AIBU to question religious exemptions and equal treatment under UK law?

[faithfultoGeorgeMichael]

I thought carrying a weapon in the UK is illegal - for everyone except a trained police officer or solider?

Why is there a religious exemption for one religion to carry a weapon on our streets "in the name of tolerance"?

Rastafarians are not allowed to smoke cannabis legally, even in their own places of worship and homes. My Rastafarian nephew had to be home schooled. Not only was he not allowed to have dreadlocks, but he not allowed to wear a hair wrap to cover them, as the muslim girls were allowed to cover their hair. Appealing on religious grounds got them no where, they tried for 3 years!

Growing and smoking cannabis only harms yourself (unless you selfishly make others breathe it in), dreadlocks harm no one. Why are these not allowed when some can carry a bladed weapon? In an era when knife crime is disturbingly frequent?!

My view - if it is illegal no one can do it (knives, drugs) if it is legal anyone can (head scarf/dreadlocks)

AIBU to say all religions should be treated equally?

Still not in the street though right? Or do they sew on the pavement? Me thinks you are being deliberately obtuse.

We are deliberately competent and like to read maps and wear serviceable rain jackets and so on. Iykyk. Yes, sewing fixes when needed in transit.

The sewing basket at home has the proper scissors.

Very eloquently put and so true.

Please do tell me if I’m wrong but my understanding is that they are normally once a few inches long, often blunt and under layers of clothing (so not out or on display). They are to protect others not themselves - the very nature of humanity.

Knowing Sikhs my understanding is that religion is not one where the entice people to join, are very charitable and will defend others.

This isn’t a religion based on large historical horribleness and shouldn’t be lumped into that category.

The Sikhs are epic people in general- agree.
However- we cannot have it so certain groups of people are allowed to carry bladed weapons about their person.
Some Christians have been told they cannot even wear a visible cross on a chain around their own neck,, and yet we have other religions allowed to wander round with knives.
Nope.
( I dont 'do' religion of any name, so I have no skin in this game. Although if I was to go about with an athame on show I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be allowed)

@ThereAreOnlyShadesOfGrey

I don't agree with that level of restriction. Secularism, both in idea, and in practice, doesn't mean that there cannot be any expression or practice of religion "in public", it means that religion must not mix in with government and public institutions - and vice versa, that the government must not interfere with religion.

France has a pretty strict form of secularism, but people are still able to publicly express their religion when out in public, if they choose. If a religious person is working at a particular place like a school, they have to remove religious clothing (and they can put it back on when they leave) - but there isn't a prohibition of everything religious in public.

I am a Pagan and, since many branches of Paganism include a respect for nature, including a belief that nature is ensouled with spirits, some practicing Pagans end up doing rituals and spells on public land. We try to do so as out of the way of other people, and as discreetly as possible - it's not always feasible to do it in our homes, and not everyone has a garden, and it's not as though there are tons of pagan temples around. Sometimes the ritual or spell might be a blessing of the land itself - my local Pagan Moot recently did a dressing of a local spring, which included a ritual.

I really don't want anything that makes the practice of paganism more difficult/impossible.

Oh my.
"We cannot have it".
I can and do have respect. For Sikhs. And Highlanders. And others.
More Sikhs, maybe fewer incels.
'We' should learn from them.

Both should be banned

Rastafarinism doesn't have doctrine or scripture.

It's recognised as a 'Religion' in the UK when it's more of a cultural way of life.

@SparklyHam It uses a reinterpretation of the Christian bible

Maybe so.
But not in the carrying of bladed weapons.

I am a Pagan and, since many branches of Paganism include a respect for nature, including a belief that nature is ensouled with spirits, some practicing Pagans end up doing rituals and spells on public land. We try to do so as out of the way of other people, and as discreetly as possible - it's not always feasible to do it in our homes, and not everyone has a garden, and it's not as though there are tons of pagan temples around. Sometimes the ritual or spell might be a blessing of the land itself - my local Pagan Moot recently did a dressing of a local spring, which included a ritual.
I really don't want anything that makes the practice of paganism more difficult/impossible.

Same here... but I manage to do my thing without carrying an athame or blade around with me...

We must agree to differ.

It's very hard to cut open bags of feed and bales for the cattle without carrying a knife. When on the farm a knife goes in my pocket when I get dressed, it comes out when I get undressed. It gets used 20+ times a day. There is no way I can work on the farm without a knife in my pocket.

I have horses and I use a blade for similar reasons... but I don't need to carry it around the streets when I'm off the farm.

Well hopefully you won't get stopped and searched when in the possession of a bladed instrument then...

Yes.

But no doctrine, no scripture, no leaders, no churches or meeting places other than people's homes.

Started culturally in Jamaica in the 1930s.

But you want us to accept the vague interpretation of old testament verses to justify cannabis use and dreadlocks as to be seen entirely the same as established religions dating back from centuries or millenia ago with clear scripture and doctrine?

You'll have to try harder.

@SparklyHam It is officially protected under UK equality and human rights law. Your bigotry against Jamaicans is irrelevant.

I am from a Rasta family but as a wise man once told me "Sister you want to understand Rasta, ask a white man, he know it all" 😂

But my point is that there have been multiple murders in this country using licensed shotguns. If they were only used by Sikhs, Muslims or Hindus, (licensed but as a religious symbol), then the uproar after the first murder would have seen them banned.

But there’s seemingly no concern or outrage that half a million men in this country own a far more deadly weapon that has been used to kill people.

The double standard here that I’m not understanding is: weapon as a religious symbol for brown men = not okay.

An even more deadly weapon for a white mans need to shoot pieces of clay = okay.

Whats wrong with dreadlocks?

Nothing.

Just don't expect them to be seen as a Religious requirement in the same way as other established Religions with doctrine amd scripture.

When they're really not because you're part of something which isn't really a Religion but more of a way of life going by vague interpretations of the old testament 2000 years ago and applying them to a cultural way of life starting in a tiny corner of the world less than a hundred years ago.

Do what you want with your hair but don't expect everyone else to accept its Religious when it isn't. It's cultural.

@Roomonthe3rdfloor A lot of people hate dreadlocks and show open bigotry saying they are smelly, dirty etc. It is common, and it is common to say Rasta is made up to justify being a smelly, dirty drug user. The BBC even allowed comedy sketches being openly bigoted against Jamaicans as late as 2020: globalvoices.org/2020/08/23/jamaicans-at-home-and-abroad-express-shock-at-outrageous-and-offensive-bbc-comedy-sketch/

Nothing is further from the truth - the care and attention needed to maintain them is intense. And they are extremely beautiful.

Before we solve the kirpan epidemic, how about getting rid of killer dogs ?

For an example.

The will of the Lord be done 😇

Maybe I am a stop and search demographic, maybe not.

But it is recognised as a religion, you don’t think it is, fair enough but doesn’t mean it’s not.

If you're carrying a knife in public you are a definitely a certain demographic.