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Tue, 24 Sep 2019
‘Religious segregation at school contributes to social division in Scotland’
A letter from Neil Barber of Edinburgh Secular Society responds to a defence of Catholic schools from the columnist Kevin McKenna (scroll down to read).
The Herald
Cardiff man jailed for posting anti-Muslim messages
A man who shared photos of himself holding a shotgun alongside anti-Muslim messages has been jailed for four years.
BBC
Former Catholic priest admits his part in two of IRA’s bloodiest atrocities
A former Catholic priest will tonight admit his part in two of the IRA's bloodiest atrocities in a BBC documentary.
Belfast Live
China video shows blindfolded and shackled ‘Muslim’ prisoners
Footage which appears to show blindfolded and shackled Muslim prisoners held in Xinjiang, China, has prompted widespread condemnation after it was posted anonymously online.
The Independent
Trump pushes religious freedom theme at UN, but critics say it clashes with his own record at home
In a speech to the UN yesterday, President Trump urged "all nations" to join him in trying to end "religious persecution". Critics say this is inconsistent with his approach to religious freedom at home.
USA Today
Christian and Muslim protesters in Australia call for radio host’s sacking over virgin Mary joke
Protesters in Australia have demanded a radio host's sacking after he made a joke about the virgin Mary.
News.com.au
Mon, 23 Sep 2019
Proposed new faith school in Peterborough attracts objections – NSS quoted
The NSS's No More Faith Schools campaign has called for plans for a new faith school in Peterborough to be scrapped.
Peterborough Telegraph
Chief rabbi defends faith schools and criticises secularists – NSS quoted
The chief rabbi has criticised humanists and secularists for their campaigns against faith schools.
Christian Today
Trump hails Indian PM Modi at Texas rally
US president Donald Trump and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi exchanged warm words of friendship in Texas at a rare mass rally for a foreign leader.
BBC
Indonesian president postpones plans to outlaw extramarital sex
Indonesia's president, Joko Widodo, has ordered his government to postpone the ratification of a criminal code that would outlaw living together outside marriage, extramarital sex and insulting the president.
The Guardian
‘Segregated schooling helps to divide Scotland’
Neil Barber says it's naïve to dismiss the impact of segregated schooling on Scotland's sectarian divide in a letter.
The Scotsman (via PressReader)
‘Imposing Sharia would be a disaster for Indonesia’
Jawad Iqbal says democracy, free speech and basic rights are under assault in Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim majority population, as its rulers pander to rising religious conservatism, extremism and identity politics.
The Times (£)
Leaked letter suggests US is rallying UN member states to oppose abortion
The US is understood to have written to UN member states urging them to join a "growing coalition" of countries rallying against abortion, in what seems to be the latest attempt by the Trump administration to roll back women's rights.
The Guardian
Ex-Muslims in Lancashire ask council to remove taxi driver’s licence after threatening rant
Ex-Muslims in Preston are petitioning the city council to revoke a taxi driver's licence because they fear for the safety of his customers.
Lancashire Post
Boots pharmacist refuses to give 'humiliated' woman emergency contraception
A young woman says she was left "humiliated" after a pharmacist in Edinburgh refused to supply her with emergency contraception, without explaining why. Religion has been a factor in some recent similar cases.
Mirror
Priest ‘abused altar boy’ in the Vatican
An Italian Roman Catholic priest has been accused of sexually abusing an altar boy in the sacristy at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
The Times (£)
‘There’s a new case of a New York rabbi sucking on a newborn’s penis and giving him herpes’
Since 2006, 19 infants in the US have contracted herpes after orthodox rabbis sucked their penises after circumcising them. At least two have died. New York City's Department of Health now reports a new case.
The Friendly Atheist (Patheos)
Fri, 20 Sep 2019
LGBT teaching row: Ministers accused of 'radio silence' over protests
A former government official has accused ministers of "radio silence" over protests near a school against its teaching of LGBT relationships.
BBC
Conservative Party members suspended over anti-Muslim online posts
The BBC highlighted over 20 new cases to the party, who said all those found to be members who shared or supported anti-Muslim posts on Twitter and Facebook were suspended immediately.
BBC
School discriminated against pupil because he didn't attend communion class, parents say
Parents have complained to the Irish education authorities that a Roman Catholic national school discriminated against their son because he did not attend a holy-communion choir class.
Church Times
Gay couple kiss in front of anti-Rocky Horror Picture Show religious protesters
Joe Fergus, 24, and boyfriend Robert Brookes, 21, kissed outside a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Stoneyhouse Arts centre in Chester where people holding placards had gathered.
Metro
Plans revealed for a national 'witches' memorial in Fife
Plans have been unveiled for a national memorial to all those condemned as witches in Scotland during the 16th to 18th Centuries.
BBC
Schoolboy told his mother he wants to be Jewish after being refused Catholic baptism
Hayden Kennedy, who attends St Anne's Catholic Primary School in Rock Ferry, was left feeling isolated and rejected following the decision by the local Parish Priest.
Wirral Globe
Fastest-growing UK terrorist threat is from far right, say police
Britain's top counter-terrorism officer, the Met assistant commissioner, Neil Basu, said the most likely attempts would come from "lone actors" and, as with Islamist terrorism, the authorities could not guarantee to foil every plot.
The Guardian
Boy, 13, said he wanted to go fight for ISIS as terror experts visit Leeds
A 13-year-old boy from Yorkshire was caught drawing Daesh logos on his hands and told a social worker he wanted to go and fight for the Islamic State.
