A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services
Encyclopedia
A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services is a publication of Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau
designed to offer guidance to police and emergency services personnel on how religious affiliation can affect their contact with the public.
, Islamic, Jewish and Sikh
faiths with participation of representatives of the various religions. Religion Statistics for National totals and by State and Territories from census 1996 were also included. It was sponsored by a collection of multicultural organizations from across Australia. It offered a two-page summary of the religion, issues on death, gender roles, sensitivity issues (gestures or interactions that cause offence), how to allow the taking of an oath, possible conflicts with religious calendars or events, and dealing with proper behavior at temples and members of its staff. The second edition added Christian, Australian Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander religions and Bahá'í
to the list of religions and included data from the 2001 census when published in 2002. Fifty thousand copies were printed and distributed. A third edition was planned for publication in 2006-07 but was still in development in 2009. However in 2005 a publication along the same lines was produced by the Mäori Pacific Ethnic Services, Office of the Commissioner, for New Zealand Police covering Māori religion
, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judiams, and Sikhism. It acknowledged the Australian publication's producers for "…a number of photographs and text on which to base the New Zealand version…". Another edition of the New Zealand document appears to have been published in 2009. The New Zealand edition also had appendices outlining: information from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Treaty of Waitangi
and religious freedom, religious affiliations government statistics in New Zealand, and artworks at the Royal New Zealand Police College
.
Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau
Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau is an agency of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs of the Government of Australia...
designed to offer guidance to police and emergency services personnel on how religious affiliation can affect their contact with the public.
History
The National Police Ethnic Advisory Bureau conducted a nationwide survey in Australia and identified questions operational police had regarding religious determined behaviors and their impact on policing (see 1st ed. forward) in 1999. The first edition covered Buddhist, HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, Islamic, Jewish and Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
faiths with participation of representatives of the various religions. Religion Statistics for National totals and by State and Territories from census 1996 were also included. It was sponsored by a collection of multicultural organizations from across Australia. It offered a two-page summary of the religion, issues on death, gender roles, sensitivity issues (gestures or interactions that cause offence), how to allow the taking of an oath, possible conflicts with religious calendars or events, and dealing with proper behavior at temples and members of its staff. The second edition added Christian, Australian Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
and Torres Strait Islander religions and Bahá'í
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
to the list of religions and included data from the 2001 census when published in 2002. Fifty thousand copies were printed and distributed. A third edition was planned for publication in 2006-07 but was still in development in 2009. However in 2005 a publication along the same lines was produced by the Mäori Pacific Ethnic Services, Office of the Commissioner, for New Zealand Police covering Māori religion
Maori religion
Māori religion is the religious beliefs and practice of the Māori, the Polynesian indigenous people of New Zealand.-Traditional Māori religion:...
, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judiams, and Sikhism. It acknowledged the Australian publication's producers for "…a number of photographs and text on which to base the New Zealand version…". Another edition of the New Zealand document appears to have been published in 2009. The New Zealand edition also had appendices outlining: information from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
and religious freedom, religious affiliations government statistics in New Zealand, and artworks at the Royal New Zealand Police College
Royal New Zealand Police College
The Royal New Zealand Police College is the central training institution for police recruits and police officers in New Zealand. It is located at Papakowhai, approximately 2 km north of Porirua City....
.
Religious individuals or non-governmental institutions
The publications have been generally received by a variety of religious individuals or non-governmental institutions:- A Christian minister of St Barnabas Church, East Orange, New South WalesOrange, New South WalesOrange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
was a police chaplain who offered a sermon highlighting the project for his Easter service in 2006. - It was listed as a resource for the public in a Cultural Planning Framework and Resource Kit of the Migrant Information Centre (Eastern Melbourne).
- In a report to The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust of Australia a senior Chaplain of the Victoria Police and Churchill Fellow extensively quoted and recommended the 2nd edition of the Australian publication to the Trust.
- The New Zealand edition was noted positively from Hindu commentary.
- New Zealand Commission on Human Rights approved of the work.
- The New Zealand Dominion Post presented an article summarizing the New Zealand publication briefly in context with an example case.
- The Hindu community was noted as reacting positively in the Thaindian News to the release of the revised edition in New Zealand in 2009.
