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Tue, 01 Oct 2019
Founder and sister of Sikh group charged with charity funding offences by terror police
A brother and sister have been charged by counter-terror police over the alleged misuse of money donated to a Sikh campaign group.
The Independent
Moroccan journalist jailed for abortion that she says never happened
A Moroccan journalist has been sentenced to a year in prison on charges of having an illegal abortion and premarital sex, in a trial observers say was concocted to crack down on criticism of the government.
The Guardian
Mon, 30 Sep 2019
20,000 sent to faith schools despite requesting secular education – NSS quoted
More than 20,000 children started at faith schools in England this month, despite choosing secular schools as their first preference, the NSS has found.
Schools Week
Church leaders call for restoration of Stormont to stop abortion legalisation
Leaders of several churches with significant influence in Northern Ireland have called for the restoration of the Stormont Assembly to prevent the introduction of abortion in Northern Ireland next month.
The Irish Times
Hundreds freed from ‘Islamic school torture house’ in Nigeria
Nearly 500 men and boys have been rescued from a building where detainees were allegedly sexually abused and tortured, Nigerian police said. The building is thought to have been an Islamic school.
BBC
Iran detains family members of women's rights activist Masih Alinejad
Iranian intelligence officials detained three of women's rights activist Masih Alinejad's family members in a move criticised by rights groups as an attempt to intimidate the US-based activist and journalist into silence.
DW
Former football commentator calls for an “open and bold” debate on school division in Scotland
Former football commentator Archie Macpherson has called for an "open and bold" debate on Catholic schools in Scotland after saying he does not like separating children at the age of five.
The Herald
SNP MSP call for abortion restriction branded "regressive"
John Mason, Shettleston SNP MSP, has lodged a motion calling on fellow MSPs to reduce the time limit at which abortion is permitted in Scotland.
Evening Times
Qandeel Baloch: Brother of murdered social media star jailed
The brother of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch has been jailed for life, three years after her murder.
BBC
Dozens of protesters demand sacking of Australian radio presenter over Mary joke
Dozens of furious protesters gathered at a radio station's Sydney office earlier to demonstrate against a radio presenter who made a joke about the Christian virgin Mary.
Daily Mail Australia
Victim of paedophile priest in Australia to receive more than $1m from Catholic Church
The Catholic Church will pay more than $1m to a victim of Gerald Ridsdale, one of the country's most notorious paedophile priests, in a landmark settlement reached on Friday.
The Guardian
Actress who lost role after homophobic tweet was unearthed sues for religious discrimination
A Christian actress removed from a lead role over a "homophobic" Facebook post is to take the theatre and her agency to court for breach of contract and religious discrimination.
The Times (£)
Fri, 27 Sep 2019
Rise in schools not fully providing Religious Education
The number of schools flouting RE laws has risen, research by the National Association of Teachers of RE suggests.
Church Times
Council 'has no power' to impose temporary ban on Glasgow marches
Glasgow City Council has said it cannot go ahead with a temporary ban on loyalist and republican marches because there is currently "no legal basis".
BBC
Most teachers do not have a religion, survey suggests
Almost two-thirds of teachers polled say that they have no religion, and only 15 per cent identify as Anglican, findings from a survey of teachers suggest.
Church Times
County Antrim Catholic school closure delayed for integration bid
A plan to close a Catholic school in August 2020 has been delayed to enable its attempt to transform into an integrated school.
BBC
Drop in vaccination rates in England alarming, experts warn
Experts have expressed alarm at a drop in take-up of all routine childhood vaccinations across England which leaves many thousands of children under-protected.
The Guardian
Ofsted highlights safeguarding concerns at Catholic primary school
A primary school in Portsmouth has seen its Ofsted judgement fall from good to inadequate in less than a year with concerns over children's safety highlighted in the report.
The News (Portsmouth)
Mexico's Oaxaca state decriminalises abortion
Women's rights activists in Mexico are celebrating after the southern state of Oaxaca decriminalised abortion. Activists hope the move signals broader reforms to ensure reproductive rights in what is still a conservative and deeply Catholic country.
The Guardian
Vatican fury at Italian court over assisted suicide ruling
The Vatican accused Italy of "spreading a culture of death" yesterday after its constitutional court ruled that it was not always a crime to help someone facing intolerable suffering to die.
The Times (£)
Most Jewish Israelis want ultra-Orthodox parties out of government, survey finds
A majority of Jewish voters in Israel want their next government to be less religious than it is now, polling has found.
The Times of Israel
Rights advocates call Trump's pledge to decriminalise gay sex 'a lie'
President Trump pledged this week to help end the criminalisation of homosexuality globally, but LGBT+ rights advocates took a dim view of his speech at the United Nations, accusing him of rolling back protections at home.
Reuters
‘The ultra-Orthodox Jewish community’s sexual abuse crisis in New York has finally reached a tipping point’
Hella Winton says one of the most secretive and isolated subcultures in the United States is facing possible exposure, thanks to a new law.
Vice
Thu, 26 Sep 2019
Scottish councils ‘hostile’ to Catholic schools, claims bishop – NSS quoted
A Catholic bishop has accused councillors of orchestrating a "hostile" attempt to diminish the church's influence over education.
The Times (£)
Vatican refuses requests for child abuse inquiry evidence
The Vatican is continuing to refuse to co-operate with requests to provide witnesses and evidence about child abuse in the Roman Catholic Church to the IICSA public inquiry.
The Times (£)
Government backtracks on non-stun meat labelling – NSS quoted
The environment secretary has appeared to backtrack on the government's previous position on the labelling of meat from unstunned animals.
