The Rationalist Society of Australia is urging the nation’s war memorial to take full control of commemoration services after a veterans organisation that hosts the Anzac Day service withdrew from a resolution process regarding a religious discrimination complaint.

In June, RSA Executive Director Si Gladman submitted a complaint to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Human Rights Commission on the grounds that Christian dominance of the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) discriminated against non-Christians.

Over several months, the ACT Human Rights Commission has been conducting an investigation into the complaint. However, the ACT branch of the Returned & Services League (RSL) has notified the ACT Human Rights Commission that it will not participate in conciliation.

Although the Dawn Service is held on the grounds of the AWM, the institution’s director, Matt Anderson, has previously told the RSA that the memorial hosts the annual event “on behalf of the ACT Returned Services League”. 

In his complaint to the ACT Human Rights Commission, Mr Gladman said the imposition of Christianity at the Dawn Service was discriminatory and sent a message of exclusion to non-religious and non-Christian Australians.

This year’s Dawn Service again featured several acts of Christian worship, including Christian hymns, a Christian dedication and benediction, and the Lord’s Prayer – all presided over by a Christian chaplain.

“The dominance of one religion in what is the nation’s most important day of commemoration risks alienating many people and turning many people away, especially veterans and current service personnel (a majority of whom are non-religious, according to Department of Defence data),” said Mr Gladman in the complaint.

“We want the Dawn Service held at the AWM on Anzac Day to be reflective of the multi-faith and non-religious diversity of the Australian community, and of former military personnel and currently serving personnel, instead of being dominated by one religious worldview – Christianity.”

Last month, the ACT Human Rights Commission formally notified Mr Gladman that it was closing the complaint as the RSL had “advised us that they do not wish to participate in a conciliation”.

This week, Mr Gladman has written to the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Matt Keogh, and Mr Anderson, urging them to shift full responsibility of the Dawn Service to the AWM. He wrote:

“The Dawn Service at the AWM is of immense national significance to all Australians, not only to Christians and not only to those who attend in Canberra. The event is televised live and streamed online, with Australians of all kinds of backgrounds watching on from all parts of the country and the world,” he said.

“Those who are responsible for running the Dawn Service should aspire to deliver a service that is welcoming to all Australians and truly reflective of the modern, multicultural and diverse nation that we are today.

“By taking full responsibility for the event instead of just providing the venue, the AWM can help the Dawn Service meet community expectations. Currently, with the RSL imposing one religious worldview, the event does not meet community expectations.”

Mr Gladman said he was confident the AMW – famously, a secular shrine where no one particular religion is imposed – would deliver an event far more inclusive and welcoming of people of all faiths and none. 

“If the ACT branch of the RSL cannot be entrusted to host an event that can meet this standard and meet community expectations, then the Dawn Service should either be moved to another site for the RSL to continue hosting, or the AWM should take full control of it. We would prefer it to be the latter,” he said.

In other parts of the country, some RSL Dawn Services are largely secular and far more inclusive. At Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, for example, the Dawn Service this year featured the hymn Abide With Me, but, notably, no Christian chaplain, no recital of Christian prayers, and no Christian dedication and benediction.

The Rationalist Society of Australia is actively lobbying and advocating for secular reform of the Defence Force. See the latest updates here.

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Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.