Faizal Patel 

Is it really that important? Do we in the UK really need to learn about other people’s religions and customs? Why should we? Our country is a Christian country at its base, so why should we? 
These are the usual arguments fronted by people with narrow opinions, people who would prefer to keep the UK back in the days of colonialism and slavery. 

Allow me to retort. Education about others is the most important aspect of our time in school. But why? The reason it is, is because it allows us to appreciate others. Educating about others now means that we have the tools to interact socially with others. The world now is easily accessible, it is virtually impossible to keep a country that is free and democratic closed off to other religions and cultures. Mixing will occur. This means that to prevent tension and arguments in our society, to keep our country from tearing itself apart, we must educate our young about others. To prevent people from insulting others, to prevent misconceptions from occurring and creating large divisions. 

Education about different faiths means that silly misconceptions that the tabloids peddle or the EDL and BNP or hate peddlers like Geert Wilders commonly portray can no longer exist. If the German school children pre-Hitler had been taught about other religions would Hitler have risen to power so easily? I doubt it; he still may have taken over but it would have been a lot harder. If we educate ourselves it can prevent the large number of hate crimes which to this date cause problems and affect us all.

Since time immemorial, fear has been bred through ignorance; we as humans fear what we do not know or cannot understand. Why does my neighbour pray to a blue skinned statue? Why does my neighbour bow to something 5 times a day? Why does my neighbour do strange things? These are common questions. Since nations have existed, there has always been outsiders that are different, if you learn about them it reduces the damage done by social hate. It reduces the easiness with which people like Nick Griffin can play blame games.

The simple fact of the matter is that the world has moved on. As technology has advanced, so has people's ability to move around the world. I can hop on a flight tomorrow and go just about anywhere I please. This means that in the work place we will be exposed to many cultures and ideals. An old UK tradition which is being trampled on now, is the tradition of acceptance. The UK has always been diverse and willing to accept other ideals and religions. Universities now prefer those not just academically successful but someone who is well-rounded, and can socialise. Employers now prefer those that will get along in the work place, not those that will cause divisions. 

These uneducated misconceptions are a cancer in the very body of the society we live in. Uneducated remarks mean that we end up insulting the very people who can help us. How can the UK regain its place at the top of the world if its citizens make it such a hostile place to those who are ‘different’ that they start stop coming over? 

Underneath, we are all the same, we are all still humans. We are all still part of a global nation. Should we fear someone because we do not understand why they do something?

Instead of fearing something you do not understand, try to learn about it instead. I can guarantee you that it will make your life better. You will make new friends and, more importantly, you may just discover something new within yourself that all look for and seldom find: a sense of peace within.

At the United shades of Britain, we try to give you that education. We have people from different religions who are willing to answer your questions, to create a sense of community that transcends all race, religion and colour. So that we can unite as the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland