In America, it is welded into our minds that we have the
Bill of Rights and Amendments and they will never ever go away. One of the
most major of which is, the right to freedom of religion. It was why the
colonists left Britain in the first place. Puritans, Quakers, and others left
England to practice their beliefs, their way without the king attacking them. And it has been something we have
built our country around. Freedom of religion, separation of church and State,
all designed to protect our individual rights.
Private schools designed to teach along religious guidelines
are protected and even promoted among some people. I myself went to a private
Christian school for several years. (I was taught that my single mom was going
to hell as was her fiancé who had a Buddha statue). Churches are allowed to preach
what they believe, whether it is homophobic, or completely liberal, or
anti-evolution, people are allowed their beliefs. And the American public would
never dream of altering that.
The United Kingdom is an entirely different story. The
Church of England is deeply embedded in the country, the Queen is the Head of
the Church and involved in the government. The Girl Guides pray and often meet
in churches. Religion is sort of everywhere. But I’m not sure it is as
protected as in America. Or perhaps not protected as equally across all belief
systems.
Take this possible government party leader for example, Lisa
Duffy. She has publically said that she would consider, even support an all-out
ban on Muslim public schools. (Public schools in the UK are the same as private
schools in America, confusing I know, just think in opposites) I know Trump has
said he wants to ban certain minorities, but the American people would go wild
if a politician said they wanted to get rid of a certain type of religious
private school. The right to choose a religious education is one we have had
since our founding, and one we will never give up.
The reason is because Lisa Duffy believes these schools
radicalize children and might contribute to terrorism, or causing children to
be banned from or against participating in more Western cultural activities.
Her reasoning is violently flawed, as a very select few pupils are radicalized
in schools or elsewhere. And shutting down all of them won’t really change
that. If a person is going to go down an extreme route of belief, they find a
way to do so one way or another.
Fundamentally, I think this idea of banning Muslim schools
is a violation of human rights, awful, and just impossible to imagine. But I
hope this will not happen. Otherwise it will be very similar to what happened a
few hundred years ago when people fled England because of religious persecution
and went to America. Which worked out better for us, but still, not what the
Brit’s want to happen.
Give the article a read, and feel free to share your opinion
in the comment section.
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