Daily media briefing
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Fri, 11 Oct 2024
Religious hate crime at record high, figures show
Hate crimes targeted at Jewish people more than doubled, while incidents against Muslims were up 13% on the previous 12 months, according to data.
BBC
Man jailed for two years after calling for mosques to be burned down in Facebook posts
Geraint Boyce, 43, has been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to publishing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred.
ITV
Almost two-thirds of Brits think assisted dying should be legalised, poll shows
Almost two-thirds of people in England and Wales want assisted dying to be legalised for terminally ill adults in the next five years, according to a new poll.
ITV
Archbishop of Westminster urges flock to oppose assisted dying bill
He last asked people to write to parliamentarians in 2012 to oppose the legalisation of same-sex marriage. In 2006 he urged Catholic head teachers to oppose plans to ask faith schools to admit more people from other religions.
The Times*
Morocco: Mass circumcision turns into tragedy in Chefchaouen
Five children have been hospitalised in critical condition after undergoing a mass circumcision organised by a local charity in Chefchaouen.
News Daily 24
Ireland: ‘It’s common knowledge teachers lie about their faith’ - Is religion a barrier to getting a job as a primary teacher?
Critics say a requirement to hold a religious certificate in most national schools means many new teachers have to uphold something they don't believe.
The Irish Times*
Louisiana diocese prepares to file for bankruptcy over clergy abuse claims
Alexandria diocese plans to file 'prearranged chapter 11' after settlement with victims to avoid 'lengthy delays'.
The Guardian
Thu, 10 Oct 2024
St Albans diocese puts response to Soul Survivor failings on hold for three months
A review of the inappropriate behaviour of former Soul Survivor pastor Mike Pilavachi has recommended that St Albans Diocese apologise for their part in it – but it will be three months before they decide their response.
St Albans Times
Charedim call for day of prayer in opposition to school register plan
There are an estimated 1,500 plus boys from 13 to 16 who are attending yeshivot in Stamford Hill where they receive little or no secular education.
Jewish Chronicle
Letters: Bishops’ bench
Sir, James Marriott asserts: "Modern liberal societies have traditionally respected the supernatural claims of religion but permitted them no influence over science or commerce or policy or law." Up to a point, perhaps, but in Britain we are not quite there yet — as the 26 bishops and archbishops entitled to sit in the House of Lords bear witness.
The Times*
NI: Church claims pupils called 'bullies' over homosexuality views
Some sixth-form pupils were called bullies for expressing a view that homosexuality was wrong, it has been claimed.
BBC
Scotland: Reinstated bishop was accused of ‘bullying’ a disabled employee
The Right Rev Anne Dyer allegedly "openly derided" a staff member in the Scottish Episcopal Church to a point where she "expressed suicidal thoughts".
The Times*
Islamic State terrorists still pose the biggest threat to UK security
Chris Phillips, the former head of national counter terrorism, says it would be stupid for us to think Islamic State have disappeared.
Mirror
Pope Francis closes the door on ordaining women as deacons
Despite promising to continue the debate, the Vatican has put the issue on hold, disappointing liberal Catholics.
The Times*
Wed, 9 Oct 2024
Private Christian schools to sue government over VAT plans
The three schools claim that Labour's plan to charge VAT on school fees is a breach of human rights.
The Times*
NI: Calls for Stormont to recognise ‘remarkable’ demand for integrated education
CEO of the NI Council for Integration Sean Pettis said rising parental demand and the recent racial tensions in Belfast showed the growing need for shared learning.
Irish News
Dozens of FGM victims seen by NHS in Hampshire, Southampton and the Isle of Wight
A government spokesperson said: "Female genital mutilation is a vile crime and is nothing other than child abuse."
Alton Herald
Scientologists asks Council to impose order stopping protests outside HQ
The Church of Scientology has asked Mid Sussex District Council to impose an order stopping people from protesting outside its East Grinstead HQ.
Sussex Express
Scotland: Bishop accused of bullying gets job back ‘despite evidence to pursue case’
The Right Rev Anne Dyer was suspended as the bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney but a lawyer has concluded that a trial would not be in the interests of the church.
The Times*
Violence in French school sparks debate on headscarf and secularism
The assault reportedly happened after the teacher asked the student to remove her headscarf, as she put it back on while preparing to leave school.
Euro News via Yahoo
Afghan man arrested in alleged US election day attack plot
The US Department of Justice has arrested a man who allegedly planned an attack on Election Day in the name of the Islamic State group.
BBC
Tue, 8 Oct 2024
A year on, how the Hamas attack has profoundly affected UK political life
From general election upsets to protests on the streets, the shockwaves from the Middle East have resonated in Britain.
The Guardian
Marsha de Cordova appointed Second Church Estates Commissioner
The new Second Church Estates Commissioner is Marsha de Cordova MP, who succeeds Andrew Selous, it was announced on Monday.
Church Times*
Christian leaders urge government to appoint new religious freedom envoy
The former Conservative MP Fiona Bruce held the role until the General Election in July, but the government has yet to announce her replacement.
Premier Christian News
‘Instruments of Satan: Islam versus music’
"Islamic extremists consider music to be immoral. The bell is described in the Hadith as an 'instrument of Satan', although some Islamic scholars disagree as to whether it is haram (forbidden)", writes Noel Yaxley.
