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Thu, 25 Mar 2021
'Racist and reprehensible': Jewish Power set to enter Israel's parliament
Early results suggest far-right alliance will take more seats than predicted.
The Guardian
Doctors worldwide offer ‘dangerous’ treatment to ‘reverse’ abortions
Health experts call for action from regulators to protect women from spread of controversial method supported by US Christian right activists.
openDemocracy
'No religion should dictate to the state' — NZ MP addresses his religion in maiden speech
National MP Christopher Luxon said: "I believe no religion should dictate to the state, and no politician should use the political platform they have to force their beliefs on others."
TVNZ
‘Southern Baptist beliefs on sex and gender provide context to spa suspect’s “motive”’
Even before a member of a Southern Baptist church was accused of the Georgia spa massacre, motivated, he told police, by guilt over a "sex addiction," the Southern Baptist Convention was under scrutiny over its teachings on gender and sexuality.
The Conversation
‘Cured: How mental illness was used as a tool against LGBT rights’
Until 1973 the American Psychiatric Association defined being gay as having a mental illness. A new documentary recalls the struggle to change a definition which for years limited the rights of LGBT people in the US.
BBC
Wed, 24 Mar 2021
Abusive vicar tormented nearly 30 victims because he was 'untouchable', church admits
A former leading evangelical vicar subjected almost 30 victims to ice baths, naked beatings and sex acts, because his church created a culture where he was "untouchable", it has admitted.
The Telegraph*
Deeply divided Northern Ireland education system 'unsustainable and unaffordable'
Report by Transforming Education in Northern Ireland says: "Too many of our schools currently subliminally exclude groups based on social class, faith and/or political or cultural affiliation, even if they wish it to be otherwise."
Belfast Telegraph
‘Demeaning’ abortion rule in Jersey scrapped
"Demeaning" rules which force women to wait a week to access an abortion in Jersey have been scrapped.
ITV
IS children brought back to Britain could pose a terror threat, watchdog warns
There is no guarantee that the children of Islamic State parents brought back to Britain from Syria will not pose a threat to the public in future, the government's terror watchdog has warned.
Evening Standard
‘State must clarify its stance on relationships and sexual education in schools’
The Vatican's latest statement on same-sex unions should finally convince the Department of Education of its duty to take over full control of the RSE programme in state-funded schools, says Colm O'Connor.
Irish Examiner
German Catholic Church 'covered up' cases of sexual abuse by clergy
A system of "silence, secrecy and lack of oversight" led to a lack of compassion for the victims of sexual abuse by the clergy, a German cardinal has announced.
Deutsche Welle
Colorado baker sued again over alleged anti-LGBTQ bias
A Colorado baker who won a partial victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple went on trial Monday in yet another lawsuit, this one involving a birthday cake for a transgender woman.
Associated Press
Suspected jihadists attack villages in Niger killing at least 137 people
Attacks by suspected jihadists in villages in Niger's Tahoua region have left 137 people dead, the government has said, in another massacre that has underscored the huge security challenges facing new President Mohamed Bazoum.
The Guardian
‘Why one man started an Instagram account showing churches’ wealth’
When Kirby began showcasing pastors' high fashion, he was putting dollar signs on designer items for everyone to see just how expensive the clothing items were valued.
The Washington Post*
‘Can religion give you PTSD?’
Meet the "exvangelicals" seeking therapy for religious trauma.
The New Republic
Tue, 23 Mar 2021
NI Catholic bishops hit out at British government over threat to force roll-out of abortion services
In a statement, the NI bishops said they are "deeply concerned by the announcement that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland intends to bypass the NI Assembly to force the Minister for Health here to commission some of the most extreme and liberal abortion services on these islands".
The Irish News
Raab imposes sanctions on Chinese officials for Uighur Muslim human rights abuses
The UK, US, Canada and the European Union have slapped sanctions on Chinese officials deemed responsible for appalling human rights abuses of Uighurs Muslims in the country.
ITV
Pregnant woman punched amid ‘spike’ in attacks on Jewish community
A pregnant woman was repeatedly punched after a pillowcase was put over her head amid a rise in attacks on the Jewish community, a rabbi has said.
Evening Standard
‘Islamic homophobia is empowered by leftist silence’
Jimmy Bangash scrutinises homophobia in the Muslim community and explores the left's reluctance to criticise it in a consistent and productive manner.
Queer Majority
Arkansas governor says he signed abortion ban so Supreme Court can decide if it's a 'direct challenge' to Roe
Arkansas' Republican governor said Sunday that he signed a near-total abortion ban into law earlier this month because he wants the Supreme Court to eventually consider the legislation and overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalised the procedure in the US.
CNN
Massive religious gathering worries India as COVID-19 cases surge
India's health ministry warned on Sunday that a huge gathering of devotees for a Hindu festival could send coronavirus cases surging, as the country recorded the most new infections in nearly four months.
Reuters
Nawal El Saadawi, trailblazing Egyptian writer, dies aged 89
The feminist author of more than 55 books first spotlighted the issue of female genital mutilation with The Hidden Face of Eve in 1980. A trained doctor, El Saadawi also campaigned against women wearing the veil, polygamy and inequality in Islamic inheritance rights between men and women.
The Guardian
Taliban expect US withdrawal, vow to restore Islamic rule
The Taliban have strongly warned the United States to honor its pledge to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 or face a "reaction."
The Independent
Afghanistan: ‘The women killed for working at a TV station’
Women make up a large number of those killed in a deadly campaign of targeted attacks on civil society in Afghanistan by extremist groups opposed to them working outside the home.
