British Airways is giving one of its employees a hard time over her wearing a small silver cross to work. Human Resources at BA say company policy decrees that overt religious symbols are not allowed as they may offend members of other religions.
This is complete and utter bollocks of course, just another case of Bureaucratic bullying.
BA managers themselves prove my case and damn themselves as hypocrites when they say the wearing of hijabs by Muslim women will be allowed as it would be unreasonable to ask someone to wear a hijab under other clothes.
Little Nicky's attitude to all things religious is summed up in the page header of course, but the specific problem with this particular piece of cant is that neither the cross nor the hijab are truly symbols of Christianity or Islam.
The cross, variations on which have cropped up in most Indo - European cultures down the ages, is a universal symbol, an abstract of the wheel of life representing renewal and regeneration. The concept is best explained in the Zoroastrian creation myth.
The hijab comes from the ancient Assyrian tradition of veiling women that spread throughout the Middle East. It is not a requirement of the Koran which only decrees that women should be modest in their dress.
The hijab, niqab and burqa relate to local cultures rather than Islam in general.
Were I to say that we should defend the rights of the British Airways worker individuals to wear her cross openly and with pride while simultaneously agreeing with Elton John that religion should be banned (I've been saying it for 30 years El.) that might seem like a contradiction.
Not so I argue. While we should always respect and defend the rights and freedoms of individuals to express their faith, sexuality, political position or support for Rushden and Diamonds F.C. (Who are Rushden and Diamonds F.C. by the way, anyone know?) what always seems to happen is that while many religious organisations are very eager to press for their right to free expression they are even more keen to demand the rights of others to do likewise be curtailed.
Now the British Airways lady is not demanding that Jews be banned from wearing the Star of David, Muslims be prevented from wearing headscarves or anything else, simply that she be allowed to wear a small cross, which does not bear a figure representing a crucified body.
Where is the problem with that?