Farming UK
Council in North Somerset votes to abolish prayers before meetings
North Somerset Council has scrapped the ritual of saying Christian prayers before meetings.
Somerset Live
Charedi education activist says Labour has assured him it won’t abolish faith schools
Charedi Jewish activist Shraga Stern, who has played a prominent part in recent campaigns against inclusive education, says he has received assurances that the Labour party will not abolish faith schools. It is unclear whether he was referring to state or private faith schools.
The Jewish Chronicle
UK courts powerless to prevent deportation of girl, 10, at risk of FGM
A British court has said it has no power to stop the deportation of a 10-year-old girl at risk of female genital mutilation after authorities rejected her mother's asylum application.
The Guardian
Abortion legal across Australia after New South Wales decriminalisation
Abortion has been decriminalised across Australia after the last remaining state where it was illegal, New South Wales, voted to reform its laws.
BBC
Catholic Church swamped with hundreds of new sex abuse claims in Australian state after legal change
The Catholic Church in Victoria is facing at least 800 new legal actions for child sexual abuse in the wake of landmark legislation allowing victims to sue the church and revisit unfair settlements made under in-house compensation schemes.
Canberra Times
Man accused of blasphemy in Pakistan acquitted after nearly 20 years
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted a blasphemy accused who was earlier sentenced to death by the trial and high court, two decades after he was accused.
Outlook India
China is killing religious and ethnic minorities and harvesting their organs, UN Human Rights Council told
The Chinese government is harvesting and selling organs from persecuted religious and ethnic minorities on an industrial scale, the UN Human Rights Council has been told.
The Independent
Assisting a suicide is not always a crime, rules Italian court
Italy's constitutional court has ruled it was not always a crime to help someone in "intolerable suffering" kill themselves, opening the way for a change of law in the predominantly Catholic country.
The Guardian
Wed, 25 Sep 2019
Theresa Villiers says government won’t require labelling of non-stun meat – NSS quoted
The environment secretary has said the government will not introduce labelling on meat from non-stun slaughter. The NSS has written to her to urge a rethink.
Farmers Guardian
‘A wrong against boys: an impossible conversation about circumcision’
Iona Italia says children's bodies are not the property of their parents, to be modified to reflect their desires or values, in this long read.
Areo
Plans for £40m Church of England school unveiled in Southampton
An artist's impression has shown plans for the redevelopment of a Church of England school in Southampton. The new school, which is partly being built on the site of the old one, is expected to cost £39.8m.
Southern Daily Echo
Plans to expand Muslim school in Bolton revealed
Plans to expand a Muslim school in Bolton in Greater Manchester to accommodate 150 more pupils have been revealed.
The Bolton News
Buddhist charity remains under scrutiny after disgraced founder's death
A Buddhist charity in north London remains under investigation following the death last month of its guru founder and the disqualification of an ex-trustee.
Islington Gazette
Thousands protest against new criminal code in Indonesia
Thousands of students have taken to the streets in Indonesia to protest against a "disastrous" draft criminal code that would include outlawing extramarital sex.
The Guardian
Jacinda Ardern discusses aftermath of NZ mosque attacks in address to UN
New Zealand's prime minister has said social media users should speak with "the responsibility of someone who knows a small child might be listening" in the wake of Christchurch mosque attacks. She made the remarks in a speech to the UN general assembly.
NZ Herald
Saudi Arabia accuses Australia of racism in extraordinary UN broadside
Saudi Arabia has accused the Australian government of racism and of supporting anti-Islamic terrorists like the alleged Christchurch shooter, in an extraordinary dispute that has erupted at the United Nations.
The Guardian
Anti-FGM campaigner Nimco Ali launches global bid to protect girls
Campaigner Nimco Ali has launched a global project to end FGM by 2030.
Reuters
Civic event in Wick to welcome Church of Scotland moderator
A civic reception was held at Wick Town Hall in Caithness on Monday evening to mark the visit of the moderator of the Church of Scotland.
John O'Groat Journal
Anti-LGBT bigotry celebrated at a Christian Concern Oxford shindig
The group Christian Concern has held a reception to celebrate two 10-year-olds who have refused to take part in lessons which mention LGBT equality.
The Freethinker (Patheos)
Captain Morgan website in US asks visitors to confirm they are ‘non-Muslim’
The rum company Captain Morgan asked visitors to confirm they were 'non-Muslim' before entering its US website on Saturday. The message was quickly removed. The company said it was put up because US users were accidentally shown a message from the UAE, where licensing laws require it.
Metro
Tue, 24 Sep 2019
Charity Commission denies subjecting Muslim charities to ‘undue scrutiny’
A charity investigated over financial misconduct twice in five years has alleged that the charity regulator for England and Wales is "part of a larger pattern of harassment of Muslim charities". The Charity Commission has denied the allegation.
Third Sector
‘The Scottish parliament should apologise for witch-burning’
Brian Wilson commends an initiative from community councils in West Fife to create a permanent memorial to thousands of women who were burned as 'witches', and says the Scottish parliament could learn a lesson.
The Scotsman
Police probe after speaker at Kashmir rally says “there's only one solution which is jihad”
Police are investigating an activist who was filmed at a rally in Birmingham saying: "There's only one solution which is jihad." The activist has said she was not encouraging people to fight.
Birmingham Live
Dundee councillor says all schools should be secular
A councillor in Dundee has backed a suggestion by former deputy chief constable that abolishing Catholic schools may help tackle sectarianism in Scotland.
The Courier
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