Newsline 23 June 2017

Newsline 23 June 2017

The attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park this week shocked us all, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Those willing to use violence to enforce their religion, or to prevent others peacefully practicing theirs', are the sworn enemies of secularism and our pluralistic society.

Our revulsion at this latest attack only increases our determination to challenge all forms of sectarianism and hatred. But, as our campaigns director warns below, knee-jerk reactions are not a sound basis for policy-making.

Also this week we've seen the consequences when religious institutions are shielded from scrutiny and criticism. Dame Moira Gibb's report finally lays bare the role of the Church of England's senior leadership and its political clout in colluding to conceal evidence of child abuse by a former bishop.

The Church knew Bishop Ball was a prolific abuser – they deliberately withheld that information. Yet this is an institution that retains its privileged status, including its seats as of right in our legislature and its role in educating the nation's children. It's high time the Church was stripped of its privileged position.

Make a donation today and we'll put your principles into action by campaigning for a true secular democracy, with no established Church and with equal rights for all.

News, Blogs & Opinion

Church of England 'colluded' with sex abuse bishop and failed victims, says report

News | Thu, 22nd Jun 2017

The head of the Church of England, Justin Welby, has admitted that the Church "concealed" evidence of child abuse by a former bishop and failed to help his victims.

The admissions comes following the publication of independent review into the way the Church of England responded to the case of Peter Ball, the former Bishop of Gloucester, who was jailed in 2015 after admitting a string of historical sex offences against 18 teenagers and young men. Ball was released from jail in February after serving 16 months.

In the foreword to her report, Dame Moira Gibb said the serious sexual wrongdoing of Ball "is shocking in itself but is compounded by the failure of the church to respond appropriately to his misconduct, again over a period of many years".

"Ball's priority was to protect and promote himself and he maligned the abused. The church colluded. The church colluded with that rather than seeking to help those he had harmed, or assuring itself of the safety of others."

The Report says the Church's attitude to homosexuality part in the failure to act appropriately.

Responding to the Report, Archbishop Welby said: "Abuse of Faith makes harrowing reading: the Church colluded and concealed rather than seeking to help those who were brave enough to come forward".

The report makes 11 recommendations, including improving support to survivors of clerical abuse and taking steps to "demonstrate the individual and collective accountability of bishops".

Peter Hancock, the C of E's lead safeguarding bishop, said he was "appalled and disturbed" by the report's contents. He said there were "no excuses" and confirmed that the Church would accept all of Dame Moira Gibb' recommendations.

The report is highly critical of the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, who has subsequently been asked to step down from his position as an honorary assistant bishop by Justin Welby.

According to the Report, Lord Carey "set the tone for the Church's response to Ball's crimes and gave the steer which allowed Ball's assertions that he was innocent to gain credence".

The Report states that Lord Carey "was already aware that the Church had received letters raising concern about Ball's abuse of other young men", yet he intervened with the Police and CPS to dissuade them from charging Ball.

The National Secular Society said this raised "serious concerns about misconduct in public office" which it has called to be investigated.

In a statement, Lord Carey said the report made "deeply uncomfortable reading" and apologised to the victims of Peter Ball.

Another former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams, is criticised for making "lamentably slow" progress, despite setting the wheels in motion that ultimately led to the criminal case against Peter Ball being reopened.

The National Secular Society, which submitted evidence to the Review, said the findings were a "damning indictment" on the established Church.

NSS executive director, Keith Porteous Wood, said: "The culture of bishops with selective amnesia closing ranks and the bullying of victims and whistle-blowers played a significant role in a suicide and in Ball escaping justice for decades. That culture persists to this day. We asked Dame Moira specifically to investigate these aspects but there is no reference to them in her report. Until these fatal institutional flaws are recognised and excised no amount of child protection procedures will be effective.

"The Report could not credibly have let Lord Carey off the hook, but it has still been very gentle on him given it states he had known of complaints of Ball's conduct which it seems inexplicable he could not have believed. We hope that this aspect is formally re-examined.

"There seems little doubt that only because it was the established Church were Lord Carey and other senior churchmen able to exert such influence over the administration of justice in a way that has belatedly been admitted to have been so disastrous. Indeed, because it is the established Church, its bishops are classified as public officers and the law rightly requires of them a minimum standard of conduct.

"It seems to us that it will be difficult for them to argue in court – even using material in this report - that misconduct in public office has not taken place. We hope that the question of whether such misconduct has taken place will be robustly investigated."

