Secularism key to community cohesion, NSS tells commission

A secular approach to education and public services is vital to promote community cohesion, the National Secular Society has told a commission.

The Together Coalition, a charity which works to "build bridges and break down barriers between communities", has convened an independent commission on community and cohesion to gather evidence on the "current state of community connectedness, cohesion and resilience".

The NSS has responded to the commission's call for evidence by highlighting how religious privilege threatens community cohesion, and how secularism can establish a framework of equality between communities.

Education

The NSS said all state funded schools should be inclusive and operate as secular institutions "that are welcoming to all families". This includes ending equality law exemptions which permit faith schools to prioritise children from families who share the school's religion.

It highlighted how faith schools not only segregate children based on religion, but can also lead to ethnic and socio-economic segregation.

It said: "The benefits of educating children of all backgrounds together for social cohesion should be recognised".

The NSS's response also called for an end to laws requiring collective worship in all state funded schools, and for religious education to be replaced with a "renewed, nationally-determined civics and citizenship subject" which provides young people with the skills to "understand, challenge and engage with democratic society".

Free speech

The NSS said efforts to promote community cohesion "must ensure they do not restrict or stifle" the right to freedom of expression, and thereby "inadvertently aid the cause of extremists who seek to divide our society".

It said this must include upholding the right to freedom of expression around religion, and advised that "universal approaches to combatting prejudice and bigotry" be pursued instead of "adopting divisive and contentious 'religion-phobia' definitions".

The NSS also added that strategies promoting social cohesion should emphasise challenging "anti-blasphemy extremism". It referred to the damage done to community cohesion by cases like the threats to a teacher at Batley Grammar School for showing a picture of Muhammad in class.

Charities and public services

The NSS said charity law should be reviewed to ensure no charity contributes to extremism or social division.

It explained how the charitable purpose of "the advancement of religion" enables charities to promote misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism and other forms of extremism.

The NSS also raised concerns that the Government's drive to include more religious groups in the delivery of public services "may threaten community cohesion if safeguards are not put in place". It highlighted how some charities funded by the state have proselytised to vulnerable service users or promoted divisive religious ideology.

Separating religion and state

The NSS said religion and state "should be separated to ensure equal citizenship for all". This includes disestablishing the Church of England, removing the 26 Church of England bishops from the House of Lords, and ending prayers in Parliament and local council meetings.

It also warned of the threat to community cohesion posed by religious 'courts' such as sharia councils. It said the existence of such parallel legal systems "poses a serious threat to common citizenship and undermines the integrity of secular law, including the principle of one law for all".

NSS: Need for secular state that reflects reality of UK society "ever more pressing"

NSS spokesperson Jack Rivington said: "The structure and policies of the UK state promote discrimination, undermine trust in democratic institutions, and frequently assist divisive extremist actors within communities. They also fail to actively promote people from different backgrounds getting on well.

"The need for a state that reflects the reality of our irreligious and diverse people and is fit for the 21st century is becoming ever more pressing.

"We therefore need fundamental reforms to create a framework for a secular state where citizens are treated equally."