Hindus have commended schoolchildren in Dudley (West Midlands, England) celebrating and learning about “other” faiths for three days, calling it a step in the positive direction
Hosted by Sledmere Primary School, this Faith City event was joined by children of five other area primary schools and discovered more about Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism with a high-level engagement and interest, and included asking challenging questions by intrigued children, reports suggest.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that thus opening-up the Dudley primary schoolchildren to major world religions would make them well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow. It also made a good business sense to know the beliefs of “others” in a global community. Moreover, students should have knowledge of the entire society to become full participants in the society.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that objectively deciphering Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism; to schoolchildren of increasingly diverse, plural and multicultural Dudley would widen their horizons. This multi-faith dialogue on religion would bring more mutual understanding and trust and loyalty in the community and all primary schools of United Kingdom should indulge in such exercises.
Rajan Zed points out: Religion is complex. Religion is powerful. Religion is much more than our own particular tradition. There are interconnections and interdependencies between religions and there are differences. If we dig deeper, we shall find that we have more in common than in conflict.
The event host, Sledmere Primary School in Dudley, calls itself “a fully inclusive school” with the tagline “Be The Best You Can Be”, promotes “open, respectful conversations” and challenges “All forms of racism and prejudice”.