The report also highlights the role of other arms of "the establishment", most notably Gloucestershire Police, which in its submission to the CPS said that charging Ball would "have a devastating effect on the Church which is already in turmoil".

Richard Scorer, a specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon, told The Times: "Given what's in the report, there is now a clear case for the police and CPS to consider criminal charges against senior [Church of England] figures, including Lord Carey, for offences of misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice."

Anti-Muslim hate must be challenged. Silencing criticism of Islam won’t help

Opinion | Fri, 23rd Jun 2017

Both the Government and civil-society have a role to play in challenging anti-Muslim hate, but efforts to silence criticisms of Islam will only be counterproductive, argues Stephen Evans.

In the wake of yet more manifestations of violent Islamism and anti-Muslim bigotry, the Government used this week's Queen's Speech to signal its intention to introduce new legislation to counter so-called 'non-violent extremism'.

Despite this being a preoccupation of the Government for some years now, ministers have consistently failed to identity any clear gaps in the legislative framework that any new laws could fill.

This is unsurprising given that the UK already has in place one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to protect people from hostility, violence and bigotry. A point the Government readily acknowledges. Nevertheless, their urge to pass to new laws appears as strong as ever.

Earlier this year, Home Secretary Amber Rudd admitted that plans for more counter-extremism legislation have not advanced because of lack of a clear legal definition of extremism. It is therefore concerning that in her response to the dreadful attack in Finsbury Park this week, Theresa May described 'Islamophobia' as a form of extremism, suggesting it was "every bit as destructive of our values and way of life" as violent Islamism.

If you're seeking a clear legal definition of extremism, it seems incredibly unwise to throw 'Islamophobia' into the mix. Islamophobia is a highly problematic word. According the Oxford English Dictionary, Islamophobia is defined both as "Intense dislike or fear of Islam, esp. as a political force"; and "hostility or prejudice towards Muslims".

Any right-minded person would deplore hostility or prejudice towards Muslims, but are we really going to brand 'dislike of Islamic theocracy' as a form of extremism? This is ludicrous and dangerous nonsense. In a liberal, secular society, individuals should be afforded respect and protection, ideas should not.

As the writer Kenan Malik puts it, "The trouble with Islamophobia is that it is an irrational concept. It confuses hatred of, and discrimination against, Muslims on the one hand with criticism of Islam on the other. The charge of 'Islamophobia' is all too often used not to highlight racism but to stifle criticism….All too often Islamophobia is used as an excuse in a way to kind of blackmail society".

Just two days before he was murdered by violent Islamists, Charlie Hebdo's editor, Stéphane Charbonnier, completed a short book in which he rallied against the term, describing 'Islamophobia' as a trap, set by an unholy alliance of Islamist radicals and the unthinking, liberal Western media. He's right – and by conflating prejudice against Muslims with criticism of Islam, we seriously risk a return to a censorious blasphemy law.

As David Anderson QC, the senior lawyer tasked with reviewing the Government's legislation on counter-extremism, has noted, "the answer to extremism is not to be found in undermining the foundations of democracy". Free speech, including the right to mock, insult, ridicule and criticise religion, is the bedrock of genuinely free society.

Hostility towards Muslims on the basis of their faith is unacceptable. But concern over Islam, and its influence on society is understandable. If any form of ideology fosters its tenets into people's beliefs, and thus into their actions, people have every right to be concerned about exactly what those ideologies teach.

Immediately after the murderous attack on Charlie Hebdo, the BBC conducted an opinion poll of the views of the British Muslims. It found that one in four sympathised with terrorists behind the attacks. 10% of UK Muslims aged 18-34 agreed with the statement that "organisations which publish images of the Prophet Mohammed deserve to be attacked".

A more recent poll commissioned by Channel 4 found that 52% of British Muslims thought homosexuality should be illegal and 23% supported the introduction of Sharia Law.

Clearly there is no homogenous British Muslim community. There are Muslims who view their faith as compatible with human rights and secular liberal democracy. There are Muslims who view their faith as a theocratic edict. There are British Muslims working every day working to challenge bigotry, and there are British Muslims promoting sectarianism and intolerance.

But in the face of these findings, a certain degree of social anxiety and scepticism about Islam is understandable ­– even healthy, one might suggest. Civil society is right to call out anti-Muslim bigotry whenever it rears its ugly head, but if your response to anyone raising concerns about the influence of Islam in Britain is to simply point and shout "Islamophobia", then you're doing nothing to help the many British Muslims who are just as repulsed by this vile theocratic mindset as the rest of us.

