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Tue, 19 Feb 2019
Council plans closure of Catholic schools in cost-cutting plan
The local council in Midlothian, near Edinburgh, is considering closing Catholic schools in an attempt to save money.
The Times (£)
Survivors of abuse protest against Catholic Church’s response
Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have descended on Rome to protest the church's response to the crisis ahead of Pope Francis' summit on the issue this week.
Mail Online
‘The Catholic Church has a long history of child sexual abuse and coverups’
Karen Liebreich says treating the Catholic Church's culture of abuse and cover-up as a historical aberration would be a mistake.
The Washington Post
Comic creator relinquishes rights to series after outrage over handling of Jesus
DC Comics has given up rights to a series featuring Jesus Christ as a superhero's peace-loving sidekick after receiving heated backlash from conservative Christians, particularly in the US.
HuffPost
Jersey's government to look into assisted dying
The council of ministers in Jersey has agreed to commission research into assisted dying.
ITV
Anglican Church slammed for excluding same-sex spouses from 2020 conference
Leading gay Christians have accused the Anglican Church of hypocrisy following its decision to ban same-sex spouses from attending the church's 2020 global conference.
Reuters
‘30 years on from the Rusdie fatwa, freedom of speech remains under threat’
This editorial says dialogue is necessary for progress and scrutiny.
The Telegraph (£)
One in three people think Islam is a threat to British way of life
More than a third of British people believe Islam is a threat to the British way of life, new figures have revealed.
Metro
India urged to stem cow vigilante violence
Hindu cow vigilante groups in India are escaping punishment for lynchings because of police inertia and complicity by local officials, leaving the families of those affected without justice, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.
The Guardian
Iran cracking down on social media
The Iranian regime is cracking down on social media in response to dissent, particularly protests from women who remove their hijabs in public.
The Times (£)
Iranian state TV censors football match because of female referee
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB did not show a Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg on Friday because German referee Bibiana Steinhaus was officiating, according to reports.
DW
French judge refuses to block Catholic sex scandal film
A judge in France has refused to block the release in French cinemas of a film based on a Catholic sex scandal.
Irish Examiner
Mon, 18 Feb 2019
BBC provides abortion information after Call the Midwife row
The BBC has said it will give viewers information about abortion after it was criticised following an episode of the popular drama Call the Midwife.
The Guardian
‘Abortion is legal, so why did the BBC fail to give advice?’
Kenan Malik says the BBC did viewers a disservice by refusing to offer information about abortion.
The Observer
Islamist group targets children ‘at risk’ from gay rights lessons
An extremist Muslim group that regards homosexuality as a perversion like bestiality and paedophilia is teaching children its beliefs in a national campaign against LGBT rights.
The Times (£)
‘Why does the Catholic Church keep failing on sexual abuse?’
As Catholic bishops prepare to gather for a Vatican summit on sexual abuse Emma Green speaks to Cardinal Seán O'Malley, who has spent decades cleaning up after paedophile priests.
The Atlantic
‘The Catholic Church is still making excuses for paedophilia’
Peter Stanford says only radical reform can solve the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.
The Observer
‘Who knew about the abuse at St Benedict’s? The entire Catholic Church’
At the child sexual abuse inquiry Stephen Bleach sees the truth emerge about the school where he and other boys were harmed. He says the instinct to shield paedophiles was endemic.
The Sunday Times (£)
DfE bans ISIS supporter from running schools
A man jailed for his support for terrorist group Islamic State has been banned from being involved in running schools.
Schools Week
Holocaust denier who wrote antisemitic songs has conviction upheld
A woman who wrote and performed antisemitic songs which mocked the Holocaust and claimed the gas chambers were a "proven hoax" has had her conviction upheld by the Crown Court.
The Independent
Apple and Google urged to dump Saudi app which allows men to track women’s movements
A Saudi mobile application that lets men track and restrict the movements of women in the kingdom has come under increased scrutiny with an American senator and rights groups urging Apple and Google to remove it from their platforms.
The New York Times
Pakistan demands loyalty before freeing Asia Bibi
A woman acquitted of blasphemy after eight years on death row in Pakistan has been barred from completing her asylum paperwork while the authorities put pressure on her not to speak ill of the country.
The Times (£)
Antisemitism rising sharply across Europe, latest figures show
Antisemitism is rising sharply across Europe, experts have said, as France reported a 74% increase in the number of offences against Jews last year and Germany said the number of violent antisemitic attacks had surged by more than 60%.
The Guardian
Germany plans to ban gay cure therapy
Germany plans to push ahead with a ban on gay cure therapy, the country's health minister has said.
Pink News
Fri, 15 Feb 2019
Vets call for ban on export of non-stun lamb
Halal abattoirs are exploiting a legal loophole to kill 2,000 lambs a day without stunning them and then sending the meat overseas, a survey commissioned by the government has revealed.
The Times (£)
Muslim parents lead protest outside school gates against equality lessons on homosexuality and gender
More than 300 parents and children gathered outside of a primary school yesterday to protest against lessons on homosexuality and gender. It is the latest protest against the lessons at Parkfield Community School in Birmingham.
Daily Mail
‘I was forced to wear a hijab. It wasn’t liberating’
Soutiam Goodarzi says 'World Hijab Day' is an insult to those who grew up in Iran fearing the 'modesty police'.
