Political correctness strikes back: Jedi believer wins apology after being kicked out of Jobcentre for wearing a hood

By Andrew Levy

As any Star Wars fan knows, the Force is a powerful tool that can be harnessed to control the minds of weak-willed individuals.

So when Jedi believer Chris Jarvis was told to remove his hooded top at a Jobcentre, its staff must have been made of stern stuff.

Despite explaining he wears a cowl as part of his faith, the 31-year-old was marched off the premises by security guards after refusing to comply.

Infuriated by his treatment, he wrote a letter of complaint to the branch in Southend, Essex, and was surprised to receive an apology which said the service ’embraces diversity and respects customers’ religions’.

Despite the olive branch, the disabled father of three is planning to sue Jobcentre Plus for discrimination.

Jedi believer Chris Jarvis (left) and Sir Alec Guinness, playing the role of the Jedi knight, Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. Mr Jarvis refused to remove his hooded top at a Jobcentre because it was integral to his Jedi faith

He said: ‘I am a Star Wars follower. It means following the way of the Jedi.

‘The main reason is I want to wear my hood up and I have got a religion which allows me to do that. It’s my choice. It’s my right to do it.

‘I’m not racist but I’m an Englishman living in my own country. Someone with their own religious views is allowed to wear what their religion says –  the Sikhs are able to carry a great big dagger. My religion allows me to wear my hood.

‘I felt very let down by a government organisation.’

Mr Jarvis, who uses a walking stick and has been out of work for more than two years after fracturing both of his heels, dropped into the Jobcentre on Friday to make enquiries about his disability benefits.

‘I was told by security staff to remove my hood. I was told, not asked. I said “It’s my religion, I’m a Jedi knight,’ said Mr Jarvis, who also has a stepdaughter.

‘There was a Muslim lady in there with full head gear and I said, “This is my religion and that’s her religion. Before you get into legal problems, go and Google it”.’

The former builder, who lives in Southend with girlfriend Amanda Alford, 31, who is also unemployed, said the floor manager then came over and asked him to remove the hood.

When he complained, the floor manager Googled the Jedi religion and came back to tell him there was nothing on the internet about having to wear a hood.

‘I told them there was nothing in the Koran saying the Muslim woman had to wear a full head scarf but they weren’t hassling her,’ he added.

‘Nobody said it was for security reasons or anything. It was like “You’re removing it because we say so”.’

May the Jobcentre be with you: The Southend branch where Mr Jarvis defended his Star Wars religion

He eventually agreed to remove the hood but was surrounded by three security guards when he put it back up while using a computer to look for jobs.

‘I felt threatened. They were ready to throw me out for a religious reason. The manager told them to remove me from the premises, so I left.’

Mr Jarvis, who has been following Jediism for eight months, then wrote to the Jobcentre complaining about his treatment and received a response three days later from manager Wendy Flewers.

She wrote: ‘I’m sorry to hear of your recent experience and have investigated the issue.
‘Jobcentre Plus is committed to provide a customer service which embraces diversity and respects a customer’s religion or beliefs.

‘I would like to apologise that on this occasion you were asked to remove your hood which you have stated is not acceptable as part of your religious belief.

‘We as an organisation have a duty of car to both customers and staff, therefore for security reasons we ask customers to remove their hoods.

‘I have spoken to the member of staff and it was not their intention to offend your beliefs.’

Jediism, which bases its teachings on the ‘the Force’ from the Star Wars films, was officially recognised as a religion in 2001.

The Jedi religion, which has more than 400,000 members in the UK, is inspired by the Star Wars films in which the Jedis represent the ‘light side’ in the fight against Darth Vader’s ‘dark side’.

Enlarge   The Jobcentre writes back: The letter Chris Jarvis received from branch manager Wendy Flewers

In September last year the founder of the religion, 23-year-old Daniel Jones, was kicked out of a Tesco supermarket in North Wales for wearing his distinctive brown hood.

But Tesco hit back in the spirit of the epic space saga and claimed that the three most well-known Jedi knights in the Star Wars movies – Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker – all appeared in public without their hoods.

The Jedi Church believes that there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together.

It states on its website: ‘The Jedi Church recognises that there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together, and accepts all races and species from all over the universe as potential members of the religion.

‘The Jedi religion is something innate inside everyone of us, the Jedi Church believes that our sense of morality is innate. So quiet your mind and listen to the force within you!’

It continues: ‘There are two sides to the force, the dark side and the light side. Beware of the dark side… The dark side leads to fear. Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.’