Newsline 25 September 2015

This Saturday marks the 182^nd birthday of NSS founder Charles Bradlaugh. Though a lot has changed since he founded the Society in 1866, secularism is as vital as ever for a fair and equal country. Next year the NSS will mark its 150^th anniversary, and to celebrate its work over the years – and to consider all the challenges that lie ahead – we will be hosting a one-day conference in London focusing on how secularism can help us live better together. Keep an eye on Newsline for more details in the coming months.

In the meantime, to help us continue Bradlaugh's vital work campaigning for a secular state, join the National Secular Society today.

News, Blogs & Opinion

	Catholic Church criticised at UN Human Rights Council over continued failure to address child sex abuse News \| Tue, 22nd Sep 2015 The Catholic Church has been strongly criticised at the UN Human Rights Council for obstructing disclosure of child abuse and payment of victims' compensation. In an oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council 30th Session in Geneva, the European Humanist Federation rebuked the Holy See for its continued failure to accept the criticisms of the Committee on the Rights of the Child over child abuse. The UN Human Rights Council was urged to press the Vatican on clerical child abuse and to ensure that justice is done for the victims. An accompanying written statement, prepared with the assistance of the National Secular Society, accused the Vatican of continuing to "fiercely" obstruct the disclosure of information related to perpetrators of abuse, while dragging out the payment of compensation to victims. The statement called on the Human Rights Council to press the Holy See to make all information about child abuse perpetrators available to local law enforcement, and urged the Human Rights Council to "instruct the Church worldwide, and its lawyers and insurers, to fairly and expeditiously settle claims and cases against the Church, including for compensation". Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: "The Vatican has largely ignored the 67 concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Child to disclose information and report suspected abusers. Instead the Vatican criticised the Committee of experts and set up a powerless Commission on child abuse that has neither authority nor responsibility. "Similarly, the Tribunal to oversee bishops' actions over child abuse, cynically created in the wake of convictions of bishops for complicity over child abuse, gives the appearance of being a legitimate alternative channel for dealing with reprobate bishops. Whatever the intention it prevented bishops being reported to relevant law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution. "Both Commission and Tribunal have been a publicity triumph but have compounded the Church's abuse of victims." Meanwhile, in a separate intervention, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has told the UN that secularism is essential for the genuine promotion of human rights around the world. Elizabeth O'Casey, head of IHEU's delegation to the United Nations, told the UN Human Rights Council that secular democracy is "essential" for the defence and advancement of human rights, and for "guaranteeing inclusivity and ensuring four principles underscoring human rights: freedom, equality, dignity and universalism." Ms O'Casey said secularism is "necessary for individual freedom. Its origins are rooted in the principle of free thought, from which many other rights guaranteeing freedoms emanate – such as freedom of religion or belief and expression. "It is necessary for equality. Underpinning secularism is the equality of all under the law and a rejection of discriminatory traditional, cultural or religious practices. "It is necessary for human dignity. It identifies individuals as equal citizens and not merely members of a religious or non-religious group; this gives dignity to the individual as a human rights bearer, not to be stereotyped as a member of a particular group or fetishized for the sake of inherently divisive identity politics. "It is necessary for universalism. Whilst a secular democracy creates space for dialogue and the recognition of diversity, it asks that arguments are presented in universal terms so as to ensure mutual understanding. It is upon these universal foundations our rights and the vocabulary common to all humankind are grounded. "Secular democracy provides a backdrop essential for the prevention of human rights violations." Ms O'Casey added that human rights "will only flourish in a political framework where people are seen as human rights agents and not defined primarily by their beliefs or arbitrary characteristics [such as gender or race]. The statement called on the High Commissioner and Council to explore the role of secularism in the protection of human rights. The Human Rights Council has attracted serious criticism this week after it emerged that Saudi Arabia had been selected to head a key UN human rights panel. Video: Oral Statement on the Holy See's failure to protect the rights of the child. Delivered by Ms. Josephine Macintosh of the European Humanist Federation on 22 September 2015.
