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Fri, 03 Apr 2020
Charity watchdog investigates 'plague protection kit' church – NSS quoted
The charity watchdog is investigating after a faith healer allegedly offered £91 "plague protection kits" for sale to protect people from the coronavirus pandemic.
ITV News
Urgent probe into church over coronavirus ‘protection kit’ made of oil and string – NSS quoted
The charities regulator has launched an urgent probe into a south London church over its sale of an oil which claimed it would protect from coronavirus.
Southwark News
Request to increase funeral sizes in Birmingham is rejected despite plea on behalf of Muslims
A council has rejected calls to increase the maximum number of people allowed at a funeral from six to 20, after a former cabinet member wrote to the leader requesting the change for the Muslim community.
Birmingham Live
Muslim prayers to be broadcast on BBC radio during coronavirus mosque closures
Muslims unable to visit their mosques during the coronavirus crisis will be able to tune into their local BBC station.
Birmingham Live
Coronavirus-related fatalities rise to 69 among UK Jews
The number of coronavirus-related fatalities has risen to 69 among UK Jews, as of Wednesday, up from 55 the previous day, according to data collated by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Jewish News
Fears Muslims at greater risk of Covid-19 as people defy rules
Muslims are classed as being more 'at risk' than other communities because of cultural factors.
Birmingham Live
Australian High Court to announce decision on Cardinal Pell's appeal next week
Australian cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric convicted of child sexual abuse charges, will learn the fate of his final appeal to the country's High Court on 7 April.
Catholic Herald
DUP councillor issues apology for blaming coronavirus on abortion and gay marriage
A DUP councillor has issued an apology after claiming the coronavirus pandemic is God's judgement for abortion reforms and legalising same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.
The Irish News
Daniel Pearl murder: Pakistani court overturns death sentence of accused
A British-born Islamist militant facing execution for the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl may walk free after a court in Pakistan commuted his sentence, and acquitted three co-accused.
The Guardian
Coronavirus: Indian mosque event becomes infection hotspot
Indian authorities are trying to track down almost 8,000 people who attended an event, which has also given rise to an anti-Muslim sentiment in public debate.
DW
Louisiana church packed for services again despite charges against pastor amid pandemic
Worshippers flocked to hear a Louisiana pastor who is facing charges for holding services despite a ban on gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday.
CBS News
China's religious minorities especially vulnerable to coronavirus, rights group warns
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has warned that the coronavirus pandemic may exacerbate the decline in religious liberty in China.
Christian Today
Thu, 02 Apr 2020
Church criticised over Covid-19 'plague protection kits' on sale for £91
A religious leader has been criticised over a "plague protection kit" he claims are based on biblical instructions and will protect people from Covid-19.
LBC
Lord Garel-Jones obituary
An obituary to Tristan Garel-Jones, Conservative whip and NSS honorary associate, who died last week. His support of the NSS is mentioned.
The Guardian
Top doctor says Charedi community presents ‘ideal conditions’ for virus spread
Paediatrician Dr Andrew Sawczenko says strictly-Orthodox Jews are vulnerable due to over-crowding and having large families, as he urges observance of social distancing.
Jewish News
Orthodox Jewish leader branded ‘dangerous amateur’ for promoting risky anti-virus drug
A top medical expert has sharply criticised the founder of the Jewish Community Council of North London for urging the government to back a high-risk drug to treat coronavirus.
Jewish News
Royal College of GPs’ assisted dying survey reveals even greater shift in opinion
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has released the full, weighted results of its 2019 membership survey on assisted dying, revealing an even greater shift in opinion from its 2013 poll.
Politics Home
Bishops 'dismayed' at decision to allow home abortion
The Catholic bishops of England and Wales have expressed their shock at an emergency policy to allow "do-it-yourself abortions" during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tablet
Church minister sues Belfast hotel after it 'calls a halt' to religious event
A minister is taking legal action against a Belfast hotel after claiming he was told by staff to stop a religious event promoting marriage.
Belfast Telegraph
Polish Catholic Church liable for sex abuse compensation claims
Poland's Catholic Church is facing a tidal wave of compensation bills after the country's highest court ruled it is liable for damages for people abused by its priests and religious.
The Irish Times
Radical evangelist who says gays will burn in 'flames of hell' builds Covid-19 hospital in Central Park
An anti-gay evangelist who spearheads Samaritan's Purse has erected a 68-bed hospital in New York City's Central Park to assist with an influx of Covid-19 patients — while calling for "Christian" volunteers to join his crusade.
The Independent
Wed, 01 Apr 2020
Police called to stop outdoor prayer meetings in north London
Police have been called to the Stamford Hill area to try to stop a small number of people within the Charedi Jewish community continuing to meet to pray.
The Jewish Chronicle
‘Religious extremists are making the coronavirus pandemic even worse’
Whether in the Iranian shrine city of Qom or the Bible Belt of the United States, the zealots are even claiming they hold the cure to the pandemic, writes Borzou Daragahi.
The Independent (£)
Government policy change on abortion could face judicial review
A change which allows women to have home abortions during the coronavirus outbreak could face a judicial review.
The Telegraph
‘Accidental pregnancy is more likely in lockdown - so all women must be able to get abortion pills in the post’
Ann Furedi says women need care during the coronavirus crisis.
