Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pagan military get right to take festivals as holiday

Sean O"Neill and Richard Ford & ,}

Police officers have been since the right to take days off to dance exposed on the solstices, applaud flood rituals and bake Yule logs if they profess non-believer beliefs.

The Pagan Police Association claimed yesterday that it had been recognized by the Home Office as a farrago staff await organisation a standing additionally enjoyed by groups representing female, black, gay, Muslim and infirm officers.

Endorsement would meant that arch constables could not exclude a non-believer officers ask to take take a break days as piece of his or her annual leave. The eight non-believer festivals embody Imbolc (the take a break of lactating sheep), Lammas (the collect festival) and the Summer Solstice (when grassland celebration and exposed dancing are the sequence of the day).

Problematically, the non-believer festivals additionally embody Samhain (known to non-pagans as Halloween), a day when military leave is mostly cancelled since of the high occurrence of vandalism, assault and eremitic behaviour.

The new association, that already has 3 central military chaplains and committee members in the Metropolitan, Hertfordshire and Humberside forces, welcomed the breakthrough. Personal Computer Andrew Pardy, the vice-chairman and a kick officer in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, said: The Police Service needs to welcome paganism in sequence to paint communities effectively.

Mr Pardy, who worships Norse gods, added: All activities undertaken by the association await and strengthen the prophesy and values of the Police Service, whilst await the Home Office standards for equivalence and diversity.

However, there is confusion in policing circles that the widening clarification of diversity is formulating a fen of organisations formed on religion, gender and passionate course that crop up to emphasize division.

Andy Hayman, the former Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, said: No one would wish to dispossess any military military officer from being means to follow their religious idea but what is formidable to assimilate is because deputy groups have been springing up at such an shocking rate. Members of these associations are mostly available to encounter in avocation time receiving them afar from their policing duties. The open are right to consternation infrequently either any military work gets done.

Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers Alliance, pronounced he was dismayed that the Home Office had time to cruise the focus from the Pagan Police. Taxpayers dont wish the military obsessing about what divides them, they want them to be a joined force safeguarding the public.

It shouldnt make a difference what your sacrament is when youre a military military military officer it should usually make a difference that you are committed to fighting crime.

The National Policing Improvement Agency pronounced that it suggested the non-believer organisation on how to finish the office work indispensable for Home Office recognition.

The Home Office said, however, that it had refused a ask for appropriation from the Police Pagan Association and did not validate it as an central staff organisation.

David Davies, Conservative MP for Monmouth who additionally serves as a special constable with the British Transport Police, said: It sounds similar to a little kind of antic to me but as prolonged as they embrace no funding, afterwards they can do what they want. However, I am endangered at the engorgement of military organisations set up to await opposite racial groups and religions.

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