Abdullah Patel, an imam who questioned Boris Johnson on his comments regarding the niqab during Monday's Conservative leadership BBC debate, was found to have made comments expressing anti-semitic views and blaming women for rape. Patel is listed as the headteacher of Al-Ashraf Primary School and Al Ashraf Secondary School for Girls, but the schools' trust has since suspended him.

Proposals by Neath Port Talbot Council to increase charges for school transport could see some children and young people having to change schools if their families can't afford the price hike, a senior officer has said. However, the council will continue to provide free non-statutory travel to those pupils attending their nearest faith school if they meet the distance criteria. The council considered scrapping the non-statutory free travel to pupils at faith schools in 2013.

The government has rejected an application to open a new voluntary aided Jewish faith school in Hertfordshire. The school would have been able to select 100% of its intake based on faith.

Gay and bisexual men in Scotland with historical prosecutions for same-sex sexual activity will be able to apply to have their convictions erased from October 15. MSPs passed legislation unanimously last year to grant an automatic pardon to every man in Scotland criminalised for breaching now repealed discriminatory laws.

The Canadian province of Quebec has passed legislation to prohibit civil servants in positions of "authority" from wearing religious symbols at work. Critics say that the legislation will effectively exclude religious Muslims, Sikhs and Jews from positions of authority in education and law enforcement, and that it runs roughshod over the freedom of religion and expression. But Quebec premier François Legault called the bill a necessary measure to ensure the separation between religion and state in the province. The bill, which passed 73 to 35, was supported by a majority of Quebecers. Existing employees will be exempt.

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"It is unacceptable to circumcise children who are too young to give their consent just to follow religious beliefs."
Audrey, London

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"My daughter has been refused a place at a Catholic School at the end of the road which her older sibling is in attendance at this year. The school was oversubscribed with new families from the other side of our town. My daughter has always believed along with us that she will be at school with her brother and her brother cannot understand why his sister will not join him based on faith."
Julietta, Northamptonshire

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