The Telegraph (£)
Scott Morrison prays for Australia and commits nation to God amid coronavirus crisis
Australia's prime minister has offered a prayer for the national cabinet to stay "strong and united" and committed the nation to God during times of "great need and suffering" as it responds to Covid-19.
The Guardian
Government in Israel bans outdoor prayers but allows restricted circumcision ceremonies during Covid-19 outbreak
Israel's cabinet has approved a set of new measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, including a ban on prayer quorums and limits on funerals and Jewish circumcision ceremonies.
The Times of Israel
Israeli police raid synagogues to enforce coronavirus lockdown
Israeli police wearing masks raided synagogues in Jerusalem and other ultra-Orthodox areas yesterday which have flouted social distancing rules and become coronavirus hotspots.
The Times (£)
Appeals court temporarily reinstates Texas order limiting abortion access over coronavirus
An appeals court in the US is allowing an executive order that blocks elective abortions in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic to remain in effect for now.
CNN
Judge temporarily blocks Alabama’s ban on abortions during coronavirus outbreak
A judge in the US has temporarily blocked an effort that would have banned abortions in Alabama amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Waff 48
India and Pakistan crack down on Muslim group emerging as COVID-19 cluster
India and Pakistan sealed off centres belonging to a Muslim missionary group on Tuesday and began investigating how many coronavirus cases were linked to its activities.
Reuters
Canada considering loosening euthanasia restrictions
Canada is considering loosening its laws on euthanasia to make it them among the most relaxed restrictions in the world.
The Telegraph
Tue, 31 Mar 2020
Home abortions approved during coronavirus outbreak
Patients in England can now have home abortions during the Covid-19 outbreak, the government in England has said.
BBC
Jehovah's Witness sexually abused children he met at Kingdom Hall
A Jehovah's Witness sexually abused two young girls he met at their place of worship when he was a teenager.
Yorkshire Live
Scottish abuse inquiry appeals for victims to continue to contact it
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has appealed for victims to continue to contact it despite the coronavirus outbreak halting public hearings for the time being.
The Tablet
Police say film of people visiting mosque in Birmingham was taken before lockdown
Police have said that videos being circulated of people allegedly attending a mosque during the lockdown were taken before the measures were introduced.
Birmingham Live
Coronavirus cases spike in ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israeli neighbourhoods
Hundreds of new cases of the coronavirus appeared in ultra-Orthodox enclaves in Israel over a short period of time, figures show, revealing a growth rate that far exceeds the national average.
Haaretz
‘Sectarianism will not defeat coronavirus: no one is immune’
Are religious ideologues on coronavirus threatening to tear apart the much needed human solidarity to overcome the pandemic?
openDemocracy
Iraqis accuse religious leader of ‘weaponising’ coronavirus by blaming the pandemic on same-sex marriage
Iraqi Shia political leader Muqtada al-Sadr has been widely criticised online for claiming that the coronavirus pandemic was caused by same-sex marriage.
Pink News
Cremation of first Jewish virus victim in Argentina stirs debate
The first Jewish victim of the coronavirus in Argentina was cremated by local authorities, sparking a debate over respect for religious rituals during the outbreak.
Jewish News
Mon, 30 Mar 2020
Churchgoers in various parts of world ignore physical distancing advice
Millions of people across the world tuned into online church services on Sunday as their usual places of worship were closed, but in some places clerics insisted on their doors remaining open.
The Guardian
Couple sentenced over running of secret illegal Muslim school
A couple have been given suspended custodial sentences after being convicted of running an unregistered Muslim school.
Mail Online
Scottish church sues Edinburgh council over right to host American preacher who labelled homosexuality 'not normal behaviour'
A Scottish church has launched legal action against Edinburgh City Council over its right to host an American pastor who labelled homosexuality "not normal behaviour".
Edinburgh Evening News
Former president of Leicester Secular Society dies of coronavirus
Michael Gerard, who organised the programme of speakers that appeared every Sunday at Secular Hall in Leicester, has died.
Leicester Mercury
Court in Singapore dismisses challenge to anti-gay laws
Three constitutional challenges to a section of Singapore's penal code which criminalises sex between men have been dismissed.
Yahoo News
‘Coronavirus: Trump and religious right rely on faith, not science’
This month in the United States, several neo-charismatic preachers decided not to cancel their church meetings and events – though some have since said they would move their meetings online.
The Conversation
Pakistan struggles to limit Islamic prayers to stem coronavirus
Pakistani authorities struggled to limit congregational prayers on Friday with devout Muslims defying government orders to stay home, threatening efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Reuters
Messiah: Netflix series cancelled after allegations of anti-Islamic sentiment
TV thriller Messiah has been cancelled by Netflix after just one season amid allegations of religious insensitivity, although the coronavirus pandemic may also have played a part in the decision.
The Independent
Unorthodox on Netflix: The true story of Deborah Feldman, who fled the Hasidic Jewish community
Netflix's Unorthodox tells the harrowing story of a nineteen-year-old woman named Esty Shapiro, who flees her life in New York, and the Hasidic Jewish community in which she grew up.
Evening Standard
Fri, 27 Mar 2020
Three schools in Northern Ireland hoping to join integrated sector
Proposals have been re-published this week on behalf of three schools who are seeking to transform to controlled integrated status. But delays are expected in the development proposal process due to Department of Education staff tackling coronavirus.
The Irish News
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