The Spectator
’30 years after the fatwa, Rushdie lives but free speech is in danger’
David Marcus says we should redouble our efforts to support free speech and to recognise and call out those forces who believe some words are too harmful to be spoken.
The Federalist
‘UK body modification trial raises questions about circumcision’
Barry Duke says circumcisions carried out for religious reasons on children who are unable to consent to the procedure ought logically to be outlawed, given a ruling this week in the Court of Appeal.
The Freethinker (Patheos)
Instagram denies it deleted Indonesian gay Muslim account
Instagram has denied it removed an account about a gay Muslim at the request of the Indonesian government.
Gay Star News
Arkansas legislature passes ‘trigger law’ bill to ban abortion
The US state of Arkansas could be the fifth state to immediately outlaw most abortions if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
Think Progress
‘The problem with “Biblical literacy” classes in the US’
Candida Moss says the thing to worry about with Biblical literacy classes is not that they exist, but rather what politicians supporting them are trying to get back to.
The Daily Beast
‘The Catholic Church is heading for another sex abuse scandal as #NunsToo speak up’
Kathleen McPhillips says it is clear the sexual abuse of women, children and vulnerable adults has been normalised in Catholic clerical culture – and the answers to this catastrophic problem will not come from church leaders.
The Conversation
Call to scrap lord’s prayer from Australian parliament
The leader of the Reason Party in Australia, Fiona Patten, has called for the Lord's Prayer to be scrapped from parliament.
3AW News Talk
Germany closes Muslim nursery over Islamist links
Officials in the city of Mainz have witdrawn the licence of the only Muslim nursery in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate amid allegations that the facility was promoting Salafism.
DW
Australian TV presenter 'vilified' Muslims, tribunal rules
An Australian TV presenter made "vilifying" remarks about links between Muslims and terrorism that may encourage hatred towards Australian Muslims, a tribunal has found.
The Guardian
Thu, 14 Feb 2019
Madrassa which told girls to have children rather than careers ousted from secondary school – NSS mentioned
A madrassa that gave a lesson suggesting Muslim girls should have children rather than careers has been ousted from a secondary school after the NSS raised concerns.
The Telegraph
Orthodox Jewish nursery that sacked teacher for living with her boyfriend wins appeal against religious discrimination
A strictly Orthodox Jewish nursery in London that sacked a Jewish teacher who revealed she lived with her boyfriend has won its appeal against religious discrimination.
The JC
‘Radio 4’s Fatwa shows why the repercussions of the Salman Rushie Satanic Verses controversy are still felt 30 years on’
Jemima Lewis says a gripping and well-produced Radio 4 documentary on the Satanic Verses affair succumbs to moral relativism.
The Telegraph (£)
Government-backed bill to crack down on female genital mutilation due ‘imminently'
A government-backed bill to crack down on female genital mutilation could come before the Commons within days after the prime minister threw her weight behind the proposals.
PoliticsHome
British ISIS schoolgirl wants to return to UK for her baby
A pregnant British schoolgirl who joined Islamic State in Syria says she does not regret fleeing the UK - but wants to come home so her baby can be looked after.
Sky News
Clicking on terrorist propaganda once could mean 15 years in prison under new law
Anyone who views terrorist propaganda once online can be jailed for up to 15 years under new laws that have sparked human rights concerns.
The Independent
Canvey Island Charedi Jewish community expands tenfold in two and a half years
The small Orthodox Jewish community in Canvey Island in Essex has expanded tenfold in two and a half years, with a new community centre planned for its 60 families.
Jewish News
‘Ireland’s Catholic Church is losing time to address its credibility crisis’
Sean O'Conaill says the need for accountability and genuine dialogue between Irish Catholic lay people and their clergy is more urgent than ever.
The Irish News
Gay Muslim comic gone from Instagram after Indonesia warning
An Instagram account that published comic strips depicting the struggles of gay Muslims in Indonesia has disappeared following a frenzy of outrage online in the world's biggest Muslim nation.
AP News
Same-sex couples in Japan launch Valentine's Day bid for marriage equality
Five lesbian and eight male gay couples are seeking damages from the Japanese government for denying them same rights as heterosexual spouses.
The Guardian
Hungary tells UK Jewish group to 'mind its own business' over anti-semitism
A Hungarian government minister has accused a senior member of a British Jewish group of politically-motivated lying.
The Guardian
Gay marriage is 'parody marriage,' says Kansas bill introduced on eve of Valentine's Day
A group of representatives in the US state of Kansas has introduced legislation that seeks to stop the state from recognising gay marriage and establish an "elevated marriage" option for straight couples who seek "higher standards of commitment".
USA Today
Wed, 13 Feb 2019
Charity Commission begins safeguarding inquiry into Roman Catholic archdiocese
The charities regulator has opened an inquiry into the charity behind the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Birmingham because of safeguarding concerns. The Birmingham Diocesan Trust was selected as a case study by the Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse last year.
Third Sector
School governor banned in Trojan Horse plot fights gay equality lessons
A school governor banned after an alleged plot to impose strict Muslim values on pupils is urging parents to pressure teachers into dropping lessons promoting gay equality.
The Times (£)
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