	Calls for Government to outlaw caste discrimination after tribunal rules in favour of victim kept in “domestic servitude” News \| Wed, 23rd Sep 2015 A victim's charity has slammed Government inaction on caste discrimination, following an Employment Tribunal awarding nearly £200,000 to a woman who worked for four and a half years in horrendous conditions. Despite the ET ruling in favour of a woman who claimed to be a victim of caste discrimination, it is feared that many will remain without legal protection from discrimination because the Government is refusing to enact legislation to clarify that caste is an aspect of the protected characteristic of 'race'. The victim, known as Ms Tirkey, was kept in "domestic servitude" by a couple who employed her for over four years on 11p an hour, forcing her to sleep on the floor after working long days. They also prohibited her from contacting her family and from bringing her Bible with her from India, telling her that she would have "no time to read whilst she was working". The claimant was of the "lowest class" in the "caste pyramid" and her family "has always carried out domestic work or one kind or another", according to the ruling. When she arrived in the UK Ms Tirkey's employers set up a bank account in her name, which they retained control of, and she was made to work for 18 hours per day, for seven days a week. The Employment Tribunal ruled decisively in her favour for "indirect religious discrimination" and "direct race discrimination". She was awarded £183,773 for underpayment of wages, with a further hearing to determine punitive damages for the discrimination. Ms Tirkey was keen for others to avoid her fate: "I want the public to know what happened to me as it must not happen to anyone else. The stress and anxiety that this sort of thing creates for a person can destroy them." The Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, a charity that provides legal representation to victims of labour exploitation and which aided Ms Tirkey in her case, has described the Government's position on caste discrimination as "untenable". Chris Milsom, Ms Tirkey's barrister, said, "Those who have closely followed the legislative history of the Equality Act will recall that the Government's original rationale for refusing explicit prohibition of caste-based discrimination was that there was no evidence of it taking place in the UK. The damning findings of the Employment Tribunal render that stance untenable. Where such discrimination exists its victims must be protected". The report on caste prepared for the Government almost five years ago "identified evidence suggesting caste discrimination and harassment" in relation to "work … provision of services and education." The National Secular Society has called once again for the Government to legislate immediately to explicitly prohibit caste discrimination after "years of prevarication and procrastination". Keith Porteous Wood, the executive director of the National Secular Society, commented on the ruling: "While the individual ruling is clearly good news for the claimant, it does not set a precedent that can be used in future cases. The ruling completely undermines the Government's disingenuous claim that this case makes legislation unnecessary. "The Government's refusal to act is in defiance of Parliament's twice expressed wish, the UN's recommendation, and our treaty obligation to enact law explicitly prohibiting caste discrimination. "The Government must recognise the extent of the problem and offer an accessible and effective legal remedy. This case shows that the case law they advocate provides neither. "As this example demonstrates, satisfactory outcomes to case law are very limited. The process is beyond the financial reach of most, especially those of low caste, hence the necessity for the assistance of a charity to pursue this case. That is why the law must be changed to provide access to justice for all victims of caste discrimination, but the Government has set its face against this, for less than noble reasons. "I am alarmed at the growing visibility and strength of those opposing such legislation, who will almost inevitably include high caste Hindus, and the carelessness with facts with which they pursue their opposition. "Sadly, the protection demonstrably needed by those of low caste in the UK, as seen in this case, seems further away than ever given the Government's obdurate refusal for over five years to acknowledge the strength of the case for legislation." Anthony Lester QC, a human rights lawyer has also described the case as being "of no value as a precedent" and said the government "should not be allowed to use it as an excuse for defying the will of parliament" and refusing to outlaw caste discrimination. The National Secular Society and Lord Eric Avebury recently wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron protesting the Government's failure to outlaw caste discrimination and calling on him to act urgently to deal with the problem. The reply completely failed to answer the charges. In February 2015 a debate in the House of Lords saw honorary associates of the National Secular Society strongly criticise the Government's inaction and its failure to implement specific legislation. In late 2010 research suggested that perhaps in excess of 200,000 people in the UK were victims of caste-based discrimination.
