Religious. The Eleventh artwork from the Law on the Wall series by Lawyers Arts Club.

The title Religious is taken from the Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 139.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A SINGLE WORD

A single word is all that is needed to decide the way our life pans out. Imagine yourself only armed with ‘yes’ and ‘no’. You would not be able to do everything, but what you could achieve is mind blowing with the power of just a single word.

WHY RELIGIOUS?

Religious creates a sense of community. Whether you are a believer or not, by the idea of being religious just existing you can find a group who see the world and our creation the same as you.

WHAT LAW IS ON THE WALL?

The legal context in this act showcases the importance in tackling knife crime in the UK. Those who carry a knife for work, religious reasons and a part of a national costume are legally allowed to do so. The law was put in place to allow authorities to confiscate knives for the safety of everybody involved.

Criminal Justice Act 1988. 139 Offence of having article with blade or point in public place. (5) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4) above, it shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that he had the article with him— (a) for use at work; (b) for religious reasons; or (c) as part of any national costume.

FOREVER AMNESTY

Over the last year 12 knife amnesty bins were distributed around the Greater Manchester area. Over 6 months the bins collected over 550 knives. The idea of knife amnesty is to give people the opportunity to anonymously get rid of the weapons. A large percentage of those who owned a knife probably never intended on using it, however would be too scared to hand it in due to the potential repercussions. In London, youth workers have been approaching young people with the same tactic of making our streets safer. The next step is to then find support for those who have made the decision to give up the knives, and guiding them on how to not make the same mistake again.

ART AGAINST KNIVES

After the surprise unprovoked stabbing of Oliver Hemsley in London, the Art Against Knives foundation was formed. Their mission is to intervene with young people before them are either a victim or perpetrator of knife crime. Throughout London they host creative spaces allowing the youth of the area to channel their creative side. With the company still growing, they already give access to develop into nail beauticians, musicians, designers and martial artists.

THE KNIFE ANGEL

In 2018, London born artist Alfie Bradley constructed a 27 foot metallic angel sculpture made almost soulfully from over 1000 knives donated by the police. Bradley had lost a friend to a tragic stabbing which gave him the motivation to send a very important message around the country. The statue subsequently toured the UK.

OLDEST RELIGION

It is incredibly difficult to pinpoint which is the oldest religion in existence, but many experts believe that Hinduism is one of if not the oldest religion we know today. Their belief system is based upon the Vedas - a selection of scriptures compiled somewhere between the 15th - 5th centuries BCE in and around India.

WHY IS RELIGIOUS IMPORTANT IN 2021 AND BEYOND?

Religion is embedded in the foundations of society as we know it. Each culture is around the world has some affiliation with a belief, whether it be largest of Christianity or the oldest of Hinduism. The beauty of this spiritual structuring is that no matter what you believe in, no matter if you are religious or not, everyone is connected by their ability to have faith.

WHAT IS FAITH?

We celebrate those with faith. Faith is a crucial emotion to ones soul. You can have faith in your parents, your friends as much as you can have faith in your doctors or postal workers. To have faith is to have complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Much like in a religious setting, those followers have total faith in their teachings.

KNIFE CRIME IN THE UK

Knife crime in the UK is a terrifying issue that has been growing more and more in recent years. According to the House of Commons Library in the year ending March 2020, there were around 46,000 (selected) offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales.

AUSTERITY

One reason as to why knife crime is on the rise could be due to the rise of economic austerity in poorer communities in the UK. Children and young people may be forced to live in toxic environments that fails to nurture or protect them. This could lead to these children joining gangs to feel a sense of security, and in turn acting out violently to others.

GOVERNMENT CUTS

It is not by coincidence that more knife crime is committed in areas that have been subject to a huge social and economic disadvantage. Since 2010 there has been a £422.3 million reduction in funding for youth services. This has meant that over 600 youth centres have closed nationwide. These youth centres are integral for young people, especially those in difficult living conditions. They can be used to socialise, develop oneself and offer a safe place.

VICTIM ANXIETY

Everyone in the country is aware of the risk when it comes to knife crime. And the fear of being the victim of one of the horrific attacks is perfectly natural. However some studies show that this fear could be a reason as to why the numbers of incidents are not falling. If a person has been threatened in the past, or even knows someone who has been threatened they might feel inclined to carry a knife for protection. By having the weapon to hand it may make people feel less isolated and vulnerable, but ultimately it is a crime to even possess one outside of your accommodation.

TRUSTING THE POLICE

Many of those who carry knives do so for protection and security. The right thing to do is if you feel unsafe is to contact the authorities. However, it is more than likely that those who do go around with a weapon, do so because of a lack of faith and trust in the police. Many communities will centre around the mantra to distrust police, due to historic links of corruptness, abuse and institutional racism. Whilst this is sadly true in the UK, it is important to remember that the vast majority of police officers want to keep us safe. We cannot take the law into our own hands.

INTERACTIVE ART THAT SPARKS DISCUSSION

This is an on going, interactive artwork to keep people engaged with the law and the discussion that comes from it.

THE KIRPAN

One example of a knife that is legally allowed to be carried on a person for religious reasons is found in the Sikh religion and is called the Kirpan. It is believed that 1699 the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh commanded the Khalsa Sikhs to wear five artefacts of faith, also known as the five K’s. These are, Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (a steel or iron bracelet to be worn on the writs), Kangha (a wooden comb), Kacchera (short breeches), and the Kirpan (a sword or dagger).

LARGEST RELIGION

The largest religion in the world is Christianity and it has been for many years. As of 2020, this particular faith has about 2.4 billion followers, equating to around 31% of the earths population.

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