Do they Telegraph pay you to write this garbage?

First, their are many, many secularists who are also believers. You conflate secularism with atheism – it’s you who are being sectarian, Ed, with this constant error. And what of these believing secularists – are they also being sectarian? How is it being sectarian to seek neutrality of Government in dealing with religion in britain?

Second, secularists merely want to remove religious privilege, not religion itself – as you well know, yet you and others, like Pitcher and Thompson, always state the opposite. You can believe what you like, mate, but it doesn’t confer on you – whthether catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Sunni, Shia or Jedi – the right to enforce those beliefs on the rest of society, whether thru discriminatory schools, special holidays, special tax treatment, whatever.

Third, you say “more outlandish demands from fringe religious groups”. That statement in itself is sectarian. Who is to say what is a fringe group and what is a mainstream group? Who judges on which religion is worthy of special treatment and which isn’t? Have you look at “mainstream” religion recently and just counted the varied and conflicting outlandish demands made by ‘fringe’ groups within them? Isn’t Anglicanism now just a collection of fringe groups with asorted demands and threats of schism?

Aside from agreeing with you on this religious holiday garbage, you need to do some serious homework on what secularism is and why it will lead to a much fairer society than what we have at present, which has religious groups of all shades demanding more and more special privileges from this craven Government, just because this government believes religion is “a good thing” and so everyone must have it forced upon them.

The emphasis on political correctness and the foisting of multi culture has left a whole lot of people feeling aggrieved. In theory and in an ideal world it is a fine concept,but in practice it has not worked.
Having separate schools and lives has driven communities apart. The indigenous people are scared to say anything,and that is waht has given rise to tension and the BNP.
It is not muti culturism but it has become mono culturism,and it is not going down well.

What a suffocating vile little toilet of a country this is fast turning into. I’m struggling to remember why I still care at times. What on earth does the future hold with such a fragmented mess.

SabinaA The indigenous people are scared to say anything,and that is waht has given rise to tension and the BNP.

Excuse me but it is the indigenous people OF the BNP who ARE speaking up. Say what you like about them but they’ve done a fantastic job of bringing a lot of this out into the open.

By all means celebrate Eid, Diwali, Guru Manak’s birthday, Halloween, to give the witches a look in, Halie Sellasie’s birthday should not be forgotten, an excuse for Rastafarians to smoke marijuana and blow the smoke in the head’s face. When it comes to Christmas however, the politically correct fools that run our schools find it offensive to hang decorations.
Words fail me, go back 50 years, when children left school both literate and numerate, and nobody would have believed that this would be the result of unrestrained immigration.

Make UK a christian country .Problem solved.No holidays for non christian festivals.No worries for whites/blacks.

>>>Im a secular Christian.

Crap

Is there a way to remove all of Dumb Dumb’s ridiculous posts to a central repository by default so that the rest of us can see the considered opinions of everyone else ?

He seems genetically incapable of taking a position other than contrary to the sane one, and lends gravitas to his preposterousness with copious exclamation and question marks.

On his own he presents a fine example of why this country is in the mess it is.

James (1)
I tend to agree with you. It would appear that distasteful as the election of a large number of B.N.P candidates in the next elect maybe,that may be the only answer to the problem. I have, in the last four years lost any interest in visiting the U.K. All I can feel is sorrow and pity for a country that has a population that allows their traditions and freedom to be destroyed.

Another small step in the de-christianisation, and destruction of your British civilisation as we all know it. One tiny, stealthy step at a time, and it’s all happening under your noses. You appear to be powerless or unwilling to challenge it. A bit like the Global Warming spell you are all under. Your country and ways of life are slowly disappearing and being sold down the river to the highest bidders by a nasty, socialist group of greedy, lying, selfish individuals calling themselves a government, who have their own agendas in mind rather than yours. Only YOU can stop it. Save yourselves, because nobody else will….

Good post. I disagree wholeheartedly with James of course.
Then I read that you are a “Secular Christian”. What on earth is that?

oimashirker: “On his own he presents a fine example of why this country is in the mess it is.”

And are you not capable of forming an opinion of your own or did I miss your considered opinion on this silly blog amongst the millions of other considered opinions ???

