Review calls for UK govt to recognise religious groups as a force for good

LONDON April 27: A landmark review into faith engagement has found the government needs to recognise faith groups as a force for good.

Colin Bloom, Independent Faith Engagement Advisor, considered how government can best celebrate the contribution of faith groups, while tackling harmful practices.

More than 21,000 people responded to the public consultation and  Colin Bloom has set 22 recommendations for government.

In his review report, Bloom examined engagement with faith in a broad range of public institutions – from the Civil Service and the Armed Forces, to schools and prisons – and called on the government to bring in a new programme of faith literacy training for all public sector staff, ensuring public servants understand those they are helping, and to increase partnership opportunities with faith groups who are already playing a valuable role in the social fabric of our society.

The 165-page report by the government’s faith adviser Colin Bloom is the most sweeping review of the government’s relationship with religion in a generation. The study, published on Wednesday after years of delays, found that civil servants lacked an understanding of religion and recommended that all public sector workers be given training.

Examples of religious ignorance noted in the report included police officers who confused Sikhs with Muslims or had raised concerns over the kirpan, a ceremonial sword Sikhs are obliged to carry as part of their religious observance.

In the NHS, patients were pressured to pursue treatment, such as abortion or chromosomal tests during pregnancy, that conflicted with their religious beliefs.

Some patients had also been served the wrong food, with Hindus served Halal meals while others were denied requests for medication that didn’t contain animal products.

Health workers also failed to understand the importance of a Sikh’s turban in palliative situations and during post-mortem examinations. One respondent said about NHS workers: “They were asking Sikh men with beards to trim their beards at the start of the pandemic so that PPE would be able to fit them, and I was asked by some leading figures within the regulatory bodies as to why Sikh men couldn’t simply just have a trim rather than having to spend money on specialist equipment for them.”

Some NHS staff also said that they were unable to express their religious identity at work and their faith was made to feel “irrelevant”.

Bloom noted that a better understanding of faith would also equip government to tackle issues such as forced marriage, of which there are estimated to be thousands a year in the UK; radicalisation in prison; and faith-based extremism, including the ongoing challenge of Islamist extremism, and the small but growing trends of Sikh extremism and Hindu nationalism.

Bloom also calls for appropriate regulation of out-of-school settings, including the faith-based sector, to safeguard the physical safety and wellbeing of children.

Colin Bloom, the government’s Faith Engagement Adviser said: “For millions of people, faith and belief informs who they are, what they do and how they interact with their community, creating strong ties that bind our country together.”

“As we as a nation continue to become more diverse, so too does the landscape of faith and belief. Our government’s understanding of the role of faith in society must remain both current and alive to its evolutionary changes.”

“It must also not shy away from some of the challenges that exist in small pockets within faith communities, from forced and coercive marriages to faith-based extremism, financial exploitation, and child safeguarding. These must not be consigned to the ‘too difficult’ box.”

“Greater understanding of faith in all its diversity will ensure that we remain a country that respects, celebrates and understands people of all faiths, beliefs and none.”

Faith Minister, Baroness Scott of Bybrook said: “As Faith Minister I will continue to shine a light on the important work of faith groups across the country, who play such an important role in public life.”

“I welcome this review and thank Colin for his work – we will carefully consider the recommendations and I’ll make it my mission to continue to work closely with those of all faiths.”

Bloom notes that there are many areas where government is already doing good work with faith groups, including the Faith New Deal grant programme, the co-design of COVID-19 guidance with places of worship, and tackling freedom of religion or belief internationally. He argues that this good practice should be built on and applied consistently across services to enable stronger and more integrated communities.

Government will consider the findings and will respond in due course.