Issue 64 Autumn 2016 150 years of challenging religious privilege Religious selection in school admissions: Don’t extend it. End it. The is vigorously opposing controversial new Government proposals for a new wave of 100% religiously selective schools in England. Prime Minister Theresa May wants to allow new and existing faith-based free schools to religiously select all of their pupil intake, rather than the 50% allowed now. TAKE ACTION WE MUST END RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION AND SEGREGATION IN OUR SCHOOLS – NOT EXTEND IT. Please make sure you respond to the consultation AND urge your MP to oppose these proposals and instead call for open inclusive schools.

RELIGIOUS SELECTION IN SCHOOLS is discriminatory, and undermine children’s and young people’s religious entrenches religious segregation in wider society, and freedoms. often leads to ethnic and socio-economic segregation too. Crucially, any increase in the number of religious In a society as diverse as ours, the Government should schools also limits even further the availability of non- be doing everything it can to ensure that children of all faith-based education to which all parents, particularly faiths and none are educated together in inclusive schools. the growing non-religious majority, should be entitled. The Government bizarrely claims their proposals will The change will not require legislation but has met with “promote inclusivity”, when they are doing the opposite – some opposition even within the Conservative Party. facilitating greater segregation along religious lines. In addition to writing to the Prime Minister and The head of the Catholic Education Service was Secretary of State to express our concerns, we’ve also delighted about the success of their lobbying efforts, called on the Education Select Committee to hold an which could reportedly see up to 40 new state funded inquiry into this and subject the proposals to proper Catholic schools opening in England. parliamentary scrutiny. And we’re calling on all of our A proliferation of faith schools will impede the members and supporters to help us to oppose these integration of religious minorities, harm social cohesion, retrograde plans by contacting their MPs and responding increase levels of discrimination in state funded schools, to the Government’s consultation.

DATES FOR NSS Annual General Secularist of the Year International Conference on Meeting 2016 2017 Freedom of Conscience and YOUR DIARY Saturday 26 November 2016 Saturday 18 March 2017 Expression in the 21st Century Saturday and Sunday 22–23 July 2017 Message from the President

The 150th anniversary of the NSS easy a few years ago to imagine that is now underway and got off to a we’d achieved most of our goals, that flying start with our conference on society was secular, and we could 3 September. Those who were there retire and sit around drinking cups will agree that it was a very special of tea. occasion, not only because of the That does not pertain any more. fantastic roster of speakers, but In Islamism, a new and potent also because of the opportunity it enemy of has arisen presented for seasoned activists and and it is an insidious threat that the next generation of campaigners hides itself among innocent to get together and network. communities. It cloaks itself in piety, Such conferences are a great while harbouring murderous plots investment for the future. New ideas for those who will not embrace its get shared, information is passed warped ideology. on and human contact cements One of the lessons from our bonds between those of us who conference was that achieving a true share a common goal of promoting secular democracy will require good secularism as the idea whose time people of all faiths and none. It will that will ultimately change things. has come. require reaching out to the many We will continue to make alliances One of our speakers, the writer and Muslims who oppose Islamism. It to work towards that, although it will commentator, Douglas Murray – who will require challenging the populist be a long and arduous road. has written rather disparagingly anti-Muslim bigotry which feeds about the NSS in the past – said that the Islamist narrative. We must because of the rise of Islamism, the stand with the reformers and the NSS has taken on a new importance. “apostates” and recognise that it is He remarked that it would have been the empowerment of Muslim women