BBC
‘Satan’s lawyers try Christian-Right tactics to erect winged goat’
If thousands of Satanists have their way, the Arkansas state capital will soon host a mystical winged goat idol, not far from an existing three-ton monument to the Ten Commandments.
Bloomberg
Mon, 22 Mar 2021
Less than half of Britons expected to tick ‘Christian’ in UK census
The "post-Christian era" in the UK will be cemented by data emerging from Sunday's census which is expected to show further generational disengagement from organised religion, according to a leading academic.
The Observer
‘I will be ticking ‘no religion’ in the census – there is so much more at stake than you might think’
Non-religious Britons need to be counted properly.
The Independent
NI health minister under pressure to set out position on abortion move
Robin Swann has been challenged to lay out his response to the government's move to force Stormont's Department of Health to roll out abortion services in Northern Ireland.
Belfast Telegraph
'Two-tier system' means couples still forced to travel for termination after severe foetal diagnoses in Ireland
There is concern over how Ireland's abortion legislation is working in practice three years on.
The Journal
Imams say ‘mosques have been unfairly targeted’ by Covid rules
Imams and religious scholars in Blackburn have claimed mosques have been 'unfairly targeted' during the pandemic.
Lancashire Telegraph
‘The women trapped and traumatised by Poland’s near-total abortion ban’
Poland already had some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, but new changes have effectively banned them completely.
Channel 4 News
Iceland adds Judaism to list of state-recognised religions
The move means that Icelandic Jews may register themselves and their children as belonging to the country's Jewish community.
Jewish News
Fri, 19 Mar 2021
Census will show a drop of “millions” of Christians, experts say
Sociologists and demographers of religion agreed that the results of the 2021 Census will show another significant decline from 2011, in which 59 per cent of people said they were Christians.
Religion Media Centre
DUP will ‘vigorously oppose’ fresh Westminster intervention over abortion laws
The DUP will "vigorously oppose" any further legislative action to see new abortion laws implemented in the region, an MP has warned.
Central Fife Times
Jewish communal spaces don’t feel safe to us, say women
Jewish women have said they feel that harassment from men is allowed to go unpunished due to the community's unwillingness to confront such behaviour.
The Jewish Chronicle
‘It happens in our schools, our shuls and our JSocs’
In religious spaces, young girls are made to feel like sexual objects, says Sabrina Miller.
The Jewish Chronicle
BBC: ‘new approach’ to religious programming will ‘better serve faith communities’
The BBC is committed to bringing religion and faith into its flagship brands as well as its religious programming, the commissioning editor for radio and television has said.
Church Times*
Spanish lawmakers approve bill legalising euthanasia
Spanish lawmakers on Thursday legalised euthanasia and assisted dying for people with serious and incurable or debilitating diseases who want to end their life, making Spain the fourth country in the European Union to take the step.
Reuters
Cologne diocese abuse scandal: Investigators identify suspects
A German law firm published an independent report Thursday following accusations of efforts to cover up sexual violence in Germany's most powerful Roman Catholic diocese, Cologne.
Deutsche Welle
Ex-Vatican altar boy testifies in seminary sex abuse trial
A former Vatican altar boy has testified that an older seminarian would come into his bed at night to perform a sexual act on him in the Vatican's youth seminary, saying his initial shock gave way to resignation because he feared being sent home.
The Associated Press
‘Nergal: the metal musician fighting Poland's blasphemy laws’
The acclaimed and controversial Behemoth frontman faces possible prison time for a photo of his foot on a religious icon. He argues that Poland must become secular to evolve.
The Guardian
Arkansas abortion bill would require rape, incest reports
A bill advancing through Arkansas' Legislature would require victims of rape and incest to have first reported the crime to law enforcement before they could undergo an abortion past the state's 20-week limit.
The Independent
Iranian government orders teachers to identify children of persecuted Baha'i minority
Baha'is are the country's biggest religious minority, but they are considered heretical by the Iranian regime.
The Telegraph*
Thu, 18 Mar 2021
DUP hits back at attempts to ‘impose’ compulsory sex education
The DUP - which controls the Department of Education - has hit back at the Sinn Fein controlled Department for Communities that it has no authority to impose new sex education guidelines.
News Letter
Hundreds of Islamic groups boycott Prevent review
A coalition of more than 450 Islamic organisations, including 350 mosques and imams, are to boycott the government's review of the anti-radicalisation programme Prevent in protest against the appointment of William Shawcross as its chair.
The Guardian
NI churches to return to public worship in time for Easter
The Church of Ireland, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in Northern Ireland will resume in-person services from 2 April. The Catholic Church has confirmed there will be a "cautious" return a week earlier, from 26 March.
BBC
London CofE primary school could close ‘by September’
St John's Church of England Primary is facing closure by September. The main reason for the closures are said to be a serious deficit in the schools' finances due to declining pupil numbers.
Southwark News
German professor under police protection for stance on Islamophobia
A German professor at a university in Grenoble, France, has become the target of a hate campaign for not wanting to compare anti-Semitism with Islamophobia.
Deutsche Welle
Rebel priests defy Vatican, vow to bless same-sex couples
A dissident band of Roman Catholic priests leading a disobedience campaign against the Vatican said on Tuesday they would carry on blessing same-sex couples in defiance of Church orders.
Reuters
‘We shouldn’t forget the horrific crimes of Isis returnees’
At least 6,000 people from Western Europe abandoned their lives to join Isis's doomed state-building project, with dozens more from North America and Australasia. Many were killed, but 450 have returned to Britain.
The Spectator*
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