Daily media briefing
Stay informed with our daily media briefing newsletter. Every weekday morning we'll bring you the most relevant news and updates related to secularism directly to your inbox.
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Tue, 6 Feb 2024
Survivors criticise ‘abhorrent’ failure to act on child sexual abuse inquiry
Survivors and campaigners have criticised the failure to introduce mandatory reporting for child sexual abuse more than 15 months after it was one of the key recommendations by a public inquiry.
The Guardian
Calls for more scrutiny on religious conversion on asylum applications
The Home Secretary is expected to consider whether laws need to be changed to better scrutinise the claims of asylum seekers who have converted to Christianity.
Premier Christian News
Bishop hits back over Braverman’s claims asylum seekers are faking Christian conversion
The Church has rejected Mrs Braverman's criticism, with the Bishop of Chelmsford writing in The Telegraph: "We are not politicians, and we know that to be involved in political debate can be bruising."
The Telegraph*
BBC sacks employee who shared antisemitic posts
Dawn Queva, a BBC Three senior scheduling coordinator, posted several antisemitic comments on Facebook.
BBC
Ed Sheeran’s music ‘too gay for Malaysians’
The opposition Islamic Party has called for his concert in Kuala Lumpur on February 24 to be cancelled, objecting to his support for LGBT rights.
The Times*
Poland’s women demand Tusk act over abortion promises
Prime minister pledged to liberalise country's strict laws within 100 days of taking office – but time is ticking away.
The Guardian
‘Vatican Girl’ Emanuela Orlandi may have been pregnant while hidden in London
A Netflix documentary series in 2022 claimed that Emanuela was sexually assaulted by a senior cleric then kidnapped by a Rome criminal gang to put pressure on the Vatican to repay money it owed them.
The Times*
Mon, 5 Feb 2024
Church of England insists ‘not our job to vet asylum seekers’ after Clapham suspect’s ‘conversion’
The Church of England has said it is not its job to vet asylum seekers after it emerged an Afghan sex offender wanted over an acid attack had a priest vouch he had converted to Christianity so he could stay in Britain.
Daily Telegraph*
Suella Braverman: Churches ‘bolstering’ bogus asylum claims
Churches are "facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims" by baptising migrants who fake converting to Christianity, Suella Braverman has claimed.
The Times*
Book Review: ‘A Dirty, Filthy Book’ – Annie Besant and a Victorian birth control scandal
Michael Meyer's A Dirty, Filthy Book: Sex, Scandal, and One Woman's Fight in the Victorian Trial of the Century makes the case for Annie Besant - one of the National Secular Society's most effective public speakers - as a truly eminent Victorian.
The Times*
Scientology-linked UK drug rehab left vulnerable people ‘traumatised’
An unregulated rehab centre linked to the Church of Scientology put mentally ill people through intense psychological drills that allegedly left them "traumatised" and in "trance-like" states, an investigation has revealed.
The Guardian
More than 100 MPs and peers join call to ban Iranian ‘terrorist’ group
More than 100 parliamentarians have urged Rishi Sunak to stand up to the Iranian regime's "belligerence" by proscribing its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as terrorists, as Conservative MPs warned the Prime Minister: "We need a new strategy."
Daily Telegraph*
Government responds to Ofsted criticism in RE row
The government has said schools are responsible for the delivery of religious education (RE), after Ofsted criticised standards in Wolverhampton.
BBC
US: Man accused of destroying Satanic Temple display in Iowa is now charged with hate crime
A Mississippi man accused of destroying a statue of a pagan idol at Iowa's state Capitol is now being charged with a hate crime.
Associated Press
Fri, 2 Feb 2024
‘Secularists do not wish to banish religion from the public square but they do insist on the separation of religion and state’ – NSS opinion
"With Britain becoming increasingly secular but also more religiously diverse, keeping religion and politics separate will be key to achieving and maintaining a free, fair and peaceful society", writes NSS chief executive Stephen Evans.
Humanistically Speaking
Priest behind Nineties ‘rave church’ is charged with rape and sex assaults
Christopher Brain will appear before magistrates next month to answer more than 30 charges of indecent assault alleged to have occurred between 1981 and 1995.
The Times*
MPs fear watering down of buffer zone rules at abortion clinic
A Labour and Tory MP will later appeal to the home secretary to rethink guidance that will still allow "silent prayer" and protesters to approach vulnerable women.
Sky News
Government minister to stand down at next election owing to death threats
Freer said he had also received threats from the group Muslims Against Crusades "about coming to stab me" and found "mock molotov cocktails on the office steps".
The Guardian
Bishop of Newcastle stands down from LLF over ‘serious concerns’ about interim adviser
In the article, Mr Woolford wrote: "I think it would be disastrous and desperately wicked if the Church were to prepare blessings for things we must not bless"
Church Times*
Irish referendum: how the Catholic church shaped Ireland’s constitution to define the status of women
Pope Leo XIII set out the "natural" duty of women in a pastoral letter issued in 1891: "woman is by her nature fitted for home work and it is this which is best adapted to preserve her modesty and promote the good upbringing of children and the wellbeing of the family."
The Conversation
Biden sanctions Jewish West Bank settlers attacking Palestinians
White House officials said the four individuals were sanctioned based on "credible" information that links them to violence in the West Bank.
The Washington Times
Florida’s new anti-gay bill aims to limit and punish protected free speech
SB 1780 would make it defamation to accuse someone of homophobia, transphobia, racism or sexism and punishable by fine.
The Guardian
Hong Kong: Beijing is suppressing religious freedom, says report
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is accused of seeking to control Hong Kong churches, according to a new report.
Premier Christian News
Hindus can worship in contested mosque, Indian court rules
Fears decision on Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi could increase religious tensions and inspire more claims.
