West Midlands Police is inviting non-Muslim officers and staff to fast during Ramadan as a show of “solidarity” with their Muslim colleagues. The Telegraph has more:
West Midlands Police said the practice helped officers understand the “significance of Ramadan” for Muslim residents.
But critics of the initiative have raised concerns about how effectively front-line officers are able to carry out their duties while voluntarily abstaining from food and water for extended periods.
Nick Timothy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, said encouraging non-Muslim staff to observe Ramadan was “wholly inappropriate” and urged officials to scrap the Public Sector Equality Duty, which obliges public services to think about equality and diversity in everything they do.
The Telegraph can also reveal that non-Muslim colleagues are fasting during Ramadan across other public services, such as councils.
Documents obtained by the Telegraph through freedom of information requests reveal that West Midlands Police was cited in New Forest council’s diversity training as an example of best practice when it comes to inclusivity. …
Corinne Brazier, the former Heritage Manager of the West Midlands Police Museum, also praised the initiative in a blog post published on March 28th, 2024.
Titled ‘Diary of a Heritage Manager’, it states: “Nowadays people belonging to all different religions are welcomed into policing, and efforts are made to ensure they feel supported.
“For example, during Ramadan, Muslim colleagues who are fasting are supported and accommodated when they need to break their fast.
“Information is shared with non-Muslim colleagues to help them to understand what Ramadan is all about, sometimes leading to non-Muslim officers and staff joining in to support their colleagues.” …
Major Andrew Fox, a Senior Associate Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, added: “West Midlands Police’s judgment is increasingly open to question.
“The force that excluded Israeli supporters using evidence later found to be false or exaggerated was also encouraging non-Muslim officers to fast during Ramadan as an act of religious solidarity.
“Supporting officers of every faith is entirely appropriate. Encouraging staff to participate in a religious observance is not.
“The police exist to enforce the law impartially, not to promote or facilitate religious practices.”
Worth reading in full.
Discussion
Comments
This week across the site:
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to the Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
Witches celebrate on 30th April to 1 May. As this is now a recognised religion will the police provide its officers with broomsticks?
The cauldrons will come in handy, though, to rustle up a nice stew for lunch.
Better still, hand the entire operation over to Hamas. With their treatment of Israeli football fans and the propaganda used to support it, they’re halfway there already.
Is this a joke? Why would a non Muslim practice not eating during Ramadan. We lived in a Muslim country and worked there. No one ever suggested we follow the practice of not eating between dawn and dusk. Is there something seriously wrong with this country?
I’m finding it more and more difficult to find anything that is right with my country.
Christian (some) and Muslim celebrations are based on the lunar calendar. Why would a forward thinking police force support such a backward way of doing things ?
Looking forward to seeing all the Muslim police officers ‘showing solidarity’ with their fellow officers at the annual Hog Roast.
Start their day with a nice bacon bap with brown sauce.
Being that me, the missus & the 22yr old boy are planning to leave these shores next year, I’ve been keeping a list of reasons to leave/stay. I’m doing this so that in the future, when things may not be all that great, I can reassure myself that I made the right decision.
My reasons to stay list is currently running at two: My sister is still alive & I love her to bits, and where I live there’s still plenty of golf courses I can play for less than £35. And that’s it…
The list to leave just keeps on growing.
Hope I’m wrong, but from my own personal experience (in my late 50’s), this beautiful country that I’ve grown up in is now pretty well knackered.
Why should any company or public institution ‘support’ anyone with their expression of faith? What does anyone’s religion have to do with their employer?
If someone wants to fast, go fill yer boots. If it makes them unfit for work, then they’re sacked. If someone’s job requires them to work on Sundays, but they believe Sunday should be a day of rest, then find a different job.
Anyones faith is no one else’s concern.
This bollocks has to stop.
I would like the police of all religions and none to act in solidarity with the people.
I just wonder how effective a hungry police officer will be? People respond in different ways to hunger, but it can make them short-tempered and impatient or lacking in energy. I don’t want a serving police officer to be either of those things.
Well when you are going to someone house for hurty words. It cannot take that much energy.
Great point.
And what are they going to do to demonstrate solidarity with the Christians.
obviously a rhetorical question.
Wonder when west midlands police will ban dogs
Are they asking the Muslim to support yon kipur? Christmas?
Easter? eat only fish on Friday?
no of course not.
Frankly I am sick of the Police, they no longer have my consent.
So I’m guessing that Friday/Saturday would be a great time for the local crims while solidarity is being shown for Shabbat observing colleagues? 🙂
Yeah, nah.
First they will be invited.
Then they will be encouraged.
Then they will be expected.
Then they will be compelled.
I help run a business. People are our biggest challenge and it’s quite sufficient to have to put effort into recruiting and retaining the right people and getting the mix of incentives and sanctions correct without us trying to stick our nose into people’s private business. But I guess I’m not a socialist control freak. What the hell is wrong with all these leaders of public and private organisations that they feel it’s within their remit to get involved in social engineering? Haven’t they got any real work to do?
I don’t know much about Ramadan but I do know a bit about Lent and I always assumed that they were pretty similar.
Always Muslims. How about inviting Muslims to fast during Lent or inviting everyone to celebrate Buddhist, Jewish or Hindu or Sihk festivals
is it any wonder the Police dont react to child rape? its not a crime under their new masters
Or join Christians getting drunk and bloated at Christmas, for the experience.
The non-Muslim officers engaging in the fast are then halfway there. All they need to do is to follow that by reciting the seven words of the creed to become fully a member of this religion.
In one line of thought, these non-Muslim officers are being ‘reverted’. They were always naturally Muslim, they had just forgotten they were.
After the ‘support’ of the fast, watch out for the ‘support’ of reciting the creed advanced as ‘support’. In one line of thought, anyone who recites the creed becomes a member of this religion.
How about our Religion of Peace officers getting chummy and showing solidarity with their colleagues by chowing down on a nice bacon sandwich?