The Yorkshire Post
Man who threatened to blow up a hostel in Belfast after shouting 'kill all Muslims' has avoided jail
Sanjay Chanda was given a two-month suspended sentence for an outburst in which he also called others at the shelter "jihadis" and declared an intention to burn down all mosques.
Irish News
'We need a state education system that honours all faiths and none'
The real issue with denominational schools is that in a public sector institution which in theory should be accessible to all taxpayers, there is clear evidence of discrimination, says a letter to Herald Scotland
Herald Scotland
'Israel's election highlights secular-religious divide'
'In Israel's secular heartland, religion played a central role in this week's deadlocked election. For many, a vote for the opposition was driven by a desire to keep rabbis out of their schools, businesses and love lives.'
Mail Online
Thu, 19 Sep 2019
Chief rabbi accuses secularists and Humanists of intolerance – NSS quoted
The chief rabbi has criticised secularists and Humanists in Britain for their criticisms of faith schools and circumcision, and has criticised the NSS by name. The NSS's Stephen Evans has responded.
The Jewish Chronicle
Chief rabbi criticises secularists and Humanists – NSS quoted
Chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has claimed secularists and humanists are becoming "ever-more combative" towards faith communities. The NSS's Stephen Evans has responded.
Jewish News
‘Why are we allowing Welsh schools to teach religion as though it is science?’
Will Hayward calls on the Welsh govenment to ban the teaching of creationism.
Wales Online
Leeds man guilty of possessing terrorist material
A private investigator who was caught on camera in an anti-Muslim rant has been found guilty of six counts of possessing terrorist material.
BBC
Woman cleared of murdering terminally ill husband in suicide pact
An 80-year-old woman who gave her terminally ill husband a fatal dose of medicine so he could end his life has been cleared of murder, triggering calls for a change in the law on assisted dying.
The Guardian
Call to build new Catholic school in Aberdeen rejected
Councillors have rejected a last-ditch attempt to build a new replacement Roman Catholic school in Aberdeen.
Evening Express
Council spends £60k+ on lighting at city centre church
Perth and Kinross Council spent more than £60,000 on new lights at a city centre kirk.
The Courier
Outcry at Indonesia draft criminal code that could see unmarried couples jailed
Indonesia, the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world, is set to pass a new criminal code. It could outlaw living together outside marriage, extramarital sex and insulting the president.
The Guardian
‘What is the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and why is it investigating George Pell?’
An insight into the Vatican's own investigations into the case against Cardinal George Pell, who was recently convicted on historic sexual abuse charges.
ABC News (Australia)
Documentary follows Pastafarians as they strain for recognition
The documentary I, Pastafari, about the world's fastest-growing faith, premieres in the US in October.
The Guardian
Wed, 18 Sep 2019
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission rejects Evangelical Alliance criticism over abortion
NI's Human Rights Commission has hit back at criticism from the Evangelical Alliance over pending abortion legislation.
News Letter
Cardinal George Pell to appeal to high court in Australia over child sexual abuse conviction
Lawyers for Cardinal George Pell have lodged a special leave application with Australia's high court to try to appeal his historical sex abuse convictions.
The Guardian
Catholic Church says police chief’s call to ditch religious segregation in Scotland’s schools is ‘offensive’
The Catholic Church has criticised an ex-police chief who says Scotland should not segregate children by religious background if it is serious about tackling sectarianism.
Daily Record
Israel election too close to call, say exit polls
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to suffer a setback in national elections Tuesday, with his religious and nationalist allies failing to secure a parliamentary majority, early exit polls showed.
DW
‘How conservative American money helped the religious right take over Israel’
Rami Hod and Yonatan Levi say the religious right is successfully dominating Israel's public discourse – with the help of funding and tactics used in the US.
Haaretz
Hindu may face death in Pakistan after blasphemy accusation
A Hindu principal in Pakistan may face the death penalty after a student accused him of making illegal comments about the Islamic prophet Muhammad, an act that spurred riots and led to dozens of arrests.
The Friendly Atheist (Patheos)
Euthanasia campaigner dies at Swiss clinic
A terminally ill former teacher has died at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland amid calls for a change in the law on assisted dying in the UK.
East Lothian Courier
Two Northern Irish survivors of Protestant care home in Dublin call for apologies
Two men who lived in a home for unmarried Protestant mothers and their children have called for an apology from the Irish state and the Church of Ireland for their treatment while living there.
Belfast Telegraph
'In God We Trust': display in Kentucky schools marks effort to mix church and state
The law in the US state of Kentucky now requires the words to appear in schools as conservative Christian groups seek to inject religion into public life.
The Guardian
America’s abortion rate has dropped to its lowest on record
Abortion in the United States has decreased to record low levels. New research suggests the decline may be driven more by increased access to contraception and fewer women becoming pregnant than by the proliferation of laws restricting abortion in some states.
The New York Times (£)
Schools in Greece to stop recording students’ religion and nationality
Greece's government has announced it's agreed to remove all references to school children's religious faith and nationality from school records and certificates.
Greek City Times
Tue, 17 Sep 2019
‘Let’s get it right on relationship education’
Carl Austin-Behan, LGBT adviser to the mayor of Greater Manchester, says inclusive teaching leads to equality, acceptance and inclusion for all young people.
Manchester Evening News
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