Banning Prayer - An Age Old Tactic

This week national news ran the story of a secondary school that had banned 'prayer rituals' as part of its behaviour policy. The policy was challenged in the High Court by a Muslim pupil, with the case arising from the pupil and her peers wanting to pray as a group at lunch time, as per the practice suggested (prescribed?) for them by their religious community. Apparently circa 30 pupils wanted to actively join, but the school appears to have very strict behaviour codes, including (it seems) limiting groups to just four people even outside on the school communal areas.

One might wonder about this '4 max' policy (which sounds more like an anti-protest law you would expect in places like Russia ...), or about the merits of the High Court's decision to dismiss the challenge (i.e. effectively agreeing with the school). What I would like to focus on, however, is the notion that you can somehow ban prayer.

It reminds me of Daniel, and the jealous troublemakers who persuaded the king to create an edict banning any prayer (other than to the king). Daniel was not deterred, and didn't even bother to take his praying underground. As we know, lions became involved and they got to enjoy a tasty breakfast ...!

Banning prayer is an age old tactic, but is a ridiculous and futile notion. To be fair to the school, they are banning 'prayer rituals' rather than any prayer per se. They have suggested that the gang-of-thirty in their ritual would be intimidating, but I wonder if they have missed an opportunity to discuss and set a culture of understanding, multilateral tolerance and respect? Maybe their own staunchly secular ethos is now being used as an intimidation in itself?

For the pupils ... why not keep praying like Daniel, albeit subversively: 8 gangs of 4 would do it, or spread themselves out (a bit like the 2m social distancing thing we learnt in covid) so that technically they are not a gathering! Surely the school cannot proscribe individuals standing in apparent silence, or even individuals kneeling in silence, out on the school grounds?

Those who don't understand the spiritual will try many tactics to hold their position, but none of these are new and ultimately none of them of work.