British Humanist Association responds on Government’s “interfaith week”

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has responded to the Government’s announcement of its first “interfaith week”.

Hanne Stinson, BHA Chief Executive, said, ‘It is of course important that people have some understanding of each other’s beliefs and values and interfaith dialogue can contribute to this, but this “inter faith week” is unlikely to add much to the wider aims of social cohesion and intercultural interaction.’

‘Once again the Government is prioritising – and funding – the religious aspect of good relations and social cohesion, with the majority of the UK’s population relegated to a footnote.

‘Interfaith activities not only exclude the non-religious, they also exclude the huge numbers of people who may self-identify as religious but have absolutely no involvement with any religious organisation.

‘The Government’s own figures show that religion is important to the identity of less than 20% of the population, and less than 10% are involved in a religious group or organisation. While the proposal pays lip service to including the non-religious, the reality is that the vast majority of the population will be excluded from the activities and events of the “inter faith week”, and especially with the use of jargon like “rais[ing] faith awareness across all faiths”, they are very unlikely to want to be involved.’

‘Good relations are of huge importance – we all need to get on with the people living around us, understand each other, and respect each other. Isn’t it about time the Government recognised that good relations in any community depends on regular interaction between individuals from every kind of background, regardless of whether they are religious or not? That will not be achieved by yet another interfaith initiative.

‘It is also of great concern that the Government is once again using the 2001 Census figures to justify its disproportionate focus on and promotion of religion. Even the Office of National Statistics, which produced the figures, accepts that the Census measured only a loose, possibly cultural, affiliation with religion – it did not measure religious belief or practice, or any kind of involvement with religion. These census figures have been widely discredited for grossly inflating the number of religious people and largely underestimating the number of non-religious in the UK, and it is dishonest of the Government to use them in this way.’

Notes

For further comment or information, contact Hanne Stinson at hanne@humanism.org.uk or on 020 7079 3583 or 07764 947 249.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief. It exists to support and represent people who seek to live good and responsible lives without religious or superstitious beliefs.