UK's Antrim Newtownabbey Borough, which opens with Bible reading, rebuffs Hindu prayer request

Nov 29 :
UK's Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, which has been opening its monthly meetings with “Bible Reading and Prayer”, has turned down request to have Hindu opening-prayer in an upcoming session.

Richard Baker, Chief Executive of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, in an email response to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed (who requested to be scheduled to read opening-prayer in an upcoming Council meeting), wrote that Mayor had “decided to allow only fellow Councillors to open a Council meeting with a Bible reading and prayer”. Monthly meetings of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council have been opening with “Bible reading and prayer", which has been first item on the agenda. Borough Council meetings have been reportedly opening with a prayer since 2015, the year it was established.

Request of Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, seeking Mayor or councillor to read the Hindu opening-prayer supplied by him in one Council meeting, was also not accepted. There seems to be presently no process of appeal against the current invocation (opening-prayer) structure of the Borough Council.

Rajan Zed feels that it is a case of unfairness, discrimination, favoritism; and does not speak well of a democratic society. Zed suggests that it is time for the Borough Council to move to multi-faith opening prayers. Since the Borough Council represents every resident irrespective of religion/denomination/non-belief, it would be quite befitting to do a rotation of prayers representing major religions/denominations, including slots for the thoughts of non-believers.

As adherents of all religions, including minority religions, and non-believers have made a lot of contributions to the borough and continue to do so and paid their share of the taxes; they should all get representation in the Council prayer. Democratic governments should not be influenced by one religion or the other; Rajan Zed, who has opened both the United States Senate and US House of Representatives in Washington DC with Hindu prayers, emphasizes.

Zed thinks that the existence of different religions is an evident symbol of God’s generosity and munificence. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council should quest for a unity that hailed diversity. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents, and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

The Borough of Antrim & Newtownabbey in Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) covers about 274 square miles and Belfast International Airport is in the borough. Neil Kelly and Paul Dunlop are the Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively of the Council, APSE's UK Council of the Year 2024.