This is an Ed ‘my mother is Irish’ West blog for goodness sake. It does not require a degree to have a considered opinion of rubbish !!

Ed, why are you bothering with this tortuous analysis?

Quite clearly, these oafs on the respective councils are unfit for purpose and should be sacked or, better still, imprisoned for abuse of authority.

I spent my childhood in what has ludicrously become known as ‘Waltham Forest’. It is deeply depressing that the area is now ruled by total buffoons; an area which once was a classic working class part of London and brim-full of good old common-sense.

To say I despise these berks is a massive understatement. This is yet another example of the collapse of Britain as we knew it. God help us all!

Forget the multi cultural, give in to the minority, make them the majority voice attitudes, this is a Christian society despite how many immigrants they have allowed ( and paid) to breed over here and water down our values. School holidays are based on English / Christian holidays, if they don’t like it they should go back to their roots and change their own country not ours. Is it only me that sees a connection between increased multiculltural integration and falling standards, loss of respect and a benefits dependant society? Wake Up England.

To what extent? I have to ask myself. Abortion up to birth for example? Or perhaps legalised bigamy? Is there a limit for this secular state?

Ed, where does your theory fit for a person that believes in a God but thinks that all mankinds religions are rubbish.

Bumb Dee Dumb.
Wise words“goodness sake. It does not require a degree to have a considered opinion of rubbish !!”

Probably 95% of the people who read these blogs don’t have a degree, but they will totally agree. Your submissions are utter rubbish.

My birthday is January 4th – if any local authority would like to observe it as a holiday please feel free.

geoffthereff

You would fit in with a large majority of people.

It is called ‘Freedom’ I was brought up an Anglican., while I support the church I question a large number of their views. The one thing I know is I was given the freedom by (God what ever name you wish to use) to think for my self. I have expressed my views , for what they are worth, to the Minister, And surprise surprise I’m not condemned and I’m still alive!!!!
Yep. We are allowed to make our own mistakes

I think the Scots already do, junkmale. It’s rare that the Hogmanay booze-up ends before Epiphany.

Joseph Smith’s birthday, got to be some Mormons in the area.
Also what about us Druid’s and in the name of freedom of religion I suggest the burning of all unruly pupils and dumbass councilors and head teachers in a giant wicker man Dec 21st.

Ed this is a good blog but when you ask your rhetorical question, “Why can’t Catholics get St Patrick’s or St Casimir Day?” there is an unrhetorical answer: “Catholics can have these days off but the bishops no longer ask.” When I was a boy, most Church of England Schools took a week’s half term for Whitsuntide and too off Ascension Day. The Catholic schools all took all the holydays of Obligation. Now the Catholic bishops have ratted on most of the holydays and don’t take them during the week. Of the few that remain, most Catholic schools don’t bother to take them as holidays, though the governors are committing sin by not taking them since they are compelling employees – cleaners and kitchen staff – to do servile work on a day of obligation. What a joke it will be in Newham: the Catholic schools will be on holiday for Eid, Diwali and Guru Nanak’s birthday, but not for Ss Peter and Paul, or All Saints. What will His Lordship the Bishop of Brentwood, a big ecumenist, as we are told in the latest edition of the admirable CHRISTIAN ORDER, make of that?

I am a great admirer of the Nazis – it’s the uniforms, dear – so can we have April 20th as a public holiday, please ?

I am a great admirer of the Nazis – it’s the uniforms, dear – so can we have April 20th as a public holiday, please ?

In the Nazi plans for post-invasion Britain *they* were going to let us keep our existing holidays and traditions.

You know things aren’t working for the best, don’t you, when your local council is more anti-English than the Nazis….

Good point, Frank.

” the cultural drive is largely created by secular atheists whose main wish is to undermine Christianity.”

“the cultural drive” is that like the “multicultural drivel” but with noel?

One hopes that these local authorities celebrate April 1st – All Fools Day – it is very appropriate for them.

Mr West,

I agree with you that this plan is preposterous, but I don’t think you have answered James’s points about secularism and atheism. If I may quote you to yourself, you wrote:

‘But some atheists follow a sort of extreme secularism that wants to banish almost any mention of religion from society. That simply means some alternative moral system crops up instead – whether it’s socialism or Islam or something else. No society can function without some sort of cultural norm.’

