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Wed, 08 Aug 2018
‘The Vatican has never co-operated with Irish inquiries into clerical child sex abuse’
Patsy McGarry says the Catholic Church has pattern of withholding relevant documents from Irish state abuse inquiries.
The Irish Times
Solicitor suspended for Twitter rants on religions
A law firm partner who sent a series of hostile messages about Islam, Judaism and Catholicism has been suspended from practising for 18 months.
Law Gazette
Argentina braces for abortion vote in Pope's homeland
Argentina's Senate is set to vote on a bill that would legalise elective abortion in the predominantly Catholic country, homeland of Pope Francis, today.
CNN
New law will protect children from forced marriage in New Zealand
A law that gives children more protection against forced marriage is expected to pass with unanimous support in New Zealand's parliament today.
NZ Herald
Canada pledges to stand up for human rights amid Saudi sanctions
Canada's foreign affairs minister has defended the country's position and pledged to stand for human rights after Saudi Arabia placed sanctions on it. The sanctions ostensibly came in response to a Canadian expression of concern about the arrests of activists in Saudi.
Calgary Herald
Tue, 07 Aug 2018
‘The burka is oppressive but Denmark is wrong to ban it’
Boris Johnson criticises the burka but argues that a ban goes against Denmark's "spirit of Viking individualism" and recommends the UK does not follow suit. This article has generated a strong backlash from Johnson's opponents.
The Telegraph (£)
Boris Johnson faces criticism over burka 'letter box' jibe
Some MPs and lobbying groups have criticised the former foreign secretary's article, particularly his phrase that women who wear burkas "look like letter boxes".
BBC
North London Jewish leaders want apology from High Court QC over comments on fraud and tax evasion
Jewish leaders have asked a High Court QC to withdraw comments about the extent of benefit fraud and tax evasion within the Charedi community in the Stamford Hill area of north London.
Hackney Gazette
‘Immigration will not spark a British religious revival’
Graham Davidson argues that the decline of religion in Britain is unlikely to stop in the short term.
Areo
Imam hailed for heroism during Finsbury Park attack says government in denial on anti-Muslim hate
An imam who was praised for his actions during the attack on Finsbury Park mosque has accused the government of "lacklustre" efforts to tackle anti-Muslim hatred.
Evening Standard
‘A High Court judgement offers one way forward on Muslim marriage’
This editorial argues that a decision on Muslim marriage last week "recognises, and to some extent nullifies, the influence of sharia law on some English lives without extending any recognition to the judgment of sharia tribunals".
The Guardian
Labour party won’t take further action against MP who accused Corbyn of anti-Semitism
The Labour Party has said it will take no action against an MP who called party leader Jeremy Corbyn an "anti-Semite and a racist," amid an ongoing row over the subject.
The Times of Israel
‘Argentina’s abortion vote reveals the Catholic Church’s deep fear of female desire’
Claudia Piñeiro says campaigners should not be afraid of the Catholic Church's bullying as Argentina's Senate prepares to vote on abortion tomorrow.
Time
‘Why Uighur Muslims across China are living in fear’
Gene Bunin spent 18 months talking to Uighur restaurant workers all over China. His long read reveals a minority fearing the daily threat of arrest, detention and 're-education'.
The Guardian
‘A slow decline of Catholicism in the classroom in Ireland’
Katherine Donnelly says the educational landscape in Ireland has changed since the last papal visit to the country in 1979.
The Independent (Ireland)
Gay 'conversion therapy' ban found to be LGBTIQ Australians' top priority
Banning gay 'conversion therapy' has topped a list of LGBTIQ people's priorities for Australia's federal government going into the next election.
The Guardian
Mon, 06 Aug 2018
Leeds case ‘a milestone’ in battle to halt forced marriages
A national charity based in Leeds has said a conviction for forced marriage is a significant milestone in the fight against it, but has also shown how much more needs to be done.
The Yorkshire Post
‘Why those campaigning to categorise “Sikh” as an ethnicity are wrong’
Hardeep Singh says the Office for National Statistics should resist pressure from some Sikh groups to classify Sikhs as an ethnicity.
The Spectator
‘We must fight for gay marriage in Northern Ireland’
Labour MP Ged Killen says legal recognition of same-sex marriage is an important part of a country's social progress.
The Times (£)
SNP MP calls for debate over role of Catholic schools in Scotland
A debate should take place on the future of state-funded Catholic education in Scotland, SNP MP Mhairi Black has said. Her words appear to challenge the stance of Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has praised Catholic schools.
Daily Record
'Denial is not the solution on caste discrimination’
Ashwini Deshpande says there is plenty of evidence that caste-based discrimination exists within Indian diasporic communities. She adds that recognising and engaging with this discrimination is crucial instead of attempting to sweep it under the carpet.
The Wire
Church of England accused of creating wealth 'postcode lottery'
The Church of England has become embroiled in a row over a "postcode lottery" as critics say there is a significant north-south wealth divide between its dioceses.
The Telegraph
Edinburgh church votes to split from the Scottish Episcopal Church over gay marriage stance
One of the largest churches in Edinburgh has voted to split from the Scottish Episcopal Church in reaction to its decision to back gay marriage.
The Telegraph
New rules on donating organs could save 700 lives a year
Ministers are to go ahead with an overhaul of organ donation rules in a reform they believe could save as many as 700 lives every year.
The Guardian
Man threatens ‘ungodly’ Brighton Pride attendees
A man has been arrested after unleashing a horrifying stream of abuse at people coming back from Brighton and Hove Pride.