	Help turn Thought for the Day into a “philosophy slot” News \| Thu, 24th Sep 2015 The National Secular Society has backed calls for BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day slot to be converted into a "philosophy slot", open to non-believers and believers alike. The proposal has been put forward on Open Democracy's Our Beeb website – an online platform for debating the nature and future of public service broadcasting. As part of its "100 ideas for the BBC" series, Philosopher Nigel Warburton writes: "My idea for the BBC going forward is that it should transform the rather tired 'Thought for the Day' into a philosophy slot reflecting on wider issues raised by recent news. That would wake a lot of people up." According to Warburton: "The BBC, and particularly BBC radio, does an excellent job presenting philosophy in interesting ways to a large audience." However he says that it "doesn't mean it's doing everything that it could". NSS campaigns manager Stephen Evans welcomed the suggestion and strongly encouraged NSS supporters to vote for the idea, which will be submitted to the Government's consultation on the future of the BBC if it attracts enough support. He said, "We have long called for the BBC to open up Thought for the Day to non-religious voices or to scrap the slot, this is an exciting way of refreshing it and removing the bias against the non-religious that currently exists. "The hopelessly outdated Thought for the Day segment offers an exclusive religious perspective during primetime, which deliberately excludes non-religious voices. This is a very welcome suggestion and we hope the BBC will give it the consideration is deserves." Vote here to turn Thought for the Day into a philosophy slot.
	Orthodox Jewish state school bans TV and the internet from pupils’ homes and tells parents to dress ‘modestly’ News \| Fri, 18th Sep 2015 An Orthodox Jewish faith school instructs pupils' parents not to wear bright clothing, to cover their elbows and knees, and to "refrain from following trends which contradict the spirit of modesty." In a highly restrictive admissions policy, described by one concerned parent as 'controlling', the Yesodey Hatorah school demands that "Charedi girls … abide by the principles and ethics of the Charedi community" and sets outs prohibitions on the dress of parents and guardians. The policy states that mothers' dresses and skirts may not be shorter than four inches below the knees, and stresses that the knees must "remain covered at all times". It adds that a "slit in a skirt or dress is absolutely forbidden even if it is completely below the knee." The policy also forbids parents from wearing "flashy or very brightly coloured clothing" and says that "trendy" fabrics "are related to the casual free way of life of the street culture" and are "not permitted". Most stringently, it states that "the television is absolutely forbidden" in pupils homes, and that "access to the internet is forbidden". The admissions policy adds that "other unsuitable home entertainment is strictly not allowed." Parents are required to sign a statement that they will adhere to "the strictest laws" and "moral values" of Charedi beliefs. The statement explains that "Charedi homes do not have TV or other inappropriate media, and parents will ensure that their children will not have access to the Internet and any other media which do not meet the stringent moral criteria of the Charedi community." Returning to the stringent dress codes, the policy adds that "mothers and girls, will dress at all times in accordance with the strictest standards of Tznius (modesty) as laid down by the Rabbinate of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations." The National Secular Society has written to the Department for Education and Office of the Schools Adjudicator raising concerns about the school's failure to respect pupils' individual liberty. NSS campaigns manager, Stephen Evans, said: "This school is not just limiting its austere and restrictive religious practices to the school day, but insisting on them in pupils' homes as well. "Schools are supposed to be promoting fundamental values in order to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. By undermining students' individual liberties there is a real danger that upon leaving school these girls will be prepared for nothing other than a life trapped inside a religious community." One parent contacted the Independent about the rules and said that the school "control how people behave" and that if "a mother was seen walking down the street with her hair uncovered she wouldn't last a day and nor would her child." They added that it is "very strongly implied that if you or your child breaches the rules your child will be expelled." The National Secular Society has previously raised concerns with Ofsted about the Yesodey Hatorah school after it emerged that the girls' school was redacting exam questions on human reproduction and evolution because they conflicted with the school's religious ethos.