The Guardian
God on Russia’s side in Ukraine, says Putin — but church is split
Kremlin aims to boost religious support while Patriarch Kirill promises that Russian soldiers killed in war will have all their sins forgiven.
The Times*
Thu, 1 Feb 2024
Wolverhampton’s religious education not adequate says watchdog
A report to Wolverhampton SACRE said: "Although it is a statutory subject, schools often consider RE as an afterthought and under-value it."
BBC
‘School prayer bans don’t make Britain a secular state’
"It is worth noting that Britain doesn't technically have a secular state, considering that it has an established Church with the King as its Supreme Governor", writes Rakib Ehsan
CapX
Regulator investigates spiritualist charity with ‘disputing trustees’
The Charity Commission is investigating a spiritualist charity after it uncovered a lack of financial controls and disputing trustees.
Civil Society
Elderly Uyghur women imprisoned for decades-old religious ‘crimes'
Hundreds of women sentenced for practices such as studying the Qur'an, dating back as far back as 60s and 70s, analysis of Chinese police files shows.
The Guardian
‘Why all the fuss about homoerotic Jesus? Artists have always made him sexy’
"And given the controversy that García's depiction has caused among Spanish Catholics, it's worth mentioning that the Catholics are partly to blame, or thank, for Jesus's objectification", writes Ben Lawrence.
The Telegraph*
Canadian cardinal temporarily steps down after lawsuit alleging abuse
Cardinal Gerald Lacroix on Friday stepped down temporarily after he was named in a class-action lawsuit against the church that alleged sexual assault.
Premier Christian News
Russian sect in Canada to get historic apology
The Doukhobors are a Christian sect known for their radical pacifism and rejection of the Orthodox church.
The Guardian
Wed, 31 Jan 2024
Clamp down on scam churches urge campaigners – NSS quoted
The National Secular Society raised concerns about the Kingdom Church in 2020, when local media reported that Wiseman was selling 'plague protection kits' made of oil and string through a website linked to the charity.
TFN
‘The biggest threat to the Church isn’t secularism. It’s ourselves’
"It's not the external forces of secularism, individualism or consumerism that are the biggest threat to the Church today. If we want to understand Church decline, we need to look at ourselves", says Deborah Sloan.
Premier Christianity*
‘Do we need God to defend civilisation?’
"The advocates of the 'necessary' Christian God are dining at an ethical buffet, picking and choosing from the Scriptures according to taste", writes Adam Wakeling.
The Freethinker
Sikhs fear for their safety, MPs tell minister
Earlier this month, it was reported that several supporters of an independent Sikh homeland were warned that there were threats to their lives.
BBC
Labour acts on fears Muslims will not vote for party over Gaza stance
Party launches outreach effort amid concerns it is losing support of normally loyal voters.
The Guardian
The Apprentice star given diversity training by BBC after anti-Semitic posts
Dr Asif Munaf, who wrote Zionists are 'a godless, satanic cult', is a contestant on show's new series.
The Telegraph*
Vatican's abuse expert says ending priestly celibacy could prevent a 'double life'
Earlier this month, Scicluna made headlines when he said he believes it is time to revisit the church's long-standing ban on allowing marriage for most of its clerics.
National Catholic Reporter
French government seeks to enshrine a woman’s right to abortion within constitution
The measure has been promised by President Emmanuel Macron following a rollback of abortion rights in the United States.
Irish News
Tue, 30 Jan 2024
Michaela Case shows it is 'technically impossible to be truly secular', says NSS
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said the "only option" for schools not wanting to hold collective worship is "to ignore the law." The case "shows the need to end" the legal requirement, she added.
Schools Week
Fake ‘Covid cure’ preacher vows to keep Kingdom Church open after losing charitable status – NSS quoted
"If 'the advancement of religion' is enabling organisations peddling fake cures to register as charities, its inclusion on the list of charitable purposes must be challenged", said NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson.
Southwark News
Health secretary warns doctors watchdog to clamp down on anti-Semitism
Victoria Atkins tells watchdog that clamping down on hateful rhetoric is 'vital for public confidence' in the health system.
The Telegraph*
Iran dissidents in UK at risk of assassination and kidnap
Calls to proscribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror group have grown louder ever since evidence emerged of its prior knowledge and support of Hamas's attack on Israel.
The Times*
Iran’s proxy war makes Islamic State a bigger threat, US general warns
Isis attacks in the Middle East are on the rise, according to Major General Joel Vowell.
The Times*
Germany tries to stop pro-life demonstrators harassing women seeking abortions
As the number of pro-life vigils in front of Germany's family planning centres and clinics grows, the country is trying to prevent these places from becoming the stage of a US-style war for abortion rights.
EuroNews
‘Homoerotic Christ’ on posters for Holy Week divides Spain
The country is divided over whether its image of the resurrected Christ is a figure of beauty or a tasteless excess of sensuality and homoeroticism.
The Times*
How US archdiocese helped priest accused of abusing deaf children
Gerard 'Jerry' Howell was supported by New Orleans's archbishop after credible sexual abuse allegations were made against him by dozens of children.
The Guardian
Mon, 29 Jan 2024
Teacher who showed Muhammad cartoon still in hiding 3 years later
A teacher who prompted protests in a small Yorkshire town after showing his students a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad remains in hiding nearly three years on and is unlikely ever to return home, his family say.
The Times*
Muslim charity that received £300k in grants posts videos praising October 7 terror
A leading Muslim charity has reportedly received nearly £300,000 in grants from the government since 2018 posted online videos praising the October 7 terrorist attacks and urging viewers to hate non-believers.
The Jewish Chronicle
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