Religion News May 8, 2024

The Prime Minister is demanding urgent action against the “unacceptable rise of anti-Semitism” on university campuses

The Prime Minister is calling on university vice-chancellors to discuss the ‘unacceptable’ rise in anti-Semitism at British universities and to prevent harassment of Jewish students. The meeting, expected today, follows the setting up of camps at several universities where students protest the authorities’ alleged complicity in the war in Gaza, a move similar to protests in the US. The Times reports that a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said he expected university leaders to take “robust action” and that ministers would provide guidance on how universities should deal with protests and prevent outside groups from infiltrating campuses. The report says the university regulator is about to announce that universities, under their registration conditions, will be required to have robust policies in place to prevent the “harassment” of students on campus.

“Muslim Vote” makes 18 demands for Labor to win back voters

The campaign group “Muslim Vote” has made 18 demands to Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer to win back supporters who defected in last week’s local elections over Labour’s position on the war in Gaza. Muslim Vote, which calls on MPs who have failed to support a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, says the main political parties do not represent Muslims. It calls on Labor to apologize for its early position on the Israeli action, and urges the party to cut ties with Israel, allow Muslim students to pray at school, return ‘Zionist money’, ensure that insurance quotes do not discriminate against Muslims, to provide students with alternative finances and Sharia-compliant pensions. Labor lost its majority in Oldham, voters are said to have stayed away in the West Midlands and candidates supporting pro-Gaza candidates gained votes. An article in The Spectator says this is the beginning of sectarian politics in the mainstream.

Jesuit Refugee Service says abuse in immigration detention centers continues

The Jesuit Refugee Service publishes a report saying that the patterns of abuse detailed in the Brook House Immigration Removal Center investigation continue to this day in UK detention centres. The investigation revealed cases of violent abuse, routine failures to protect them and a toxic, dehumanizing culture. The report “After Brook House: Continued Abuses in Immigration Detention”, was written following a workshop and interviews with incarcerated men and women and “finds clear parallels between their experiences and the events described in the Brook House Inquiry Report.” Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, said: “Immigration detention has destroyed too many lives and cannot be allowed to continue. Now is not the time to end the use of detention for immigration control.”

Gay American Methodist minister comes out after ban on LGBTQ ordination is lifted

The Religion News Service reports the story of a 42-year-old gay Methodist minister who was finally able to come to his church on Sunday, following the historic vote at the United Methodist conference. It voted to lift the ban on the ordination of LGBTQ clergy and to withdraw a declaration that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings. The Rev. Charles Daly told the congregation at Epworth United Methodist Church in North Carolina that his congregation was free from the “alley it retreated into.” He is the first married same-sex minister in his district and says he is now freed from the heavy burden of having to negotiate his identity in a denomination that until last week censored people like him.

Today at 1 p.m. we’ll be holding a briefing on the United Methodists’ historic decisions on LGBTQ issues. Get the zoom link from (email protected)

The Schoolsweek research shows that schools are largely replacing Christian meetings with mindfulness

The education publication “Schoolsweek” says that 70 schools have been granted exemptions from the legal obligation to offer “broadly” Christian worship services since 2018. They have been given permission to opt out and instead host meetings about caring for the planet and mindfulness. The article explains that local authority-run schools and academies can apply to their SACRE or regional directorate to opt out of schemes that last five years and are renewable. It says 18 schools and academies were given exemptions or extensions last year, including Edith Neville Primary School in Camden, whose demographic is “around 90 per cent Muslim”. It quotes a primary school principal as saying they have replaced assemblies with daily reflections and a focus on religious festivals, while other weekly PSHE sessions “allowed mindfulness and reflection time”. It says: “Ofsted stopped inspecting corporate worship in 2004 after 76 per cent of schools failed to follow the rules.”

US Religious Freedom report criticizes India’s “drastic downward turn”

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom says conditions in India are taking a dramatic turn, with national and several state governments “tolerating widespread intimidation and violence against religious minorities.” In its 2024 annual report, the report identifies seventeen countries of particular concern because their governments tolerate serious violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. These include India. It criticizes the Indian government’s decision to fast-track citizenship only for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan already living in India, saying this potentially exposes millions of Muslims to detention, deportation and statelessness.

Adventurer Bear Grylls helped baptize Russell Brand

Russell Brand has revealed Bear Grylls helped him when he was baptized in the Thames a week ago. They met through a television program during a trip to the Hebrides and became friends. Bear Grylls is an ambassador for the Alpha program and is a friend of former Holy Trinity Brompton minister Nicky Gumbel. Russell Brand explained in an Instagram post that his first week as a Christian has been incredible and thanked Bear Grylls and a friend named Joe, who stood on either side of him during the baptism. Brand is accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, but denies the allegations. Grylls told reporters that assisting with the baptism was a “privilege” after the comedian’s “difficult time”.