If this extreme secularism were to be successful, how would Islam crop up as the alternative moral system? ‘Mention’ of that in public life would be just as illegal as mention of Christianity. Unless of course you are arguing that this extreme secularism is just an instrument to destroy Christianity and make us all Muslims, or socialists, or whatever. If so, then isn’t it possible that our consciences – which you admit are not necessarily god-given – might become the basis of morality (which are they are now anyway, in my view)? Isn’t that more likely – that we would all live our lives as we are now and not dash out and become socialists because we don’t know right from wrong anymore? I don’t require daily refreshers from any church to know that.

Ed wrote..”Britain no longer has a “race problem”. What it has is a sectarian problem.”
————

Ed,
A ‘race problem’ IS a sectarian problem.
-
Sammie

“Another reason to abolish all of London’s local councils and make all schools independent of them…”

Its actually another reason to halt the mass immigration into the UK, deport all illegal immigrants and asylum seekers and return this land back to its Western values and lifestyle.

Or maybe all school holidays based on religious celebrations should be stopped, this way we please the jehovas witnesses and atheists, or dont they matter as long as we please the ‘asian’ population.

Its actually another reason to halt the mass immigration into the UK, deport all illegal immigrants and asylum seekers and return this land back to its Western values and lifestyle

Don’t forget the icing on the cake, whoever’s left after the initial cull either fully integrates or they can f*** off too. Then we seal the borders.

James(1) seal the borders wot u mean with pinnipeds, good with balancing balls on there noses yes but guarding the borders not sure how.

@ed yrs Americans are generally Christian but an awful lot of them forgot to read the book with Jesus in it and concentrated on the good old eye for an eye book. More Judeo leaning than actual Christian.

Of course the very notion that we have multiculturalism is a nonsense – we have a plethora of mono-cultures each vying for their slice of the taxpayers’ hard-earned – naturally the indigenous lot are at the back of the queue. The sheer numbers of immigrants from very different (non-western) cultures have ensured assimilation is impossible. Assimilation, however, is not the open and shut problem people often make it out to be, Hindis, Sikhs and Jews live their lives their way, but they generally bring up their law-abiding families and pay their taxes – none of them are asking to “takeover” the UK or force us to live their ways. Muslims, on the other hand, are.

Nobody asked for this invasion, there is and never was any political mandate to support it – instead people who are raising legitimate concerns are being persecuted and demonised, meanwhile we sponsor feed and house increasing numbers of territorial, aggressive, intolerant and quite simply primitive people in the name of tolerance – madness, culturally suicidal madness toboot.

yes, witty lol, obviously zero chance it’s going to happen.

I blame the denigration of the two mainstream Christian churches on the silence of the leaders; the archbishops, and bishops. They have stood by, or worse still, aquiesed in the dismantling of a culture. Shame on them!

By the way, I am an atheist…….

Steve Lee

I once helped a friend move out of a street in north London somewhere that I couldn’t help but notice had a very large number of Jewish people. As I was carrying something out to the removal lorry, some bloke literally ran over to me and practically demanded to know who was moving out. He was actually salivating at the prospect of replacing them with another of their own.

Integration is not achievable which is why they allowed/encouraged everyone to follow their own cultures. Far too late now, we’re screwed. Might as well accept it and try to prepare for what’s coming.

What we need are some fire and brimstone preachers shouting from the pulpits about the perils of sin and ultimate damnation for eternity with wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Sick of all the wishy washy lovey dovey stuff, gosh you wish to fill the pews make it interesting for Heavens sake. Or do what they do here make it a community centre got the big Mega Churches here aka Fort God, sports and activities galore and not to say lots of social networking opportunities and highly segregated. Everyone goes to there own church here except the happy clappy church.

Oh I forgot a lot of folks go to the mega churches to meet members of the opposite sex, dating opportunities.

‘Killing off the cancerous spread of the BNP is within “our” grasp’ bleats Mary Riddell

Yes, that’ll be why the Telegraph never allows readers to comment on any BNP related articles. Check out the demographics Mary, it’s only going to get worse.

Of course, children should have an Eid holiday, but only if they have not eaten or drunk during daylight hours for the previous month. But, I forget, children don’t have to abide by the stupid fasting rules, christians gave fasting up in the dark ages, so why give them an holiday?