And if the Government really plans to use the law to stamp out 'Islamophobia', then we have very serious problem. Ordinary people risk being criminalised because their views don't fit the Government's accepted interpretation of Islam or ideological straitjacket of 'British values'.

Showing a healthy lack of deference to religion is a modern British value. Secularism has long challenged religion's desire to control every aspect of people's lives. Secularism has dismantled religion's control over women's reproductive rights, its control of who can marry, who can have sex, who is permitted to sit Parliament, what we can or cannot say about religion.

In Britain, those battle have primarily been fought against Christianity. The growing presence of Islam in the West means many of these battles may need to be re-fought. Now is not the time to give up our own traditions of free speech and inquiry.

If we allow the concept of 'Islamophobia' to close down discussions about Islam we will be giving one religion an unfair and dangerous advantage in the free marketplace of ideas.

Challenging extremism and those that seek to ferment division and hatred is the duty of all responsible members of society. As we've seen this week, anti-Muslim hatred can lead to anti-Muslim violence. This must not be tolerated. At the same time, we must allow space for reasonable concerns to be expressed about Islam, in all its forms, and its influence on the society we all share. Closing down such dialogue and debate risks feeding a grievance narrative and pushing people to the extremes.

The Government knows full well how difficult it is to legislate non-violent extremism away. After years of struggling to think up news laws, perhaps this is why it has now passed the buck to a new 'commission for countering extremism'. But one thing is certain, any strategy to tackle anti-Muslim hate must not go down the road of seeking to silence criticism of Islam. To do so would be to deny a basic human right.

Stephen Evans is the campaigns director of the National Secular Society. You can follow him on Twitter @stephenmevans1. The views expressed in our blogs are those of the author and may not represent the views of the NSS.

Image via Twitter.

NSS calls for end to state funded ‘religiosity inspections’ in schools

News | Wed, 21st Jun 2017

The National Secular Society has called for Ofsted to inspect religious education in faith schools after research revealed that millions of pounds of public money has been paid to religious organisations to carry out additional inspections of denominational RE.

Inspections under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of a school as a religious institution, including its provision of collective worship and RE.

In the last six school years, figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show that almost £5 million in Section 48 grants has been handed out to "faith bodies". The vast majority of the £4,904,800 grant money went to the Church of England (over half a million pounds per year) and the Catholic Church (over a quarter million). The Association of Muslim Schools, the Board of Deputies and two Sikh organisations also received tens of thousands of pounds.

The National Secular Society has now written to schools minister, Nick Gibb, urging him to ensure that Ofsted, rather than 'religious authorities', inspect schools' RE provision.

Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns director, commented: "The purpose of state funded inspections should be to ensure that schools are serving the needs of their pupils, not the interests of religious organisations.

"Putting all schools on the same inspection regime should have no discernible impact on Ofsted's costs as they already inspect these schools, but it would save millions in unnecessary grants to religious bodies. More importantly it would better ensure that religious education in faith schools is broad and balanced and not being used to promote religion or inculcate pupils into a particular faith.

In Anglican and Methodist faith schools the Section 48 inspections are known as SIAMS reports. Staff and governors at church schools have raised fears with the NSS that such inspections are being used to 'pressure' church schools to advance a more rigorous religious ethos – whether or not it's suitable for their school community.

At a time where Ofsted is facing a 'funding black hole', the NSS argues that getting rid of Section 48 inspections and giving the money to the school inspectorate could help them meet over 10% of their budget deficit.

Defending the separate inspection regime, a Church of England spokesperson told Schools Week that the Church was "legally obliged to ensure the religious education in its schools was consistent with its ethos".

Mr Evans said that a big part of the problem was that schools are still delivering denominational RE, rather than objective education about religions and beliefs.

"We want to ensure that all pupils to have the same entitlement to high quality, non-partisan education about religion and belief. Under the current legal framework, the religious education syllabus is decided locally by committees dominated by faith representatives or by religious bodies responsible for running faith schools.

"The whole legal framework around religious educations needed serious review. Denominational RE and 'local determination' survives merely because of the privileged position of churches and other religious organisations. The needs of pupils growing up in 21st century Britain must now take priority."

NSS calls on European leaders to robustly promote the “democratic value” of separation of religion and state

News | Mon, 19th Jun 2017

The National Secular Society today called on EU presidents to promote "democratic values", warning that past assumptions about the place of religion in politics and modern society being settled may no longer apply.

