Star Wars Force followers claim more Jedi than Jews in Great Britain

Posted: 12/01/06

Star Wars Force followers claim
more Jedi than Jews in Great Britain

By Al Webb

Religion News Service

LONDON (RNS)—A pair of London science fiction enthusiasts are petitioning the United Nations to formally recognize the Jedi Knights of Star Wars fame as a legitimate religion.

Umada and Yun-yun—known in real life as John Wilkinson and Charlotte Law—base their case on the results of Britain’s 2001 census in which some 395,000 followers of the Star Wars cult recorded their faith as “Jedi.”

This, they contend in their protest letter to the U.N., makes the Jedi Knights Britain’s fourth-largest religious group, ahead even of Judaism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

“Like the U.N., the Jedi Knights are peacekeepers, and we feel we have the basic right to express our religion through wearing of our robes,” their letter said.

Umada and Yunyun also insisted the United Nations change its International Day of Tolerance to the Interstellar Day of Tolerance for its annual observance in November.

“Tolerance is about respecting difference wherever it lies, including other galaxies,” the two worshippers of The Force said.

“Please don’t exclude us from your very important work,” they said, signing their missive, “May the Force be with you.”

In addition to the sizable contingent in Britain, the Star Wars movement claims to have some 70,000 Jedi Knights in Australia, 53,000 in New Zealand and 20,000 in Canada.

But in New York, the U.N. remained unmoved by the force of either numbers or persuasion.

“The United Nations is not in the business of certifying religions—with or without lightsabers,” outgoing Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told a news conference.

The spokesman said the secretary-general would not grant the London Jedis’ request. When pressed for further comment, Dujarric replied, “If I could be transported to another planet right now, I would.”