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Christmas should be 'downgraded' to help race relations says Labour think tank
Last updated at 12:07pm on 01.11.07Christmas should be downgraded in favour of festivals from other religions to improve race relations, says an explosive report.
Labour's favourite think-tank says that because it would be hard to "expunge" Christmas from the national calendar, 'even-handedness' means public organisations must start giving other religions equal footing.
The leaked findings of its investigation into identity, citizenship and community cohesion also propose:
• "Birth ceremonies", at which state and parents agree to "work in partnership" to bring up children
• Action to "ensure access" for ethnic minorities to "largely white" countryside
• An overhaul of Britain's "imperial" honours system
• Bishops being thrown out of the House of Lords
• An end to "sectarian" religious education
• Flying flags other than the Union Jack.
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Nativity scene: Christian celebrations in schools could become a thing of the past
The report by the Institute for Public Policy Research was commissioned when Nick Pearce, now head of public policy at Downing Street, was its director.
IPPR has shaped many Labour policies, including ID cards, bin taxes and road pricing.
The report robustly defends multiculturalism - the idea that different communities should not be forced to integrate but should be allowed to maintain their own culture and identities.
And it says immigrants should be required to acquire some proficiency in English and other aspects of British culture "if - but only if - the settled population is willing to open up national institutions and practices to newcomers and give a more inclusive cast to national narratives and symbols".
It adds: "Even-handedness dictates that we provide public recognition to minority cultures and traditions.
"If we are going to continue as a nation to mark Christmas - and it would be very hard to expunge it from our national life even if we wanted to - then public organisations should mark other religious festivals too.
"We can no longer define ourselves as a Christian nation, nor an especially religious one in any sense.
"The empire is gone, church attendance is at historically low levels, and the Second World War is inexorably slipping from memory."
National celebration: But could Christmas soon be 'downgraded'?
The report, written by IPPR advisers Ben Rogers and Rick Muir, calls on Ministers to launch an "urgent and upfront campaign" promoting a "multicultural understanding of Britishness".
"Multiculturalism can be shown to provide for a fairer and more liberal society and does not necessarily lead to social division and community conflict, as its critics have claimed," it says.
Councils must act to "ensure children mix and are able to form friendships with pupils from different backgrounds".
The report adds: "Any liberal state should recast the civic oaths and national ceremonies, or institutions like Parliament and the monarchy, in a more multi-religious or secular form and make religious education less sectarian."
The presence of bishops in the House of Lords, for instance, is condemned as an "anachronism" that should be removed.
The system in which parents are required to register a new baby at a register office is dismissed as "purely bureaucratic".
The occasion should be transformed into a "public rite", using citizenship ceremonies for immigrants as a model, the report says.
"Parents, their friends and family and the state [would] agree to work in partnership to support and bring up their child."
Rural Britain, the report complains, "remains a largely white place".
Much more needs to be done to "ensure access" to the countryside for black and ethnic minority groups, disabled people and children from inner-city areas.
Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative spokesman on community cohesion, said: "Their comments betray a breathtaking misunderstanding of what it is to be British. These proposals could actually damage cohesion."
She added: "You don't build community cohesion by throwing out our history and denying the fundamental contribution Christianity has played and does play to our nation.
"As a British Muslim I can see that - so why others can't just staggers me."
And she attacked ceremonies to mark the registration of a baby.
"The thought of Gordon Brown sharing responsibility with me for bringing up my children sends a shiver down my spine. I thought we got rid of communism?"
Reader views (41)
Im 15 and this is something that is really bugging me! England is a Christian country and i don't see why it has to be stripped of it's traditions to make it "politcally correct". In previous years The Red Cross banned Christmas nativity decorations from its UK charity shops in case they offend customers of other faiths. Now the nativity plays performend in primary school to teach the children the real meaning of Christmas and why they get gifts and put up trees and sing carols are being put under scrutiny as well. It's a farce! The people of "other faiths" are happy to have the days off over the Christmas period are they not?
I am 100% sure that if we went to one of these countries where we were the minority then we would not have their govenment "downgrading" divali or eid!
I'm only a teen at the moment, I dread to think what England will be like when I'm older!
- KT, London
This sounds like an April fools!
I'm with Trevor Roll "Lets' scrap all religious festivals and all religions" and just replace them with bank holidays with none of the falseness and pretense that we give a damn what any of these occassions are about. Agnostics of the world unite!
