Soldiers told to avoid Christian ‘elements’ in Acts of Remembrance
by Steven Edgington, Telegraph:
Guidance, seen by The Telegraph, is part of push across Armed Forces by MoD to encourage diversity and inclusion.
The Army has told soldiers to avoid “religious elements” in Acts of Remembrance on Armistice Day, documents seen by The Telegraph reveal.
The Army’s “Policy, Guidance and Instructions on Inclusive Behaviours”, published in June 2022, states that “Acts of Remembrance, on Armistice Day and others, should be inclusive and seek to avoid being conducted as a wholly religious event”.
The guidance continues: “Acts of Remembrance should be agnostic of religious elements and separated from Remembrance Services. This may be achieved by holding a religious service after the Act of Remembrance.”
Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, is said to be “furious” about the policy, with a source close to him telling The Telegraph: “The Secretary of State is Jewish and he’s not offended one bit by Christian remembrance services – in fact, he believes it’s at the core of our nation’s history and who we are.”
The Army’s inclusivity policy on Remembrance Day is part of a push across the Armed Forces to encourage diversity and inclusion.
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