Introduction from the whether for many in the Anglican Church the Archbishop of Canterbury is their “spiritual President leader”. The Muslim Council of Great Britain 2002 - 03 Annual Report Survey after survey shows that Britain’s represents only a small section of the Muslim attachment to organised religion continues to community – which in itself makes up less than dwindle at a very fast rate. Yet, religious 3% of the total population, yet this body is organisations grow ever more demanding and increasingly represented in official committees Denis Cobell politicised and, as a result, are increasingly and consultations. Also on the committee is a finding the ear of those in Whitehall and member of the Baha’i faith, which has only Downing Street. 6,000 members in the UK. The NSS has discovered that the Government – Even before the working party was established, with the specific support of Tony Blair - has these groups already had ready access to quietly convened a working party of “religious Whitehall and Downing Street. Their words, representatives” to decide how best religious however contentious or incomprehensible, are communities could influence policy-making also reported and broadcast by a strangely across a wide area of government. Such moves pious media – despite the fact that readers and are becoming the cause of alarm and dismay by viewers generally have little interest. The BBC a growing proportion of the population. is promising ever more religious programmes and every broadsheet in the country has a A steering group overlooking the working “religious affairs” correspondent and regular party included five government ministers and sections devoted to religious propaganda. senior politicians, and even the No. 10 appointments secretary. The working party The Government’s addiction to religion is comprised a whole raft of supposed “faith alarming not just to the NSS but to the many representatives”, but there were no represen- people in this country who find the idea of tatives of non-believers. (More details are given reactionary and unelected bishops, rabbis and in the body of the report.) But how imams making law and being accorded a representative are these “faith represen- highly privileged input into public policy tatives”? The reality is that they speak for only making to be abhorrent. Church of England a tiny proportion of the population. In many bishops in the House of Lords already boast instances they do not even represent the views that they always receive replies from ministers, of the communities they purport to lead. For and promptly, to any questions written on example, many in the Liberal Jewish House of Lords notepaper. community have actively distanced themselves Religious authoritarianism is engaged in a from the Chief Rabbi. And doubt is spreading bitter struggle with secular liberalism, and 1 seems to be prevailing. Largely because of Mr The struggle in which the NSS is engaged is at A Year of Vigorous Faith Liaison Committee Blair and his Christian Socialist colleagues in the moment one-sided. We are up against The NSS was the centre of controversy when it 2002 - 03 Annual Report Downing Street – the religionists are becoming extremely rich and powerful opponents, who Campaigning uncovered the existence of a working group set even more in the ascendant in public life. The are becoming increasingly slick and ruthless in Helps NSS to Grow up by the Home Office, as noted above, to NSS will continue, during the coming year, to their push for power. Earlier this year, the This report covers the year to 31 October 2003 examine “the Government’s interface with the do as much as it can to redress that imbalance. conservative Christian organisation CARE sent faith communities”. The Home Office minister The Catholic Church, too, has become out application forms to join one of the major We have had another busy year campaigning to chairing the group, Fiona Mactaggart MP, had aggressively ambitious in spreading its power political parties to all of its 30,000 members. protect and promote secularism in Britain and told Parliament that the aim of the group was base in the past year. It has pushed hard for Millions of people in Britain hold secular throughout Europe. Areas that we have been “to consider the most effective means of more influence in the newly-expanded views. We need all of our many supporters to active in include: achieving greater involvement of the faith European Union and also seeks to upgrade its contribute to the battle against privileged or already anomalous status at the United communities in policy-making and delivery covert religious influence in public life. • Protesting about the privileges being offered Nations. It uses this status to promote its across Whitehall; to identify the specific policy to religion through the faith liaison working oppression of women, children and sexual That is why we need more commitment from areas where this input would be most party set up by the government minorities. Its policies on sexual matters lead you, our supporters, to make your own voices valuable…” directly to grinding poverty, over-population, heard. We need more secularists on official The working group includes representatives “back street” abortions — and greatly committees, on councils, school boards and • Challenging religious exemptions in the new from the Church of England, Evangelical increased mortality from AIDS. The NSS has Standing Advisory Committees on Religious employment regulations that aim to outlaw Alliance, Catholic organisations, the Muslim joined with other groups to resist these anti- Education (SACREs). There are thousands of discrimination at work Council of Great Britain, National Council of democratic developments. secularists in parliament and the media; we Hindu Temples, Network of Sikh While this generally unwanted incursion of need many more of them to actively support • Pressing the BBC to devote more time to Organisations, the Chief Rabbi and the Bahái’s. religion into our public life continues, much us. Similarly, there are many more all around issues of relevance to non-believers After our protest was covered by the Observer, damage is being done to our society that will be the country who have the capacity to be skilled hard if not impossible to reverse. This applies the NSS was invited to meet Fiona Mactaggart, and determined activists – now is the time to • Resisting the inclusion of a reference to to the insinuation of religious organisations who assured the Executive Director that the bring that energy to the cause. into our welfare services and the placement of Christianity in the new European “faith committee” was being consulted on a religious representatives into institutions and As it continues to grow, we hope the NSS will Constitution limited range of issues, but that no secular or committees. The opening of numerous gain the resources to make progress in all these humanist groups would be consulted or religious schools poses an even greater danger areas. Although we have achieved considerable • Continuing our opposition to the invited to participate. A number of positive and we abhor the inevitable indoctrination of media exposure, we cannot rest on our laurels. establishment of more religious schools in action points came from the meeting and will impressionable young minds. Such new ational Secular Society But the NSS is, in the end, only its members this country be followed up by the Minister and ourselves. schools will also lead to the splintering of and its many supporters. We also look to you to education down religious lines. In areas with a It later emerged that the Home Office had N grasp every opportunity to promote the ideals significant minority ethnic presence this will • Seeking to end discrimination in the established a Faith Communities Unit to which we are all committed. also be along racial lines, and we fear it could provision of school transport on religious specifically to create “effective dialogue with Denis Cobell, President 2 lead to a deterioration in community cohesion. grounds faith communities and to ensure that the views 3 of faith communities are considered in office with the Minister for Equality as part of to advise Christian employers how best to action, when the BBC would be using public emerging policy.” The Home Office signified the consultation process. After the consultation ensure that all jobs in their organisations can be money to fight its own case with the most formally however that it had taken some of our period ended, however, massive religious reserved for believers. The NSS has protested expensive lawyers in the country. Had we not 2002 - 03 Annual Report concerns on board when it said: “The Faith exemptions were inserted, it is claimed on the most strongly about this, and it was taken up in been successful, their costs would have been Communities Unit will be giving some Prime Minister’s direct instructions, following a major story in The Times. awarded against us. threats from the Church of England’s consideration over the coming months to what We have also had significant input into the In an effort to find out whether the BBC’s Archbishops’ Council. The wording of the the Government can do to safeguard the preparation of non-statutory guidelines to the claims that the non-believing perspective was exemption was almost verbatim as dictated by interests of those with no faith in areas where regulations aimed at both employers and adequately represented on the BBC were well the Church. A cabal of evangelical the faith communities have an input.” employees. These are being drawn up by the founded, members monitored a week’s output organisations had also lobbied the Government arbitration service ACAS in co-operation with on Radio Four (19 - 26 July 2003) and found in similar terms.