Pink News
Irish minister says religion will not determine government health policy
Ireland's minister for health has said increasing access to contraception will remain public health policy in the country. His comments come in response to a bishop's claim that the Catholic Church's position on contraception had been "ignored for too long".
The Irish Times
Brazil’s top court debates decriminalising abortion
Brazil's Supreme Court has begun public hearings on scrapping highly restrictive abortion laws that have pushed large numbers of women to seek clandestine procedures.
Manila Bulletin
Petition says Israel’s Jewish nation state law is illegal
Petitioners have demanded that Israel's law on being a Jewish nation state should be annulled or changed to apply equally to all Israeli citizens.
The Times of Israel
Fri, 03 Aug 2018
'Do Burqa Bans Do More Harm Than Good?' - NSS Chief Executive
In the wake of Denmark's face covering ban, NSS Chief Executive Stephen Evans asks if burqa bans risk further alienating women already on the margins of mainstream society.
Huffington Post
Forced marriage: Beaten and raped after wedding to cousin
A Muslim woman with a "very significant degree of learning disability" was beaten and raped after she was forced to marry a cousin in Bangladesh and he was given a visa, court records show.
The Times (£)
"How conservatives have changed the meaning of ‘religious liberty’"
"Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday the creation of a religious liberty task force to help protect the right of every American "to believe, worship and exercise their faith in the public square." At first glance, such an effort sounds innocuous, even laudable. But as with much that this administration does, a closer look reveals a different story."
The Washington Post
'Life of Brian' ending was changed to avoid 'blasphemous libel'
Early drafts of sketches for the film reveal material that had been dropped due to fears of breaking blasphemy laws.
The Times (£)
Arrest after claims of rape at Christian worship festival
A man in his fifties has been arrested after a 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped at a Christian gathering.
The Times (£)
Lawyer Asama Javed is ‘fixer for forced marriage’
The Times sent an undercover reporter to meet Asama Javed after a well-placed source said they believed that she helped families to get visas after forced marriages.
The Times (£)
Pope faces gargantuan challenge on abuse crisis: McAleese
The clerical abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is entering an "even more disturbing and disruptive chapter", former Irish president Mary McAleese has warned.
Belfast Telegraph
Australia: Military chaplains could be atheists if discrimination complaint upheld
The requirement for military chaplains to belong to a recognised religious denomination is discriminatory, according to a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission brought by a humanist chaplain.
The Guardian
50 Years Later, Many U.S. Catholic Women Still Ignore Vatican’s Contraception Ban
"Humanae Vitae" continues to have little real impact on the choices of American Catholic women.
Huffington Post
Thu, 02 Aug 2018
English law applies to Islamic marriage, judge rules in divorce case
A high court judge has decided that a couple's Islamic marriage falls within the scope of English matrimonial law.
The Guardian
Campaigners plot judicial review over closure of abandoned church school
Staff and parents will seek a judicial review of a decision to close down a Church of England school in Surrey after the local diocese refused to take it on.
Schools Week
Visas for men who force teenagers into marriage
British teenagers are being forced to marry abroad and are raped and impregnated while the Home Office "turns a blind eye" by handing visas to their husbands, The Times has found.
The Times (£)
‘It’s perfectly safe – so why can’t women take abortion pills at home?’
Claudia Craig reflects on changes to the law which have allowed women in Wales and Scotland to take the abortion pill at home and the campaign to secure the same change in England.
The Guardian
More humanist weddings in Scotland than Church of Scotland ones last year
Weddings staged by Scotland's leading humanist body have overtaken Church of Scotland ceremonies north of the border for the first time as Scots turn away from a more formal religious approach to trying the knot.
The Scotsman
Catholics in Northern Ireland urged to stop legalisation of abortion
The president of an international anti-abortion organisation has called on Catholics in Northern Ireland to "keep the wolf out of the field" and prevent the legalisation of abortion there.
The Irish Times
Tommy Robinson bailed after Court of Appeal rules contempt of court case should be reheard
Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been released on bail after a court ruled a judge had made technical errors when jailing him for contempt of court.
BBC
Washington Metro can ban all religious ads on buses and trains, court rules
The Washington region's transit system can bar religious messages on its buses and trains and in its stations, a US federal appeals court has ruled. The court upheld the Metro's policy prohibiting issue-oriented advertisements.
The Washington Post
Denmark’s ban on face coverings met with protest
Denmark's ban on face coverings in public took effect on Wednesday, setting off protests and reigniting a debate over a law that rights groups say discriminates against Muslim women.
The New York Times
Catholic diocese names dozens accused of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania
A Roman Catholic bishop in Pennsylvania has released the names of 71 clergy members and seminarians accused of sexually abusing children since the 1940s, acting in advance of a release of grand jury findings on clerical abuse in the state.
Reuters
‘Yes, things can get worse on reproductive rights in the US — especially with Justice Kavanaugh’
Michele Goodwin says women's rights advocates should be "deeply concerned and even outraged" at the prospect of Brett Kavanaugh becoming the new US Supreme Court justice.
The Hill
Wed, 01 Aug 2018
Poll finds public backs reform of BBC Radio 4’s 'Thought for the Day' – NSS extensively quoted
New research suggests the British public backs reform of Radio 4's Thought for the Day so it no longer features only religious voices.
Ekklesia
DUP tries to block Northern Ireland council flying Pride flag
The DUP has used a special 'call-in' procedure to block the flying of rainbow flags on a council's civic buildings for this weekend's Pride events. Meanwhile Barnardo's has become the first children's charity in NI to voice public support for the recognition of same-sex marriage.
Belfast Telegraph
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