A minor disturbance in the force

On the day when Tony Blair will announce a substantial reduction in forces in Iraq, the PM's website reports other serious business --

21 February 2007

We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise Jedi Knights as a religion on par with Christianity, Islam and other beliefs.

Details of petition:

"The belief of Jedi Knights in 'the Force' is no more irrational than any other religious belief - but with less bigotry."

Response

The Government has no overarching role in regulating or recognising personal belief or faith. The Government can only legislate for actions and not for belief. The Church of England, as the established church, puts its own measures before Parliament but the Government takes no view on them. All earlier legislation restricting freedom of worship or limiting the civic rights of members of particular faiths have long since been repealed.

The UK has a long held commitment to freedom of worship and belief, and our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights are incorporated into the Human Rights Act 1998. As such people are free to form religions and free to follow their own practices and beliefs provided they remain within the law.

UPDATE 22 FEBRUARY: Reader LR points out that the web page has changed since we first linked to it, and the government response now concludes --

May the Force be with you.

FINAL UPDATE: The government has also refused to ban Halloween (no word on any similar proposal for Guy Fawkes Day).