	Student starts petition against collective worship in Northern Ireland News \| Tue, 22nd Sep 2015 A Sixth Form student has started a campaign against collective worship in Northern Ireland, from which pupils currently have no right to withdraw without parental consent. Scott Moore, a 17 year-old student, has started the petition calling on Northern Ireland Minister for Education John O'Dowd to make prayers in assemblies optional for schools, after Moore's own experience of being compelled to attend prayers which he did not believe in during the school day. Under current law, students in Northern Ireland have no right to withdraw themselves from collective worship in schools and can only do so with parental permission. Without this, they are compelled to attend prayers. Moore argues in his petition that, "collective worship violates young people's right to freedom of religion. This is because it stops them from being able to decide in a balanced manner what their views actually are." He is only campaigning for a modest, incremental reform however, and says that although he believes "collective worship should face complete abolition", the petition only seeks to "change the law so schools can choose whether their assemblies have prayer". Research from Queen's University Belfast published in October 2010 criticised the "poorly executed" opt-out clause. It also revealed that even among people who believed the right to opt-out should remain with parents, "it was suggested that students should be more formally involved in the decision-making process as well as in discussions around the kind of alternative provision that should be offered during the opting-out period." Moore is calling on the government of Northern Ireland to reform the current law, citing the injustice of students potentially forced to attend worship because of their parents' "own hardline Christian views". He became an atheist at the age of 12 and began asking to be excluded from religious events, but this request was not granted because he needed parental permission. "As Christians and people who were [averse] to kicking up a fuss, my parents refused," he says. When he was 15 he was finally granted the consent of his parents to withdrawn from collective worship but "it still wasn't fair" he said, because "At any time they could have decided they could put me back into acts of collective worship. It should have been my choice." "Right now, I'm in sixth form. I won't have to do RE. But my parents could put me back into collective worship and the Easter/Carol services. I trust that they won't, but it's not right that they should hold that power," he added. Encouraging people to sign his petition, he wrote, "It's not just about avoiding an assembly. It's about having your identity recognised. It's about [having] your sense of being an independent person recognised and respected. It's about recognition for having your own views, and not someone else's." In England and Wales, Sixth Form pupils gained the right to self-withdraw following extensive campaigning by the NSS and a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
	Bangladeshi secular activists remain defiant in face of death threats News \| Wed, 23rd Sep 2015 Secular writers are defiant after Bangladeshi Islamists stepped up their campaign of murders with a global death list. The Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), who are behind a spate of murders carried out this year, have escalated their campaign of intimidation and violence against secularists by releasing a list targeting secular bloggers in Bangladesh and overseas for death. This has prompted fears of 'lone-wolf' attacks on the writers by Islamists inspired by ABT's list. As well as those targeted within Bangladesh, the list includes nine bloggers based in the UK, with others in Germany, the United States, Sweden and Canada. Ajanta Deb Roy, an activist who has been included on the list, told the National Secular Society that she "will not stop" until "my country is free of fundamentalism". Commenting on the situation in Bangladesh, she said that Islamists had "created their own Islamic state within the state where they can threaten to kill anyone and everyone in the name of Islam." She said that while many of the writers targeted are atheists, not all of them are, and all share a "common connection in their writing and activism – that is the demand for a secular Bangladesh". Regardless of their personal religious beliefs or lack of them, all of the writers and activists had spoken out against Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh, she added. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the threats and Ajanta Deb Roy is receiving various security instructions from police as a precaution. "I will not stop my activism. I will not rest until my country is free of fundamentalism and become a properly secular country. I feel much safer in the UK but still live in a fear every day." "I don't worry much for myself now but I am worried for my fellow bloggers and activists who are still in Bangladesh. They do not have any safety or security." In May the National Secular Society joined calls urging the UK Government to do more to tackle violence and discrimination targeted against non-believers and secularists around the world. See also: You can never kill ideas: an anonymous blogger on the deaths of secularists in Bangladesh.

