Sensitivity indoctrination has now reached new levels at the West Midlands Police (WMP), where non-Muslim officers and staff have been asked to fast alongside their Muslim colleagues during Ramadan as a “gesture of solidarity.”
The West Midlands Police Association of Muslim Police stated that colleagues can participate in a one-day fast during the religious holiday to raise funds for charity. ts employer, the gaffe-prone WMP, goes further by asserting that this practice helps officers understand the “significance” of Ramadan for local Muslims.
The idea has drawn criticism, including questions about how effectively police officers can carry out their duties while they don’t have any food and water for hours.
“Wholly inappropriate,” stated shadow justice minister Nick Timothy.
The Telegraph reports that in other parts of the public sector—such as local (i.e. municipal) government—there are also non-Muslim employees who fast during Ramadan. According to a document obtained by the newspaper, the WMP supports fasting colleagues by implementing flexible work schedules during Ramadan to ensure they have time to spend with their families.
It appears that year on year, an increasing number of non-Muslim employees join the fast in solidarity with their Muslim colleagues, which is claimed to further strengthen the family atmosphere of the police force’s culture. However, this official picture of inclusivity is hard to square with the Force being continually engaged in ‘two-tier policing,’ whether directed against young white men or Jews and Israelis.