The warning came at a high level meeting with non-confessional organisations hosted by European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans to discuss "The Future of Europe: a values-based and effective Union". The NSS was represented at the meeting by its executive director, Keith Porteous Wood.

Mr Wood told the meeting that many factors including segregation, sectarianism and rising religious conservatism cast doubt on the "historic pattern of gradual integration of successive generations of those of minority religions".

He warned that unprecedented levels of migration meant that European values "may not be as widely shares across Europe as was once the case".

Mr Wood called on political leaders and civil society to work together in building a "robust" promotion of "democratic values such as the separation of religion and state, the rule of law, human rights and equal treatment".

Mr Wood stressed the importance of integrated education, warning that attitudes inimical to Europe's shared common values are being embedded in future generations through segregated education in single faith and denominational schools.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans told the meeting: "Europe is at a pivotal moment, and for me the most fundamental thing we must do is listen to organisations that represent our citizens, whatever their faith or convictions. The Commission is seizing this unique moment to discuss the future direction of the European Union. Our common European values must remain the bedrock of our future choices, and we are consulting widely on how to effectively anchor our future policies in our shared values".

"Talking with religions, churches and non-confessional organisations is an important part of this process", he added.

Today's high level meeting with representatives of philosophical and non-confessional organisation is the eighth in the series of meetings launched by the Commission in 2009 when the dialogue with churches, religions, philosophical and non-confessional organisations was enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty (Art 17 TFEU)

The NSS has a long record of involvement in the Article 17 dialogue, as well as other EU dialogues on fundamental rights, including though their support of the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP). In his speech Mr Wood said that regardless of the outcome of the Article 50 negotiations, the NSS "hope to continue contributing to such hugely important debates".

Caste: Anti-discrimination groups issue ‘urgent call’ to participate in government’s consultation

News | Thu, 22nd Jun 2017

The NSS has urged supporters to respond to a Government consultation on caste discrimination. The Society has assisted with launching a new website aiding those who support specifically outlawing discrimination based on 'caste' to respond to the consultation.

The site says, "No matter who you are, this consultation gives the opportunity to send a clear message to the Government that legislation should protect people subjected to caste discrimination."

Currently, caste discrimination is not expressly prohibited under UK equality legislation. However, in 2013 Parliament directed the Government to legislate by amending the Equality Act 2010 to require the Government to make 'caste' a protected characteristic, as an aspect of race.

The UN has also formally recommended on several occasions making caste discrimination unlawful "in accordance with the UK's international human rights obligations".

Despite this, NSS executive director Keith Porteous Wood said, "The Government has procrastinated, seemingly determined to ignore both Parliament and the UN, we fear to appease 'high caste' Hindu groups determined to prevent any such legislation. Caste discrimination is not confined to any one religion."

The Government promised a consultation, which it finally launched this year. But the consultation itself was harshly criticised by the National Secular Society and departing Labour MP Graham Allen, who said it was "misleading and biased."

Mr Allen said the Government's "clear intention is to delay – probably forever – legislative protection against caste discrimination".

A coalition of anti-caste campaigners behind the website are urging everyone to "ensure protection against caste discrimination by completing the Government consultation and specifically choosing the option to add caste to the Equality Act 2010."

In 2010 the Government commissioned independent research into Caste Discrimination in the UK by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR). They found strong evidence of caste-based discrimination in the areas covered by the Equality Act 2010 - employment, education and the provision of goods and services, but the Act does not extend to religious or social life. In 2014, the EHRC published two independent research reports from the project Caste in Britain confirming the undeniable existence of caste discrimination in the UK in areas covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Mr Wood called on supporters of equality to: "Please complete the consultation to maximise pressure on the Government to legislate. It seems desperate to avoid hearing from the people who are actually affected by this or who abhor such demeaning discrimination, despite the concern Mrs. May expressed on her first day in office about race discrimination. Please make sure your voice is heard."

NSS Speaks Out

Executive director Keith Porteous Wood spoke to BBC Radio Essex about Tim Farron's resignation from the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. Keith also spoke to BBC Radio Three Counties about the Government's speculated u-turn on introducing 100% religiously selective Free Schools.

Campaigns director Stephen Evans was quoted in the TES Magazine and Schools Week, about our campaign to have Ofsted inspect RE in all schools - ending special grants for religiousity inspections. The NSS was also quoted in local media regarding the Church of England gaining influence over the running of nine community schools.