James(1) I was born in Tottenham and lived there until I was 27. I knew quite a few Jews in the largely Jewish Stamford Hill area, they did keep their culture and yes they continued to buy every house they could land their hands on, they never caused problems, they were friendly when approached, they created jobs locally, they worked hard. They don’t try to convert anyone else to their religion or try to blow other people up. This is my point, my stint of Living near Bradford was very different – there are areas which are simply no-go areas for non-muslims, who are noisily aggressive and violent towards non-muslims. I’ve witnessed similar problems in Peterborough. Even Jack Straw got the “you came to our area” treatment – this is Britain – there is no such thing as “my area” – nor should there be. This aggression and intolerance is one-way. The “my area” tirade at Jack Straw should have been front page news kicking off a national debate about muslim integration and potential civil unrest – it was swept under the carpet as usual. There are similar problems with effectively black-only bars and clubs – unless you’re female and available of course. I am sick are tired of this often one-way street. I do not give a hoot who comes to the UK as long as they work hard, abide by our laws and pay their taxes. We know full well who do and who do not follow these values and still we make no distinctions when selecting immigrants regardless of the future trouble we are storing for ourselves. Jews are not a threat to the social cohesion or security of this country, Muslims are.

Steve

And Dave’s take on all this.. “The British should integrate more with the muslims (way of life) rather than the other way around”

I attended an FE college in Newham in the 70s and even then there were plenty of Muslim students but I cannot recall one single incident, or indeed mention of, cocerning Islam. One of my fellow students showed me a book of poems by Iqbal but that was it.

Newham had two such colleges. One in West Ham and one in East Ham. It was at the one in East Ham that saw the murder of an African student by radical Muslims in 1998?

Times have changed, greatly.

Well Mr West if America is a “good” example of a secular state, then count me out. Seems to me by saying you are a “Secular Christian” that you would rather have the “morality”of the BBC than the message of Jesus. Strange Christianity that.

Ed, I can agree, that is insane crazy nonsense. Three holidays more off school for all, even non Muslims? Why should the non Muslim schoolkids be missing classes because of this?

Just keep the holidays as they are. You are right, minorities like us Jews just go with the school Christmas break. I mean, give me a break, how precious are we? And now these councils are giving kids more time off their lessons combined with the massive problem this poses to working parents?

Yes, this is your blog but as a poster I can ramble about my own problems. My sister-on-law just found out the local Jr high special ed teachers have been putting the kids on the bus 40 full minutes before school dismissal for years!!

This is my nephews second year in Jr high. My sis-in-law works and since the bus ride takes forever she didn’t notice last year. My sister-in-law always sticks up and complains when she finds things are run wrong in this little towns public school system, which is a lot of the time! She singlehandly put a stop to this early dismissal just this week! The teacher had the gall to coyly purr…”what would she do with the kids for another 40 minutes!” She might try doing her job!

In order to tie in my own rant with your blog I’d say parents in these councils need to complain, and I don’t just mean a half hearted attempt. Hopefully, this would not start a race riot because this, ultimately, is for the kids, that they get the proper hours in class.

It’s going to make life very difficult: I always look up the term/half-term hols and make sure I do not take my holidays at that time.
Now you can never be sure – the little b****ers will be everywhere, most of the time.

Just a couple of days ago on Daniel Hannan’s blog I was saying that his political theories expressed in his book “the Plan” for turning decisions back to the local level – however else desirable to do – is not a good idea in a country where a large proportion of the immigrant population wants to run it under sharia law. This is an example of the least of what I expect would happen were local levels to have much power over lots of things. Again, otherwise a good idea. Not when multi-culturalism is the goal. (Of course, it may make no difference when your national government is just as bad.)

_____

What do Jewish children do – one of the oldest minorites in the UK? In the U.S., many Jewish parents pull their children out of school on the two big Jewish holidays and I think the schools do not penalize the children, but they are expected to make up the work on their own and very quickly and turn in any missed assignments right away. Jews, like everyone else – except Muslims – appear to be getting less religious. So probably fewer children are pulled out of school. When I was young, all the Jewish children were out for the two big Jewish holidays.