Academisation: religious organisations gaining control of community schools We have been on the forefront of exposing how the to consolidate its control over voluntary controlled Government’s academisation agenda is allowing (VC) schools (where the churches do not have control organised to increase its influence over state of the governing body) – sometimes over the objections education in England – including in notionally secular of school governors. schools. The growing number of community schools It is a long established principle that the boards of VC converting to academy status, and entering into multi- schools are not controlled by the Church, but evidence academy trusts (MAT) with faith schools, is seeing is emerging of the CofE seeking to ensure that such the Church of England threatening the secular and schools join academy trusts controlled by trustees, the inclusive ethos of non-faith-based schools, previously majority of whom are from the Church. This erases the under local authority control. fundamental and long-standing distinction between Around 350 community schools are thought to VC schools and Voluntary Aided schools, where the have entered into what are known as mixed MATs. church trustees are in the majority. This religiosity by The Government seek to deflect criticism of this by stealth is in addition to the agenda of the CofE over the claiming misleadingly that encouraging mixed MATs last decade to assert a more robust religious ethos in will prevent 100% religiously selective schools breeding the schools it controls – and which the taxpayer also segregation. In reality they provide a mechanism for pays for. religious influence over non-religious schools that Meanwhile, the CofE plans to bid for control of more religious bodies are only too keen to exploit. than one quarter of the 500 new free schools due to Despite assurances from the Department for open by 2020. A paper distributed at the Church’s Education that community schools’ individual General Synod said the chance of controlling more characters will be preserved when converted, we have than a quarter of all new schools in England was time and again found that the community school a “unique opportunity” in marked contrast to the ethos is undermined by religious organisations. We are forecast huge decline in church attendance and the calling for more robust safeguards to be introduced. impending split of the Church over same sex marriage. We have also raised concerns with Regional School If a new school is proposed in your area, please let us Commissioners and Lord Nash, the Parliamentary know and we can assist you in campaigning locally for Under Secretary of State for the School System, about it to be secular and inclusive, rather than yet another how the Church of England is abusing academisation religious school.

2 Bulletin Autumn 2016 UN Committee calls on UK to abolish compulsory worship in schools

The United Nations Committee on the Church’s arguments. change” the current arrangements in the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Shamefully, the administrations England. has urged the UK to repeal laws for England and Scotland intend to There is limited withdrawal from requiring the provision of worship defy the UN’s recommendations. Collective Worship, for older pupils, in UK schools, and for pupils to Secretary of State for Education in England & Wales, following an be given the independent right Justine Greening insisted that NSS-sponsored amendment. There is of withdrawal from any religious the Government had “no plans to however no opt out for pupils, even worship held in schools. adult ones in Scotland, The UNCRC also called Josephine Macintosh addressing the UN something which is now for age-appropriate sex Human Rights Council in Geneva facing a legal challenge. and relationship education In the meantime we are to become mandatory in hopeful that the UNCRC’s all schools, including faith recommendations schools. will encourage the The recommendations Government to ensure reflect concerns raised that young people’s long by the National Secular overdue right to objective, Society in a number of comprehensive and briefings submitted to age-appropriate sex and the Committe before the relationships education publication of the report. is put on a statutory Our submissions basis. The interference of also drew attention religious groups and the to the divisiveness of spread of faith schools faith schools across have stymied the provision the UK but the UN’s of sex education in the UK recommendations in for too long. this area were limited to Northern Ireland, where most children still attend largely religiously segregated schools. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child The UN Committee called on Northern Ireland to “actively has called on the UK to: promote a fully integrated education system and carefully monitor the • Repeal laws requiring collective worship in schools provision of shared education, with the participation of children, in order • Give pupils the independent right of withdrawal from acts of worship to ensure that it facilitates social held in schools integration”. The Church of England responded • Ensure ALL schools provide pupils with full and comprehensive sex to the recommendations by writing and relationships education to the UNCRC defending the current legal requirement for all schools to The National Secular Society called on the UN to make these provide a daily act of worship. We recommendations. We’ll be campaigning to ensure that the Government countered this with a supplementary acts upon them. submission pointing out the flaws in Special consultative status at the UN We are pleased to announce that the NSS has UK Government’s failure to legislate to outlaw caste been granted special consultative status with the based discrimination, as the UN has repeatedly urged UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This it to do (see page 6). will provide the Society with a platform to address In September the NSS also made a wide-ranging important UN bodies on human rights issues of submission for the UK’s periodic review by the United concern to secularists. Nations in which we highlighted a number of areas In our first intervention under our new status, where individual rights are being obstructed by council member Josephine Macintosh highlighted the undue religious influence.

www.secularism.org.uk @NatSecSoc 3 The National Secular Society kicked off its 150th anniversary celebrations with a conference on Saturday 3 September covering everything from collective worship in schools to community cohesion in a secular democracy. The conference was an opportunity to reflect on everything the NSS has achieved in 150 years of campaigning, and consider the significant challenges ahead.