The Freethinker
US: Georgia supreme court reinstates six-week abortion ban
Ruling comes just a week after a judge restored broad access to abortion in the swing state.
The Guardian
Xi and Mao replace Jesus and Mary in Chinese churches
Christians face harassment and disruption in Beijing crackdown on religion, US government agency reports.
The Telegraph*
India: Modi's BJP ahead in Haryana election but trails in Kashmir
A potential win in Haryana would be a big boost for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as it would allow it to form a government for a third straight term.
BBC
Mon, 7 Oct 2024
Muhammadi Masjid online recording of sermon is removed – NSS quoted
A Bradford mosque has removed an online recording of a sermon and is now investigating the content of the lecture and its context.
Telegraph & Argus
Christian charity warned over connection to political lobbying body
A Christian education charity has been given an official warning over its failure to sufficiently separate its activities from those of a linked non-charitable body.
Civil Society
Unholy row over plan to open island supermarket on Sundays
A Scottish island community is divided over a supermarket's plans to open on a Sunday.
BBC
MSP accepts lifetime achievement award from anti-abortion group
The MSP John Mason has accepted a lifetime achievement award from a controversial anti-abortion group.
The National*
Dutch feminists campaign for national monument to ‘witches’
Three feminist campaigners in the Netherlands want to reclaim the insult "witch" and recognise the innocent victims of Dutch witch-hunts from the 15th to the 17th centuries with a national monument.
The Guardian
Pope names 21 new cardinals, significantly increasing the pool who will one day elect his successor
Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals Sunday, significantly increasing the size of the College of Cardinals and further cementing his mark on the group of prelates who will one day elect his successor.
Associated Press
Bibles that Oklahoma wants for schools match version backed by Trump
Oklahoma's top education official is seeking to purchase 55,000 Bibles for public schools and specifying that each copy contain the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, which are not commonly found in Bibles but are included in one endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Associated Press
New Orleans archdiocese bankruptcy parties wary of turnaround expert after WSJ investigation
Clergy abuse survivors and other parties ensnared in the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans' expensive and lengthy bankruptcy reorganization are concerned after a nationally recognized business-turnaround expert brought on to assist with resolving the unusually contentious proceeding had some of his actions questioned in an unrelated case.
The Guardian
Iranian supreme leader calls missile attack on Israel and Oct 7 ‘legal and legitimate’
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has described his country's missile attack on Israel and the earlier October 7 Hamas atrocity as "legal and legitimate".
Jewish News
Fri, 4 Oct 2024
MPs to get historic vote on England and Wales assisted dying bill
Proposals to give terminally ill people in England and Wales the right to choose to end their life are to be introduced in Parliament this month.
BBC
'Too many people have been condemned to die in misery and pain. My assisted dying bill can change that'
"There is a heartbreaking lack of choice for those facing a painful death. Parliament now has the chance to give them autonomy – and it should."
The Guardian
Man jailed in 'landmark' FGM conspiracy case
A university academic found guilty of conspiring to commit female genital mutilation (FGM) in a "landmark case" has been jailed.
BBC
Britain enters ‘first atheist age’ as number of non-believers surges
Lack of religious belief now seen as a norm, say researchers in the Explaining Atheism project, as atheists outnumber theists for the first time in British history.
The Times*
EU funds charity that compared abortion to Holocaust
The European Union has awarded more than half a million euros to a charity that compared abortion to the Holocaust and promotes disinformation about abortion and contraception.
The Times*
Belgians tell Pope to end cover-ups about abuse
The Pope has pledged to raise the status of women and prevent the cover-up of sexual abuse in his Church, after facing criticism during a visit to Belgium last week.
Church Times*
Patriarch Kirill hails annexations on anniversary
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has congratulated the leaders of four occupied regions in Ukraine on the anniversary of their annexation, wishing them "courage, fortitude, and success in working for the benefit of Russia".
Church Times*
Yazidi woman kidnapped by Isis a decade ago rescued from Gaza
A 21-year-old woman kidnapped by Islamic State militants in Iraq more than a decade ago was freed from Gaza this week in an operation involving the United States and Israel.
The Times*
Thu, 3 Oct 2024
Councillors reject Catholic school working group
Aberdeen councillors have rejected a bid to create a new working group to look into creating a Roman Catholic secondary school in the city.
BBC
How Soul Survivor’s predatory pastor Mike Pilavachi hid in plain sight
He was one of the most successful preachers of his generation, but extensive allegations of abusive behaviour have left him disgraced.
The Telegraph*
Monk arrested after sexual assault claim
A monk from an island off the coast of south Wales has been arrested on suspicion of non-recent sexual assault and harassment.
BBC
Tribunal told senior officer raised concern over ‘prevalence of Catholic judges’
A detective has told a tribunal that a senior police officer in Northern Ireland expressed concerns that the prevalence of Catholic judges in the region was leading to "perverse decisions".
Evening Standard*
Governance checks of Anglican churches urged after ‘abusive’ charity founder probed
The Church of England has been urged to "consider undertaking regular governance health checks" of its churches following an investigation into the inappropriate actions and behaviours of charity founder Mike Pilavachi.
Civil Society
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