Read Elsewhere

Westminster university Islamic students' society dominated by ultra-conservative Muslims

The Islamic students' society at the London university attended by the militant known as Jihadi John is dominated by hardline, ultra-conservative believers who refuse to speak with female Muslim staff members, according to an independent report into inclusion among students at the institution.

Quotes of the Week

"All I know is that I must win … I will not be silenced, my keyboard must keep going. I will not accept defeat by a backward dogma. I must go on, no matter what."
Sobak, a Bangladeshi secular blogger targeted by Islamic extremists.

"What people hear from [Pope] Francis is a difference in tone, not content."
Archbishop Charles Chaput refutes the idea that the Pope is socially liberal.

Essay of the Week

When beheading won't do the job, the Saudis resort to crucifixion
Jeffrey Goldberg, Atlantic.

Upcoming Events

Charles Bradlaugh Society: commemoration event

Sun, 27th Sep 2015

Secularism and the State

Mon, 28th Sep 2015

Political skulduggery: what kept Charles Bradlaugh MP from taking his seat in Parliament?

Sun, 25th Oct 2015

NSS Speaks Out

In the past week our executive director Keith Porteous Wood was interviewed by TRT News about the Vatican's diplomatic power. In addition the NSS was mentioned by Premier Christian Radio, Breitbart and Blasting News on our campaign against ill-defined 'extremism disruption orders'.

NSS campaigns manager Stephen Evans gave fifteen interviews to local BBC radio stations on Sunday 20^th on the topic of the national anthem.

