Daily media briefing
Stay informed with our daily media briefing newsletter. Every weekday morning we'll bring you the most relevant news and updates related to secularism directly to your inbox.
* = Registration may be required to read the article
Tue, 19 Mar 2024
Civil Service Muslim Network suspended over Israel-Gaza comments
The Civil Service Muslim Network has suspended its activities pending an investigation after reports that it had hosted events during which speakers had encouraged officials to "lobby" colleagues to change the government's policy on the conflict in Gaza.
Civil Service World
Sheffield priest in court to face 34 sexual abuse charges
A priest who led an evangelical movement has appeared in court to face allegations of sexual offences against former members of his congregation.
BBC
Regulator opens case into charity with links to Church of Scientology
The Charity Commission is looking into a charity with links to the Church of Scientology that allegedly left vulnerable people "panicking" and in "trance-like states".
Third Sector
Gambia lawmakers refer a repeal of the ban on female genital cutting to more committee discussions
Lawmakers in Gambia referred an attempted repeal of the 2015 ban on female genital cutting for further committee discussions on Monday.
Associated Press
The first outside legal analyses of Vatican’s ‘trial of the century’ are in, and they’re critical
Several prominent lawyers have published stinging academic critiques and legal opinions about the Vatican's recently concluded "trial of the century," highlighting violations of basic defence rights and rule of law norms that they warn could have consequences for the Holy See going forward.
Associated Press
Australia: Labor to put religious discrimination reform on hold
Labor is preparing to shelve a controversial change to religious discrimination law unless it gains a guarantee of bipartisan support from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton
Sydney Morning Herald*
Nobel winner urges world to turn the screw on Iran over rights abuses
Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi on Monday called on countries to increase pressure on Tehran over its "egregious" human rights abuses.
France 24
Mon, 18 Mar 2024
Civil Service guidance directed officials to website that likened homosexuality to ‘a scourge’ – NSS quoted
Civil service guidance has reportedly directed officials to a website on which homosexuality is described as a "scourge" and "western modernity" likened to a "disease".
The Telegraph*
Anti-blasphemy group called for jihad at British protest
Supporters of a group that was highlighted in a report on anti-blasphemy extremism have called for jihad at rallies on British streets and stated non-Muslims are the "enemies of Islam" in a private meeting.
The Times*
Banned ‘extremist’ groups will still be able to influence policy
Groups banned from engaging with the government under Michael Gove's definition of extremism can still contribute to consultations informing policy, his department confirmed.
The Times*
Antisemitic tropes shared during civil service meetings
A series of meetings has been held by hundreds of civil servants discussing how to force the government to change its policy on the Israel-Gaza war and has reportedly featured numerous antisemitic tropes.
The Times*
Coleraine primary latest to vote for integrated status
Parents at a Coleraine primary school have become the latest to vote in favour of a switch to integrated status.
Belfast Telegraph
Row over outlawing of prayer outside Scots abortion clinics in new law
Religious acts including praying will be criminalised outside abortion clinics in proposed new laws being backed by ministers, the Herald can confirm.
The Herald
Scientology-linked UK rehab centre investigated by charities watchdog
A Scientology-linked addiction charity accused of subjecting vulnerable people to psychological drills that left them "broken" and "traumatised" is being investigated by Britain's charities watchdog.
The Guardian
Yellow stars worn again at latest Charedi pro-yeshiva demo
Members of the Strictly Orthodox community once again wore yellow stars on their clothing at the latest protest in Westminster on Friday to oppose what they see as a threat to yeshiva education in the UK.
Jewish News
Church of England accused of ‘acting like a loan shark’ over vicar’s widow falling £313,000 in debt
The family of a vicar's widow has accused the Church of England of behaving like a loan shark after a £55,000 mortgage it granted became a £313,000 debt – on top of monthly payments she has been making for almost 30 years.
The Guardian
Fri, 15 Mar 2024
Imam lectured children and worked with Met despite being ruled ‘extremist’
A radical Muslim preacher whose activities were a catalyst for the government's latest extremism crackdown is reportedly still active in his local mosque where he hosts discussions with local primary school children.