Turkish opposition MP Safak Pavey, from the secular Tehmina Kazi, former director of British Muslims for People’s Republican Secular Democracy, joined Safak Pavey and Keith Party (CHP), says Porteous Wood on the Human Rights panel. She spoke that God’s role very strongly in favour of freedom of speech, and in her country’s against gender segregation. politics had been “rekindled”. President Terry Sanderson hosted the conference and reflected on our historic successes including the 2008 abolition of the blasphemy law, and the need to guard against a return to blasphemy laws “through the backdoor”.

Deborah Lavin opened with a fascinating On the education panel (chaired by Council member Judy Audaer), campaigns director speech on the history of the NSS. Stephen Evans and Paul Rowe of Educate Together, our Secularist of the Year winner, discussed some of the problems with religious privilege in schools and what an inclusive secular education system would look like.

4 Bulletin Autumn 2016 The panel on Islam in a secular democracy, was perhaps the most anticipated. Pictured from left to right are Afonso Reis e Sousa, who chairs the NSS Council and chaired this panel, with guest speakers Raheel Raza, co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement; honorary associate Maajid Nawaz of the Quilliam Foundation; and Douglas Murray, expert on Islamism from the Henry Jackson Society.

American academic and author of How to be Secular, Jacques Berlinerblau’s keynote address was gripping and challenging.

Questions from the audience included representatives of the Kurdish Secular Centre, and a Somali secularist who said she had a target on her back and asked “When can we get support from other communities?”

At the gala dinner following the conference we were delighted to hear from former presidents David Tribe (1963-71, video message from Australia), Barbara Smoker (1971-96, pictured right), Denis Cobell 1997-2006, pictured above), and our current president Terry Sanderson (from 2006). He spoke of the of the NSS from an atheist campaign group to the strictly secularist organisation that it is today.

www.secularism.org.uk @NatSecSoc 5 Government must act to outlaw caste discrimination

Shamefully, the Government is still it will not be asking how best to stalling over caste discrimination, implement such legislation but in defiance of Parliament, whether it is appropriate. This which directed it to make caste will provide an opportunity the discrimination unlawful in 2013 oppressors will welcome to oppose in a move spearheaded by the late protection for the oppressed. society “that works for everyone”. Lord Avebury and our executive To date, the Government have The NSS and organisations director. The UN’s Committee on the never consulted the victims, despite representing victims spoke in Elimination of Racial Discrimination being requested to do so. a debate in the House of Lords (CERD) repeated the UN’s call for When David Cameron resigned on 11 July. Only one peer spoke action in August. This came after we as PM, the Hindu press expressed in opposition to legislation and expressed our concerns to the UN pleasure at how accommodating the majority of the speakers in over the Government’s inaction. he had been to their community’s the debate calling for legislation Just days later, the Government wishes, giving a hint about were NSS Honorary Associates. announced a public consultation on the reason for the previous Baronesses Flather and Thornton caste. The terms of the consultation administration’s intransigence. and Lords Cashman and Desai did have not yet been issued, but it is We had hoped for better from his so, as well as Lord Lester of Herne feared – given the Government’s successor, given Theresa May’s Hill QC who has acted for the NSS abysmal record over caste – that calls for more equality, promising a over discrimination. Pharmacists – patient Sharia review should care must come before focus on women’s religious beliefs

