Dutch Deputy Foreign Minister Ben Knapen is demanding an explanation from the European Commission about a calendar for European schoolchildren which leaves out all of the Christian feast days. The feast days for other religions are included in the calendar. Mr Knapen has slammed what he calls “an absurd omission”.

3.2 million of the calendars were distributed to 21,000 secondary schools last year at a cost of 5 million euros. The European Commission has already admitted committing a fairly grave error in the project.

Three Dutch Christian political parties have called on the deputy foreign minister to lodge a protest about the calendar. “This is an incredible blunder. It makes you wonder what kind of agenda the European Commission has set itself,” complained Christian Union leader André Rouvoet.

“This isn’t just a mistake, it’s the world turned upside down,” fumed the leader of the orthodox Christian SGP Kees van der Staaij. He is demanding a full explanation as to how Christmas, Easter and Pentecost came to be “suppressed” in the calendar. The Christian Democrats want to know how the European Commission intends to give expression to the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Mr Rouvoet points out that Judeo-Christian culture still constitutes the main tradition in Europe. “You would expect the European Commission to help defend this tradition and seek to pass it on to our youth.”
(dd/hs)

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