- Kit Robinson, Hounslow
I would just like to know who is in this 'think-tank' as they really do not seem to know what they are doing! Yes please do go ahead and celebrate multicultural festivals but don't take Christmas away, it's a festival too. They are talking rubbish and this will not help to build bridges between people but probably laugh at the government for being fools!
- Moo, South London, UK
Aarrgghh! Will the other religious festivals be getting toned down as well? Would the think-tank dare even suggest it? No, of course not.
- M, Essex
If this country took more pride in its Christian heritage, maybe there would be better tolerance of other religions. It is just ludicrous to even think about doing this...would Dubai cancel Ramadan to make Westerners living there feel more at home?
- Razah, London
I am a British Indian and have grown up celebrating Christmas. My parents were first generation and brought us up with celebrating Christmas with our on Indian festivals. OK not with the religious part but with Santa Claus and presents and we would have Christmas dinner. I am proud of it and I will pass it down the generations.
Scrap it ... is he mad? This country is falling apart.
- Ricky, London
The last I remember the UK was a Christian country predominantly liberal with other faiths. Immigrants came to a Christian country knowing that as a fact. Why do the British have to adapt to them surely the newcomers have to adapt to their adoptive country?
- Peter Glazier, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Well, good sentiment, wrong reason entirely. I would be happy to scrap Xmas entirely. And for a "politiclly correct" reason too!
How green is Xmas? How wasteful is it on resources, power, packaging, unwanted gifts, police time. On green issues Xmas is not justifible, especially when the Xmas lights are already going up in October! Enjoy Xmas by all means, but let's have no more than 12 days of it, and keep both the real and environmental costs down.
- Naomi Sajeri, Manchester
Perhaps these "groups" to whom we should show respect should start showing a bit of respect to the country in which they reside and put back in some of what they are taking. What is transgressing here is not much short of what happened in China during the cultural revolution - the removal of all which gives a country its identity. If this think tank were to go and live in the countries where these ethinic groups originated do you think they would be permitted to degrade those cultures? I think not.
- Peter, London
It amazes me how these very keen devotees of Political Tribalism attempt to regularise matters that in many cases reach back to the very dawn of humanity -how very naive of them.
- Robert, Kirk Ella, East Yorks.,
This is November 1st not April 1st right?
What next, banning all opposition politcal parties as well? Oh hang on, better not give this 'government' any ideas!
- Andy, London
Hear hear Trevor. Gone are the days when you move to a Christian country and adapt to your host's culture. Scrap them all. I for one would be quite happy not to have Christmas shoved down my throat everywhere I go from Starbucks to the newsagents on the corner. What you do behind closed doors is a different story and you can still celebrate whatever thing it is you celebrate. Problem solved.
- Jay, London, UK
Just wait until the next election, and see how the voters think.
- Michael T Cole, Banjul , Gambia
I've never heard of so much rubbish. Apart from the holy aspect and the children who look forward to it what about the economy - this is the period the stores rely on to boost their turnover. DI is right, what is to stop other religions celebrating their holidays as in Trinidad?
- Suzy, Paris
Yes, and while were at it, let's form a committee to help strip the UK of every last vestige of its character and history. That way, 'UK' can stand for 'Unknown Kountry'!
- Andrew, Phoenix, USA
I noticed the Trinidad reference. It so happens that asians amount to something like 52% of the population last time I looked - possibly higher now -a ridiculous percentage increase over 30 yrs making a minority group now the majority. This is what Brits are worried about.
Now as a far as this Think Tank thing. It is a fudge. London boroughs at least have been using public funds to promote and celebrate several asian ceremonies for decades. What needs to happen is a move towards a secular society. After all we are becoming less religious and most Brits see christian festivals as nothing more than British traditions nothing more.
- Natalia Grant, London, UK
We should have a Scots day St Andrews day as we are governed by Scots.
- Baza, Glasgow
Being baptised by Gordon Brown....scary.
- Greg, London
I miss London but this lunacy just re-confirms that my decision to move overseas was the right one to make in the end. Wishing everyone a very merry Xmas.
- Larry Currid, Auckland, New Zealand
Well. I'm glad I'm now living in Communist China, which I regard as a more spiritual place than Britain now.