Negative reactions
There has been some negative comment as well:- One commentator noted that it appeared to excuse wife beating among Muslims.
Widespread uses in government
Several governments or divisions of government have cited it or used the publication in their deliberations:- The New Zealand publication was noted in the Report of the Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand: Australia-New Zealand Committee Exchange Program by the "Joint Standing Committee on Migration" of the government of Australia.
- The Australian publication was cited often during the inquiry of the proposed law on oath-taking in a report to the Parliament of Victoria.
- The Office of Multicultural Interests of the Department of Local Government of the Government of Western Australia used it as the sole source to outline the Sikh religion in its series Culture and Religion -Information Sheet.
- It was cited some 16 times and quoted extensive in one section of the publication Equality before the Law Bench Book, section Section 4 — People with a particular religious affiliation by the Judicial Commission of New South WalesJudicial Commission of New South WalesThe Judicial Commission of New South Wales is an independent statutory corporation of the New South Wales Government that provides continuing education to and examines complaints made against judicial officers in New South Wales, Australia....
and a similar work by the Judicial Commission of Queensland office. - It was listed as a resource in the Australian Department of DefenceDepartment of Defence (Australia)The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
publication Defence Guide to Managing Diversity in the Workplace in 2004.
Professional publications
Several professional publications noted the document:- The Australian Police Journal Online offered an editorial reviewing a newspaper coverage and support for the work.
- The Australian Institute of CriminologyAustralian Institute of CriminologyThe Australian Institute of Criminology is Australia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice. The Institute seeks to promote justice and reduce crime by undertaking and communicating evidence-based research to inform policy and practice.The functions of the AIC include...
published a paper reviewing the publication calling it "excellent example of the commitment that all Australian policing jurisdictions have to police/ethnic relations, the emphasis of all jurisdictions is now largely focused on recruitment from ethnic communities" and "an extremely useful and internationally acclaimed publication…". - The United States Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Law Enforcement Bulletin commented on it as an "effort at acknowledging the spiritual genesis of the profession provides a promising framework for collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches to many of law enforcement’s critical concerns." - The Journal of Asian Association of Police Studies published a review of issues in the Vietnamese community in Australia. It noted the publication as part of a "the improved approach of the police services to criminal activity in ethnic communities" though problems had not ceased.
- Both the Australian publisher of the Australian publication and the New Zealand publication were mentioned as resources in a professional training education website for dealing with religious diversity in the context of test scenarios.
See also
- Qur'an oath controversy of the 110th United States CongressQur'an oath controversy of the 110th United States CongressIn mid-November 2006 it was reported that Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress , "will take his oath of office with his hand upon the Qur'an, the Islamic holy book." In reaction to the news, conservative media pundit Dennis Prager criticized the decision in his...
about a question of oath taking and religion - ACLU of N.C. & Syidah Matteen v. State of North CarolinaACLU of N.C. & Syidah Matteen v. State of North CarolinaACLU of N.C. & Syidah Mateen v. State of North Carolina is a court case in the state of North Carolina within the United States of America. One of the main plaintiffs is Syidah Mateen an American-Muslim of Greensboro, North Carolina...
for another case of oath taking and religion - Massachusetts Teachers' OathMassachusetts Teachers' OathThe Massachusetts Teachers' Oath was a loyalty oath required to teach in Massachusetts.In response to political radicalism during the Great Depression, several states passed legislation that required public school teachers to submit signed oaths of loyalty to the state and/or federal Constitutions...
- Oath of Allegiance in Canada
- Islamic scarf controversy in France as another example of religion of a minority interacting with a majority cultural point of view.
- Religious intoleranceReligious intoleranceReligious intolerance is intolerance against another's religious beliefs or practices.-Definition:The mere statement on the part of a religion that its own beliefs and practices are correct and any contrary beliefs incorrect does not in itself constitute intolerance...
- Religious segregationReligious segregationReligious segregation is the separation of people according to their religion. The term has been applied to cases of religious-based segregation occurring as a social phenomenon, as well as to segregation arising from laws, whether explicit or implicit....
External links
- Entry at the National Library of AustraliaNational Library of AustraliaThe National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...