●RICHARD Dawkins, the evolutionary scientist, has criticised Muslim parents for “importing creationism” into British schools.

He says that teachers are bending over backwards to respect home prejudices installed into children, adding that the Government could do more, but doesn’t want to because it is fanatical about multiculturalism.

Of course, Professor Dawkins is also a man with a belief system. He belongs to a religion called Atheism.

In my libertarian world, he should be allowed to practise his faith and also argue its central tenets.

It doesn’t bother me one jot, because I am free to reject or accept his logic.

However, British ‘liberals’ get into a huge lather over Creationism.

On the one hand, they fall over themselves to sagely approve cultural diversity, but on the other they splutter that it’s vital only Charles Darwin’s theories should be taught in schools.

The problem is that they want it both ways.

Multi-faith is good when it concerns ethnic minorities but very, very bad when it comes to indigenous Christians and notions of Genesis.

Personally, I have for long regarded the concept of ‘intelligent design’ as rather appealing. The fact that I am a mere two DNA wotsits away from a chimpanzee in no way dims my enthusiasm for the idea that human beings occupy a very special place in the universe.

●PACK up your troubles in your old kit bag… yes, it will be November before you know it and the time of remembrance will be upon us.

I have a special project – to plant a Picardy oak in my home village to remember one of its sons.

My idea is being presented to the parochial church council and they will let me know in due course.

Remembrance Day represents the grief of a nation traumatised by the wars of the last century.

Sadly though, the only thing that has changed since 1914-18 is the scale of the suffering. Nearly a century later, wounded soldiers are being invalided out of Iraq and Afghanistan, dumped in Birmingham hospitals… and forgotten.

Many lie in civilian wards minus legs, arms and eyes. Some of these poor men are double amputees.

Who speaks for them?

Our society is decidedly myopic regarding such matters.

The pseuds who elected New Labour remain curiously silent about the government’s addiction to war. In stark contrast, there’s endless posturing about selectively chosen history, as you might expect.

Rudyard Kipling composed some memorable lines about Tommy Atkins that have just as much resonance today as when they were written all those years ago.

Some people should read and learn.