Christmas is all about spirituality and family- two concepts I guess these 'think tank' people think outmoded, elitist and 'divisive'. A lot of the 'downgrading' of Christmas is also due to its over-commercialisation.
PS, I'm a Christian.
- Tim, Beijing, China
You can tell there is no science here: race is not religion is not ethnicity. Race is 3 categories of skeletal structure (to be brief) that has largely been banned as too un politically correct.
Anyone of any race could believe in any religion. And there is no need for religions to 'get along,' NO need for a majority to bow to minority wants and desires.
- Trunk, US
It seems the lunatics are running the asylum after all. Time to sack our insane political class at the next election. Who shall we vote for next I wonder.
- Paul Williams, Egham, UK
They are sick to suggest downgrading Christmas. It is a festive time for all. I would like to see Brown holding an 'Eid' festive dinner for all.
- Georgelee, London, UK
Who do these people think they are? These twerps think they can do whatever they like. Unfortunately for them, there are still some decent, upstanding people in this country who know that they don't, and eventually, they will realise that.
God Save the Queen, because these left-wing idiots won't.
- P. Reynolds, Worcester
Why not ban the concept of Englishness altogether? This way no can be offended as we simply all live on a multicultural island which incidentally should be the new abbreviation changed from GB to MI on all cars going abroad.
- Steve, Hereford
How stupid are you people - that would only make matters worse. By "downgrading" Christmas you will be downgrading British born people even more than you have done so already. Back off!
- Minime, Southend
You either celebrate every festival or celebrate none.. Britain has allowed itself to be open to all countries, both legally and illegally and this has watered down its identity to zero. Unfortunately, the lack of control of immigration has scarred and weakened the country and its resident original population, contrary to what the government believe.
- Oh, London
Oh Lord! Please any passing spacecraft please take me away from this idiotic planet!
- Paul Humphreys, Stanford le Hope, Essex
Is anyone tired of the constant attempt to diminish what I would classify as historically European celebrations and traditions not only in Great Britain but in Europe and the US and Canada as well. I'm happy to acknowledge other people's customs but what happened to the majority rule. This report is a disgrace.
- Cynthia, London, UK
We are still in England are we not...please do not take one of the most special occasions on the calendar. People who come should adapt to our culture and enjoy this great celebration, which most do, from all different religions.
- John, London
NO - leave us Christians alone. Go promote Christmas in Waziristan if you want to promote multi-culturalism, maybe you can get Al Quaeda to provide the funding for this and your next report.
- Andy, England
Christmas and Christianity are your heritage. Don't let them take it from you. I say this as a firm agnostic.
- Ray, Gurney, il USA
I agree. Christmas should be banned for all non-Christians. I'm tired of my special "minority" celelebration being hijacked by secularists, materialists, and big business. I don't want to see non-believers latching on to my unique cultural event. It should be illegal to celebrate Christmas if you're not a church-going Christian, or a card-carrying pagan who is celebrating Yule.
In return, I promise not to celebrate Eid, Holi, Diwali, etc.
Fair enough?
- Sarah N., |London
Why? The festival celebrations should be in proportion to the number of people who celebrate it. For the moment more people celebrate Xmas so it should remain the biggest event. Making other festival celebrations the same size would be daft as most of the population aren't interested in them. I just don't understand why this government are so intent on killing this country's identity.
- Rm, London
Ever got the feeling that this is another government quango that is not fit for purpose and past it's sell by date.
Why do they feel that we have to down grade our traditions because we have other cultures living here. This does not happen in other countries, would you hear this in Saudi Arabia. No you would not.
- Nigel, UK
If I'm not mistaken, London has already helped celebrate Eid, plus other festivities in Trafalgar Square.
Just one question though, when will there be a St George's Day parade?
- Scott, London
Think its about time this "think tank" were booted out!
- Sue,, East London
Lets' scrap all religious festivals and all religions, that way no one can bicker about one getting priority over the other.
- Trevor Roll, London
Only the "Institute of Politically-Correct Nonsense" could have come up with this stupidity!
- Phil Jones, London UK
In Trinidad, which is also very multicultural, the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr and the Hindu festival of Divali are religious public holidays as well as Christmas and Easter. Why don't we do that in the UK?
- Dl, London
Right... This is absolutely the final straw. And while you're at it... withdraw from the EU as well!
- R Barker, London, UK