rights, not theology The Secular Medical Forum drafted the secular response to the General Pharmaceutical Council’s The Government’s review into sharia in England drew consultation on “Standards for pharmacy criticism of the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, from her professionals”. The GPhC called for “balance” very first day in office. between a pharmacist’s “personal values and The review panel’s chair is a Muslim academic (albeit a beliefs” and the “care they give people who use liberal one), and the advisers include two imams, one of whom pharmacy services” in Britain. has expressed extreme views on social issues. Our response, however, warned of the Worryingly, the review’s call for evidence is limited so far “significant risk that those pharmacy to “those who work in such councils or those who have used professionals with strong personal views, almost sharia councils to come forward”. always religious” will favour their “own personal We expressed our objections to the new Secretary of views”. State for the Home Department, Amber Rudd MP, and We pointed out that it were signatories to an open letter, written by our Honorary would be unacceptable Associates Pragna Patel and Gita Saghal, - along with over 200 for a lone pharmacist women’s and human rights organisations - which criticised working in a rural the review’s focus on theology. community to refuse When the review was announced the Home Office claimed to dispense or to try discrimination against women was “contrary to the teachings to redirect a patient to of Islam.” This is worryingly misleading, presumably intended another pharmacy. to curry favour, but in any case, the Government has no Immediately after the response was submitted, legitimate role opining about the ‘true’ teaching of any religion. the US Supreme Court in effect endorsed an Its focus should be on protecting women‘s rights and ensuring appellate court decision denying Stormans’ that secular law is not being undermined. family pharmacy the right to refuse to dispense We submitted a response to the Home Affairs Select on religious grounds. The Court upheld the right Committee’s own inquiry into sharia councils, and warned of “citizens [to] have safe and timely access to that tackling the demand for sharia councils through the their lawful and lawfully prescribed medications”. education system was crucial. Pharmacists could refuse to dispense, provided We believe the review should be much more fundamental. In that “another pharmacist … provides timely Canada, all religious arbitration has been outlawed, apparently delivery”. without problems. We would like any review to explore The NSS has filed a supplementary submission whether such a solution is possible here. urging the GPhC to base its new guidance along the lines of the US Supreme Court’s judgment.

6 Bulletin Autumn 2016 NSS continues to challenge Church over institutional child abuse We continue to work energetically, Church of England was aware of no sometimes behind the scenes, to fewer than six other allegations” secure justice on these issues. against the bishop. The BBC said that The scale of historical child “the Diocese of Chichester did not abuse and the lack of action to share documents which could have stop it by senior figures within jailed Ball earlier.” Ball was jailed in the Church of England has been 2015 for offences committed, many of failed to protect the children in its demonstrated graphically by the which were known to the authorities care. The current bishop of Rochester release of documents related to the decades earlier. was reportedly given no information case of jailed bishop Peter Ball that Meanwhile an independent review about accusations and claims about expose an even bigger cover-up than into a children’s home in Gravesend this establishment in the handover previously suspected. run by the Church of England by Michael Nazir Ali, the bishop in They show that former Archbishop reported “harrowing” findings, post when many of them arose. of Canterbury George Carey including well-corroborated accounts In February 2016 the Archbishop was seeking to persuade both of girls being sedated and abused, of Canterbury Justin Welby said Gloucestershire police and the Crown leading in some cases to birth defects that “if we’re going to abuse Prosecution Service in London not to in their offspring. Complaints to the establishment as we have done in prosecute Ball, strongly implying the police made over several decades the past” then disestablishment accusations were baseless. Richard failed to result in action against should be considered. When will the Scorer, a specialist abuse lawyer at any of the perpetrators, and the church admit it long ago crossed this Slater and Gordon, notes that “the management committee completely threshold? Other campaigning