The Times*
Michael Gove ‘didn’t go far enough’ says his own social cohesion adviser
Michael Gove has named and shamed five groups likely to fall foul of a new government definition of extremism but faced criticism from his own adviser that his efforts did not go far enough.
The Times*
Stormont Education Minister: Government has “undermined” its integrated education commitment
The UK Government has "undermined" its own commitment to support integrated and shared education in Northern Ireland after 10 schools had ring-fenced funding withdrawn, Stormont 's Education Minister has said.
Belfast Live
‘Time to call out Islamism for what it is’
Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Tell MAMA, says Islamism is a form of extremism is based on regressive and medieval foundations.
The Jewish Chronicle
Polish Catholics get a new leader as the church struggles to reckon with sexual abuse
The leaders of Poland's influential Catholic Church on Thursday chose moderate Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda to be their new principal, at a time when the church is still struggling to reckon with the abuse of minors by some Polish clergy.
Associated Press
Nearly 500 victims of church sex abuse in France receive financial compensation
Hundreds of victims of child sexual abuse by priests or church representatives have received financial compensation so far from France's Catholic Church under a sweeping reparations program, an independent body in charge of the process said Thursday.
Associated Press
How the US Christian Right funds anti-abortion activities abroad
Right-wing US groups have spotted an opportunity to ramp up their activities since Roe v. Wade's repeal.
Inkstick Media
US, UN express concern about India's religion-based citizenship law
The U.S. government and the United Nations on Tuesday expressed concerns about a contentious religion-based citizenship law, opens new tab in India, with the UN calling the legislation "fundamentally discriminatory in nature."
Reuters
India blocks access to documentary about death of Sikh activist in Canada
India has ordered prominent video-sharing platforms to block access to a new Canadian documentary probing the assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Vancouver.
The Guardian
Thu, 14 Mar 2024
Rosyth Baptist Church pastor rejects NSS claim that sermon was misogynistic
Rev Chris Demetriou, who is pastor at Rosyth Baptist Church, and his wife Julie were featured in national newspapers after the National Secular Society raised concerns over a sermon on marriage which they said claimed a wife should "submit" to her husband.
Dunfermline Press
New extremism definition unveiled by government
Ministers have unveiled a new extremism definition under which certain groups will be blocked from government funding and meeting officials.
BBC
Women admits to court she caned son after watching religious teaching
A mother standing trial accused of her son's murder has admitted beating the three-year-old with a cane, leaving him alone in the house with his younger brother and failing to seek immediate medical help for severe burns.
ITV
‘The Muslims being hounded by Islamic zealots’
"While there is a lot of focus on non-Muslims' prejudice against the so-called Muslim community, there is very little acknowledgement of certain Muslim sects' prejudice against other Muslims. In particular, there is a wilful ignorance of the prejudice directed towards Ahmadi Muslims by other Muslims."
Spiked
Nigerian Islamic police in Kano arrest non-fasting Muslims during Ramadan
The Islamic police in Nigeria's northern state of Kano arrested 11 Muslims on Tuesday who were seen eating food during the Ramadan fast.
BBC
Zimbabwe police rescue 251 children used as labor and find graves in religious sect compound raid
Zimbabwe police on Wednesday said they have arrested a man claiming to be a prophet of an apostolic sect at a shrine where believers stay in a compound and authorities found 16 unregistered graves, including those of infants, and more than 250 children used as cheap labour.
Associated Press
India set to criminalise Christian ‘magical healing’: evangelists could face 5 years in prison
The state lawmakers of Assam, India, have proposed a ban on what they see as "magical healing".
Premier Christian News
Australia: High Court battle set to begin over liability of Catholic Church for child sexual abuse
The Catholic Church will launch a High Court battle today, over whether it was vicariously liable for the actions of an assistant priest who sexually abused a five-year-old boy in 1971.
