A divided society is full of tension, and the old theosophical ideal of unity seems a desirable objective.  Current divisions, between rich and poor; first world and third world; safe havens and asylum seekers; Israel and Palestine; Christianity and Islam; terrorism and democracy, have brought the world to a state of tension not witnessed since the Cuban Missile Crisis over 40 years ago.  Kruschev chose to reduce the tension by stepping back from the brink.  We are faced with the same choice today.

Many of today’s problems can be witnessed at a single meeting point: the western school playground.  Muslim children, perhaps from a third world background, perhaps having sought asylum, mix with children from Jewish or Christian backgrounds, or (more likely) with children who have no religious allegiance at all.  If these children can get along with each other, uniting in a love of football, netball, art, etc, there is a chance that as adults they will live in a more tolerant society.

At my fee-paying grammar school I was a scholarship boy from a poor background.  As far as I remember there were no divisions based on social class, helped no doubt by the fact that we all wore the same uniform. I don’t remember any religious divisions, either.  My ‘clique’ was soccer-based, and between it and the rugby players there existed nothing worse than good-natured contempt.  Even this disappeared when ‘our’ school competed against a rival.

If social and religious divisions are emphasised in the playground it becomes more difficult for children to make cross-cultural friendships, and if they grow up separately it is likely that they will move into separate adult worlds.  So the question is: should cultural identities be merged in the interests of an integrated society, or is the expression of one’s culture an inalienable right of every child?

France has answered the question decisively: religious symbols should not be worn to school.  Muslim countries, for the most part, have been equally decisive, extending the Islamic dress code to all who live in Muslim States.  Strangely, this does not attract the same amount of publicity as the French stance.  If we expect an Muslim State to run its schools on religious principles it does not seem unreasonable for a Democratic State not to want its schools subjected to religious divisions.  When in Rome, and all that, and if you don’t like it: go home.

To those without strong religious convictions the debate must seem slightly bizarre, for the three dominant religions share a belief in the same God of Abraham.  This omnipotent Being, responsible for the entire Universe, cares about whether His children wear skullcaps or scarves or crucifixes in a Paris schoolyard?  Seems like it might be more important to His followers than it is to Him.

But the banning of such symbols in State schools might result in completely separate education systems for Muslims, Jews and Christians.  Any chance of integration will be lost completely, and France could descend into a kind of apartheid. 

Rather than trying to eliminate differences it would be far better to teach all children tolerance and respect for other cultures, for surely that is one of the cornerstones of democracy.  Left to their own devices children have a great propensity for friendship.  Let them respect the headscarf, skull-cap and crucifix, and let us not erect our adult barriers in their playgrounds.