	Catholic Church criticised at UN Human Rights Council over continued failure to address child sex abuse News \| Tue, 22nd Sep 2015 The Catholic Church has been strongly criticised at the UN Human Rights Council for obstructing disclosure of child abuse and payment of victims' compensation. In an oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council 30th Session in Geneva, the European Humanist Federation rebuked the Holy See for its continued failure to accept the criticisms of the Committee on the Rights of the Child over child abuse. The UN Human Rights Council was urged to press the Vatican on clerical child abuse and to ensure that justice is done for the victims. An accompanying written statement, prepared with the assistance of the National Secular Society, accused the Vatican of continuing to "fiercely" obstruct the disclosure of information related to perpetrators of abuse, while dragging out the payment of compensation to victims. The statement called on the Human Rights Council to press the Holy See to make all information about child abuse perpetrators available to local law enforcement, and urged the Human Rights Council to "instruct the Church worldwide, and its lawyers and insurers, to fairly and expeditiously settle claims and cases against the Church, including for compensation". Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: "The Vatican has largely ignored the 67 concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Child to disclose information and report suspected abusers. Instead the Vatican criticised the Committee of experts and set up a powerless Commission on child abuse that has neither authority nor responsibility. "Similarly, the Tribunal to oversee bishops' actions over child abuse, cynically created in the wake of convictions of bishops for complicity over child abuse, gives the appearance of being a legitimate alternative channel for dealing with reprobate bishops. Whatever the intention it prevented bishops being reported to relevant law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution. "Both Commission and Tribunal have been a publicity triumph but have compounded the Church's abuse of victims." Meanwhile, in a separate intervention, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has told the UN that secularism is essential for the genuine promotion of human rights around the world. Elizabeth O'Casey, head of IHEU's delegation to the United Nations, told the UN Human Rights Council that secular democracy is "essential" for the defence and advancement of human rights, and for "guaranteeing inclusivity and ensuring four principles underscoring human rights: freedom, equality, dignity and universalism." Ms O'Casey said secularism is "necessary for individual freedom. Its origins are rooted in the principle of free thought, from which many other rights guaranteeing freedoms emanate – such as freedom of religion or belief and expression. "It is necessary for equality. Underpinning secularism is the equality of all under the law and a rejection of discriminatory traditional, cultural or religious practices. "It is necessary for human dignity. It identifies individuals as equal citizens and not merely members of a religious or non-religious group; this gives dignity to the individual as a human rights bearer, not to be stereotyped as a member of a particular group or fetishized for the sake of inherently divisive identity politics. "It is necessary for universalism. Whilst a secular democracy creates space for dialogue and the recognition of diversity, it asks that arguments are presented in universal terms so as to ensure mutual understanding. It is upon these universal foundations our rights and the vocabulary common to all humankind are grounded. "Secular democracy provides a backdrop essential for the prevention of human rights violations." Ms O'Casey added that human rights "will only flourish in a political framework where people are seen as human rights agents and not defined primarily by their beliefs or arbitrary characteristics [such as gender or race]. The statement called on the High Commissioner and Council to explore the role of secularism in the protection of human rights. The Human Rights Council has attracted serious criticism this week after it emerged that Saudi Arabia had been selected to head a key UN human rights panel. Video: Oral Statement on the Holy See's failure to protect the rights of the child. Delivered by Ms. Josephine Macintosh of the European Humanist Federation on 22 September 2015.
	Calls for Government to outlaw caste discrimination after tribunal rules in favour of victim kept in “domestic servitude” News \| Wed, 23rd Sep 2015 A victim's charity has slammed Government inaction on caste discrimination, following an Employment Tribunal awarding nearly £200,000 to a woman who worked for four and a half years in horrendous conditions. Despite the ET ruling in favour of a woman who claimed to be a victim of caste discrimination, it is feared that many will remain without legal protection from discrimination because the Government is refusing to enact legislation to clarify that caste is an aspect of the protected characteristic of 'race'. The victim, known as Ms Tirkey, was kept in "domestic servitude" by a couple who employed her for over four years on 11p an hour, forcing her to sleep on the floor after working long days. They also prohibited her from contacting her family and from bringing her Bible with her from India, telling her that she would have "no time to read whilst she was working". The claimant was of the "lowest class" in the "caste pyramid" and her family "has always carried out domestic work or one kind or another", according to the ruling. When she arrived in the UK Ms Tirkey's employers set up a bank account in her name, which they retained control of, and she was made to work for 18 hours per day, for seven days a week. The Employment Tribunal ruled decisively in her favour for "indirect religious discrimination" and "direct race discrimination". She was awarded £183,773 for underpayment of wages, with a further hearing to determine punitive damages for the discrimination. Ms Tirkey was keen for others to avoid her fate: "I want the public to know what happened to me as it must not happen to anyone else. The stress and anxiety that this sort of thing creates for a person can destroy them." The Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, a charity that provides legal representation to victims of labour exploitation and which aided Ms Tirkey in her case, has described the Government's position on caste discrimination as "untenable". Chris Milsom, Ms Tirkey's barrister, said, "Those who have closely followed the legislative history of the Equality Act will recall that the Government's