ABC
Wed, 13 Mar 2024
Labour will order police to record anti-Semitic and Islamophobic non-hate crime incidents
A Labour Government would require police to record non-hate crime incidents of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia under plans to combat extremism, Yvette Cooper has pledged.
The Telegraph*
Baptisms 'a ticket to something' for some asylum seekers – vicar
Some asylum seekers see baptisms "as a ticket to something" and most baptism requests were when they were appealing an asylum claim, a vicar has told MPs.
BBC
Scottish abortion staff scared to go to work 'should chill everybody'
It should put "chills through everybody" that there are health workers in Scotland afraid to go to work because of anti-abortion protesters outside hospital gates, the MSP behind key legislation has said.
The National*
Michael Gove’s ‘centre of excellence’ to name extremist groups
Michael Gove is to announce the creation of a new counter-extremism "centre of excellence" tasked with naming groups and individuals that breach the government's new definition of extremism.
The Times*
French court upholds decision to deport Moroccan imam accused of hate speech
A Paris administrative court on Monday upheld a decision to deport French-born Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. Sent back to Morocco in 2023 after being accused of hate speech.
RFI
US: Dozens allege child sexual abuse in Maryland treatment program under newly filed lawsuits
More than three dozen people allege in two lawsuits filed Tuesday that they were sexually abused as children at a Maryland residential program for youths that closed in 2017 following similar allegations.
Associated Press
Iran's women vow resistance against 'misogynistic' regime
Iranian rights activists share their stories about women who face daily threats and harassment, but continue demanding the right to expression and self-determination.
DW
Tue, 12 Mar 2024
Secularism is a feminist issue – NSS opinion
'An unwillingness to think critically about religious practices which are at odds with democratic values spells disaster for women's rights.'
The Freethinker
‘An appalling direction’: UK activists criticise plans to redefine extremism – NSS quoted
Government plans to broaden the definition of extremism have been widely criticised, including by the National Secular Society, which said that the proposed definition could "label secularists and republicans as extremists".
The Guardian
Michael Gove to name organisations affected by new extremism definition
Michael Gove wants to use parliamentary privilege to name groups that he says fall foul of his new definition of extremism, despite pushback from government lawyers who have warned about the legal implications of doing so.
The Guardian
Vast majority of voters support change in law on assisted dying
The vast majority of voters of every political hue, in every parliamentary constituency in England and Wales, support a change in the law on assisted dying, campaigners said on Monday.
The Times*
Italy abuse case highlights how scandal slowly beginning to come to light in pope’s backyard
The clergy sexual abuse scandal is slowly gathering steam in Italy with increasing media coverage, criminal convictions and the launch Monday of an investigative podcast dedicated to a case that tangentially involved Pope Francis.
Associated Press
India to enforce migrant law that excludes Muslims
India's government has announced plans to enact a controversial citizenship law that has been criticised for being anti-Muslim.
BBC
Victims of Catholic nuns rely on each other after being overlooked in the clergy sex abuse crisis
"On Wednesdays, the support group meets over Zoom. The members talk about their lives, their religious families and their old parochial schools. But mostly, they are there to talk about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Catholic nuns."
Associated Press
US delegation leaves Saudi Arabia early after member told to remove kippah
A US delegation on religious freedom said Monday it cut short its visit to Saudi Arabia after one of its members was asked to remove his Jewish head covering, or kippah.
The Guardian
Mon, 11 Mar 2024
Blasphemy demos ‘are growing in radicalism’
Britain faces an alarming rise in intimidation and threats of violence against those perceived to have insulted Islam, a new report will warn.
The Times*
Michael Gove’s ‘hate tsar’ quits with parting shot at government
The adviser said to have been chosen by Michael Gove to tackle Islamophobia has questioned the government's commitment to the issue, after quitting the role before it had even begun.
The Times*
Disclaimer: Links are provided to external websites for information and in the interests of free exchange. We do not accept any responsibility for the content of those sites, nor does a link indicate approval or imply endorsement of those sites.