As a concerned parent, I recently encountered a situation where a child spotted a kirpan being worn by an a member of school staff visiting on a temporary basis who was leaning over. The sight of this ceremonial blade, although part of a religious practice, would be startling and distressing to any child. Ironically, we live in a society which is fighting tooth and nail to combat the rising tide of knife crime. Schools are even conducting routine prevention sessions to educate and safeguard our children about the risks associated with carrying knives. Our children struggle to understand the difference between a weapon and a religious symbol, and this shouldn’t be their burden. 

It is not about compromising religious freedom but about adjusting to the current context of rising knife-related violence, where an item resembling a weapon can cause distress. It is 2025, and we continue to see a worrying increase in knife crime: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a 7% rise in offences involving knives or sharp instruments in the year ending March 2020 (ONS, 2020). 
In the year ending March 2024, there were around 50,500 offences involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester). This was 4.4% higher than in 2022/23

We ask legislators to amend the laws pertaining to wearing the kirpan in school environments, to mirror the heightened sensitivity surrounding knife crime. We request that they consider alternative ways Sikhs can express their faith that don’t involve carrying an item that resembles a weapon.

Please support this plea for change and sign this petition, for the wellbeing of our children and the prosperity of a peaceful multicultural society.