original rationale for refusing explicit prohibition of caste-based discrimination was that there was no evidence of it taking place in the UK. The damning findings of the Employment Tribunal render that stance untenable. Where such discrimination exists its victims must be protected". The report on caste prepared for the Government almost five years ago "identified evidence suggesting caste discrimination and harassment" in relation to "work … provision of services and education." The National Secular Society has called once again for the Government to legislate immediately to explicitly prohibit caste discrimination after "years of prevarication and procrastination". Keith Porteous Wood, the executive director of the National Secular Society, commented on the ruling: "While the individual ruling is clearly good news for the claimant, it does not set a precedent that can be used in future cases. The ruling completely undermines the Government's disingenuous claim that this case makes legislation unnecessary. "The Government's refusal to act is in defiance of Parliament's twice expressed wish, the UN's recommendation, and our treaty obligation to enact law explicitly prohibiting caste discrimination. "The Government must recognise the extent of the problem and offer an accessible and effective legal remedy. This case shows that the case law they advocate provides neither. "As this example demonstrates, satisfactory outcomes to case law are very limited. The process is beyond the financial reach of most, especially those of low caste, hence the necessity for the assistance of a charity to pursue this case. That is why the law must be changed to provide access to justice for all victims of caste discrimination, but the Government has set its face against this, for less than noble reasons. "I am alarmed at the growing visibility and strength of those opposing such legislation, who will almost inevitably include high caste Hindus, and the carelessness with facts with which they pursue their opposition. "Sadly, the protection demonstrably needed by those of low caste in the UK, as seen in this case, seems further away than ever given the Government's obdurate refusal for over five years to acknowledge the strength of the case for legislation." Anthony Lester QC, a human rights lawyer has also described the case as being "of no value as a precedent" and said the government "should not be allowed to use it as an excuse for defying the will of parliament" and refusing to outlaw caste discrimination. The National Secular Society and Lord Eric Avebury recently wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron protesting the Government's failure to outlaw caste discrimination and calling on him to act urgently to deal with the problem. The reply completely failed to answer the charges. In February 2015 a debate in the House of Lords saw honorary associates of the National Secular Society strongly criticise the Government's inaction and its failure to implement specific legislation. In late 2010 research suggested that perhaps in excess of 200,000 people in the UK were victims of caste-based discrimination.
	Help turn Thought for the Day into a “philosophy slot” News \| Thu, 24th Sep 2015 The National Secular Society has backed calls for BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day slot to be converted into a "philosophy slot", open to non-believers and believers alike. The proposal has been put forward on Open Democracy's Our Beeb website – an online platform for debating the nature and future of public service broadcasting. As part of its "100 ideas for the BBC" series, Philosopher Nigel Warburton writes: "My idea for the BBC going forward is that it should transform the rather tired 'Thought for the Day' into a philosophy slot reflecting on wider issues raised by recent news. That would wake a lot of people up." According to Warburton: "The BBC, and particularly BBC radio, does an excellent job presenting philosophy in interesting ways to a large audience." However he says that it "doesn't mean it's doing everything that it could". NSS campaigns manager Stephen Evans welcomed the suggestion and strongly encouraged NSS supporters to vote for the idea, which will be submitted to the Government's consultation on the future of the BBC if it attracts enough support. He said, "We have long called for the BBC to open up Thought for the Day to non-religious voices or to scrap the slot, this is an exciting way of refreshing it and removing the bias against the non-religious that currently exists. "The hopelessly outdated Thought for the Day segment offers an exclusive religious perspective during primetime, which deliberately excludes non-religious voices. This is a very welcome suggestion and we hope the BBC will give it the consideration is deserves." Vote here to turn Thought for the Day into a philosophy slot.
	Orthodox Jewish state school bans TV and the internet from pupils’ homes and tells parents to dress ‘modestly’ News \| Fri, 18th Sep 2015 An Orthodox Jewish faith school instructs pupils' parents not to wear bright clothing, to cover their elbows and knees, and to "refrain from following trends which contradict the spirit of modesty." In a highly restrictive admissions policy, described by one concerned parent as 'controlling', the Yesodey Hatorah school demands that "Charedi girls … abide by the principles and ethics of the Charedi community" and sets outs prohibitions on the dress of parents and guardians. The policy states that mothers' dresses and skirts may not be shorter than four inches below the knees, and stresses that the knees must "remain covered at all times". It adds that a "slit in a skirt or dress is absolutely forbidden even if it is completely below the knee." The policy also forbids parents from wearing "flashy or very brightly coloured clothing" and says that "trendy" fabrics "are related to the casual free way of life of the street culture" and are "not permitted". Most stringently, it states that "the television is absolutely forbidden" in pupils homes, and that "access to the internet is forbidden". The admissions policy adds that "other unsuitable home entertainment is strictly not allowed." Parents are required to sign a statement that they will adhere to "the strictest laws" and "moral values" of Charedi beliefs. The statement explains that "Charedi homes do not have TV or other inappropriate media, and parents will ensure that their children will not have access to the Internet and any other media which do not meet the stringent moral criteria of the Charedi community." Returning to the stringent dress codes, the policy adds that "mothers and girls, will dress at all times in accordance with the strictest standards of Tznius (modesty) as laid down by the Rabbinate