n We recognise the enormous value of cathedrals as part n Executive director Keith Porteous Wood gave two of our architectural heritage. But we’re very concerned talks recently, both warmly received, one in with the injudicious and uncontrolled way the Manchester to the campaign group Republic on why Government is dispensing large sums to the Church for ’secularism is key to democracy’, and the other to repairs. We’ve written to the National Audit Office calling South Hants Humanists asking ‘how secular is on it to hold the Government to account for spending Britain?’ significant amounts of taxpayers’ money on Cathedrals n Keith also attended and spoke at a European without the Church – which has estimated assets in excess Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP) of £22 billion – demonstrating financial need. meeting on “The Role of Religion or Belief in Asylum n In July we met with HM Revenue and Customs to discuss Policies”. the Gift Aid Small Donations scheme. We are concerned n Our complaint about a BBC report was upheld. In that this scheme’s rule unfairly advantages religious reporting the case of Victoria Wasteney, an NHS charities. We responded to the Government’s consultation worker reportedly sacked for ‘praying at work’, the BBC on the scheme, calling for changes so that more non- neglected to mention several key, and damning, details religious charities can also benefit from it. of the case. In August the BBC amended their story to n Along with dozens of other secularist and human rights give more details about the original complaint made groups we wrote to the Greek government urging them to against Ms Wasteney. expedite the removal of the country’s blasphemy law from n The Defend Free Speech campaign is still holding the the country’s criminal code. Government to account. The group, of which the NSS n In May we called for state-owned crematoria to be made is part, recently criticised the security minister, Karen religiously neutral by default, with the option of religious Bradley MP, after she gave a baffling and incoherent set iconography being available when requested. of definitions for ‘extremism’, on which the n Our campaigns director Stephen Evans delivered a Government have been struggling for several years. presentation to a national meeting of NASUWT teaching We still await detailed proposals from the Government union representatives in Birmingham on issues stemming on tackling non-violent extremism, and will be from the role of religion in schools. He was encouraged by scrutinising them carefully for any needless the level of support for the NSS’s perspective. restrictions of freedom of expression.

www.secularism.org.uk @NatSecSoc 7 NSS receives Aikenhead Award 2016 Vice-President and spokesperson for Church of Scotland, which urged Scotland, Alistair McBay, accepted “vigorous execution” to curb “the on the Society’s behalf the annual abounding of impiety and profanity Aikenhead Award given by the in this land”. Scottish Secular Society. Alistair then took part in a It was also made in discussion on human rights recognition of our in the wake of the 150th anniversary. Brexit vote. Charlie We are grateful to Lynch, Secretary of them for this. the Scottish Secular Thomas Aikenhead Society, said that “the was an Edinburgh work of the NSS was student executed as necessary today as on 8th January 1697 it had ever been”. at the age of 20 on a Alistair is also New honorary charge of blasphemy. The case was working with the Scottish Secular prosecuted by the Lord Advocate, Society on their campaign to remove associate: Sir James Stewart, who demanded unelected religious representatives the death penalty to set an example from local authority education Baroness to others and was supported by the committees. Thornton In August we were delighted to welcome Baroness Thornton as secularist of the year 2017 a new Honorary Associate of the SATURDAY 18 MARCH 2017 National Secular Society. Glenys Thornton served as Labour’s equality spokesperson from Nominations open 2011 to 2015 and now focuses her work in the House of Lords on issues Secularist of the Year is our annual awards ceremony and an opportunity related to education, equality and to celebrate a wide range of secularist human rights campaigners and human rights. activists, and to stand in solidarity with important secular causes. She has played a significant Please visit secularism.org.uk/SotY2017 to find out more and to make role in the campaign to outlaw your nomination. caste-based discrimination and while Labour was in office she was responsible for commissioning a report which confirmed that caste- based discrimination was a problem Thanks to: in the UK and for including a clause Alex Crawford, Amir Haddad, Shaun Francesca Sturiale and Michael van – yet to be triggered – in the Equality Joynson, Sven Klinge, Paul Lopez, Zyl for their help with graphic design. Act enabling caste to become a Erica Lopez, Anthony Loraine, Tom Archer and Rosalind Hulse for protected characteristic. Alison Meek, Paul Orton, Susannah their help with research. In July, she spoke in the Lords’ Rosenberg and Dominic Wirdnam debate on caste. She told peers that Claudine Baxter for her help with for their help at, and preparing for, an apology was owed to the Dalit membership and office admin. our Secularism 2016 conference. community in the UK following the Barry Thorpe for Parliamentary and Bradley Davis of WhiteLight for Government’s failure to legislate general research. graphic design. against caste-based discrimination. New resources Bulletin for students Issue 64 | Autumn 2016 and groups National Secular Society If you would like a selection 25 Red Lion Square of these resources for your London WC1R 4RL student, local or special Registered Company No. 1418145 interest group to learn more about or campaign for Telephone: (020) 7404 3126 secularism, please contact Email: [email protected] the NSS office at Twitter: @NatSecSoc [email protected]

8 Bulletin Autumn 2016