I have been following this on the Waltham Forest Guardian local – my interest being that I grew up in Waltham Forest (from before it was even LBWF)
I asked this
“What about Passover and Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanna?
The Jewish faith has been part of our fabric for centuries and members of it have contributed a great deal, yet they have never DEMANDED special treatment.
An example to follow I think.”
A local woman with knowledge of the situation replied
“When the idea of single day holidays to mark the various community religions in schools was first mooted about 20 years ago, the Jewish Board of Deputies was approached to suggest which of its festivals it would like included.

The Board decided not to take up the offer, as long as the existing arrangement – that people of faith are allowed to take time off for special holy days – was continued. It has been continued”.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/4662695.WALTHAM_FOREST__Teachers_concerned_over_religious_holiday_school_closures/?ref=rss

I still think that theirs is the example to follow.
Like Ed I recall when Spring half term was always the proper date for Whitsen.
I was very dubious when, because Easter was early a few years ago, we got the “Easter” school holiday a month after the event.
I think the tide is turning with awareness of Islamic expansion but we must keep up the pressure.

Surely the very purpose of multiculturalism is to create strife, strife which can only be resolved by ever more state control of our lives. Why are you surprised, Ed?

Tox66

I think it just seemed like a good idea in the beginning, and now they’ve lost control it’s all about trying to keep an ever tighter lid on it. Obviously doomed to failure as the pressures keep mounting.

@EW

You touch on something that has caused problems in the past; Easter. Normally the Easter break can be arranged to fall in mid term by either starting or ending on the actual Easter weekend, but if Easter itself is exceptionally early or late that is not possible. This meant my daighter had to suffer a long term followed by a short one and then the long summer break. As this was the year before her GCSEs I was concerned about the impact on her performance (she did well so my fears for her were misplaced, but I know of others who did less well than expected).

Surely in a mainly secular country (yeah, I know 100.01% or whatever said they were Christian in the last census but that isn’t supported by church attendances) schools should have fixed term lengths with a few days available for the school to use as the head teacher sees fit? If there is a large, practising religious community they may use those days for their festivals, or whenever they wish. I for one would prefer to have all statutory holidays abolished and added to my annual entitlement, so I could take holiday when it suits me instead of the first week of winter, which means nothing to me (sorry, drifting off topic with that).

Mr West.
I do understand all that you have written. Though few want “Religious control”. Great care must be taken in a secular society that faith and belief are not consigned to the sidelines. Something well on the way on this island. Aided and abetted by some( no doubt) well meaning “secular Christians”

The same pertains x10 for the secular state.

The same pertains x10 for the secular state.

“Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims, who would normally take these holidays (and work Christmas instead).”

They do? Not at my workplace. Which is closed. Nor the days surrounding Christmas and boxing day when I have to book holiday due to my firm closing (although I never and have never celebrated Christmas).

On the one hand I can’t argue that it’s fine to close things for one religious festival (Christmas) and not others (Eid, Diwali etc) but seeing as Christmas is pretty much just seen as an excuse for time off work by many then I think it should be left to individual schools to decide. The status quo (schools stay open and people just take time off work/school for their festival) seems fine with me.

“between a legitimate act of conscientious objection (a doctor refusing to perform an abortion) and an illegitimate act (a cashier refusing to serve alcohol).”

Surely that’s only because your faith drives you to being anti-abortion. In both cases the individual’s own personal beliefs is leading them to refuse to perform a service for another individual, services which are entirely legal under the law.

I’m also not sure that America is more secular than some Western European countries (i.e. France for example). For sure more allowances are made for religious requirements in the US (dietary requirements for prisoners for starters and doesn’t congres break for one of the Jewish holidays?) than they do in France.

“Incendiary, because he holds views that 40 years ago were the norm but which are verbotten to the new establishment.”

I don’t get this notion. The fact something was a norm 40 years ago doesn’t necessarily mean it was the right attitude to hold. There are many things which were better in the past and many things which we’re happy to leave in the past.

Steph.
Lucky you don t work in a hospital, they never close. So it is indeed the case that the non-Christians work at Christmas, taking holidays at other times.We have a Muslim guy who always works Christmas day, though he does have regard for Christ as a “special prophet”, but not as God-made-man.