of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations." The National Secular Society has written to the Department for Education and Office of the Schools Adjudicator raising concerns about the school's failure to respect pupils' individual liberty. NSS campaigns manager, Stephen Evans, said: "This school is not just limiting its austere and restrictive religious practices to the school day, but insisting on them in pupils' homes as well. "Schools are supposed to be promoting fundamental values in order to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. By undermining students' individual liberties there is a real danger that upon leaving school these girls will be prepared for nothing other than a life trapped inside a religious community." One parent contacted the Independent about the rules and said that the school "control how people behave" and that if "a mother was seen walking down the street with her hair uncovered she wouldn't last a day and nor would her child." They added that it is "very strongly implied that if you or your child breaches the rules your child will be expelled." The National Secular Society has previously raised concerns with Ofsted about the Yesodey Hatorah school after it emerged that the girls' school was redacting exam questions on human reproduction and evolution because they conflicted with the school's religious ethos.
	Student starts petition against collective worship in Northern Ireland News \| Tue, 22nd Sep 2015 A Sixth Form student has started a campaign against collective worship in Northern Ireland, from which pupils currently have no right to withdraw without parental consent. Scott Moore, a 17 year-old student, has started the petition calling on Northern Ireland Minister for Education John O'Dowd to make prayers in assemblies optional for schools, after Moore's own experience of being compelled to attend prayers which he did not believe in during the school day. Under current law, students in Northern Ireland have no right to withdraw themselves from collective worship in schools and can only do so with parental permission. Without this, they are compelled to attend prayers. Moore argues in his petition that, "collective worship violates young people's right to freedom of religion. This is because it stops them from being able to decide in a balanced manner what their views actually are." He is only campaigning for a modest, incremental reform however, and says that although he believes "collective worship should face complete abolition", the petition only seeks to "change the law so schools can choose whether their assemblies have prayer". Research from Queen's University Belfast published in October 2010 criticised the "poorly executed" opt-out clause. It also revealed that even among people who believed the right to opt-out should remain with parents, "it was suggested that students should be more formally involved in the decision-making process as well as in discussions around the kind of alternative provision that should be offered during the opting-out period." Moore is calling on the government of Northern Ireland to reform the current law, citing the injustice of students potentially forced to attend worship because of their parents' "own hardline Christian views". He became an atheist at the age of 12 and began asking to be excluded from religious events, but this request was not granted because he needed parental permission. "As Christians and people who were [averse] to kicking up a fuss, my parents refused," he says. When he was 15 he was finally granted the consent of his parents to withdrawn from collective worship but "it still wasn't fair" he said, because "At any time they could have decided they could put me back into acts of collective worship. It should have been my choice." "Right now, I'm in sixth form. I won't have to do RE. But my parents could put me back into collective worship and the Easter/Carol services. I trust that they won't, but it's not right that they should hold that power," he added. Encouraging people to sign his petition, he wrote, "It's not just about avoiding an assembly. It's about having your identity recognised. It's about [having] your sense of being an independent person recognised and respected. It's about recognition for having your own views, and not someone else's." In England and Wales, Sixth Form pupils gained the right to self-withdraw following extensive campaigning by the NSS and a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
	Bangladeshi secular activists remain defiant in face of death threats News \| Wed, 23rd Sep 2015 Secular writers are defiant after Bangladeshi Islamists stepped up their campaign of murders with a global death list. The Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), who are behind a spate of murders carried out this year, have escalated their campaign of intimidation and violence against secularists by releasing a list targeting secular bloggers in Bangladesh and overseas for death. This has prompted fears of 'lone-wolf' attacks on the writers by Islamists inspired by ABT's list. As well as those targeted within Bangladesh, the list includes nine bloggers based in the UK, with others in Germany, the United States, Sweden and Canada. Ajanta Deb Roy, an activist who has been included on the list, told the National Secular Society that she "will not stop" until "my country is free of fundamentalism". Commenting on the situation in Bangladesh, she said that Islamists had "created their own Islamic state within the state where they can threaten to kill anyone and everyone in the name of Islam." She said that while many of the writers targeted are atheists, not all of them are, and all share a "common connection in their writing and activism – that is the demand for a secular Bangladesh". Regardless of their personal religious beliefs or lack of them, all of the writers and activists had spoken out against Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh, she added. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the threats and Ajanta Deb Roy is receiving various security instructions from police as a precaution. "I will not stop my activism. I will not rest until my country is free of fundamentalism and become a properly secular country. I feel much safer in the UK but still live in a fear every day." "I don't worry much for myself now but I am worried for my fellow bloggers and activists who are still in Bangladesh. They do not have any safety or security." In May the National Secular Society joined calls urging the UK Government to do more to tackle violence and discrimination targeted against non-believers and secularists around the world. See also: You can never kill ideas: an anonymous blogger on the deaths of secularists in Bangladesh.