Religion News May 9, 2024

Three men are charged in court with the murder of a Sikh separatist in Canada

Three Indian men have appeared in court charged with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last June. Kamalpreet Singh, 22; Karan Brar, 22; and Karanpreet Singh, 28, were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta, and have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They appeared in court via video link from prison. Mr. Nijjar, 45 years old, was shot last June while sitting in his pickup truck after leaving a Sikh temple. He was a leader in the Khalistan movement to create a separate Sikh homeland. A few months after his death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was evidence of Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s death. Canadian police are investigating whether the three suspects had ties to the Indian government.

CAFOD partners in Rafah say situation for refugees is a “cut-and-paste horror”

Independent Catholic News reports that CAFOD partners in Gaza say the situation for families in Gaza is horrific, “a kind of cut-and-paste horror,” with families facing the prospect of moving for the fourth or fifth time while finding shelter to search. It quotes Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s Middle East representative, who is liaising with local partners and offices. She says people in Gaza fear an offensive in Rafah would be catastrophic for civilians. CAFOD urges the UK government to end arms sales to Israel and use all diplomatic efforts to stop an attack on Rafah.

Report on pregnant CofE clerics reveals bullying and lack of pay

The Church Times reports that an analysis of maternity policies within the Church of England reveals stark differences, with one diocese offering clergy no maternity benefit and another diocese offering a full nine-month stipend. The “Clergy Babies Maternity Policy Audit” study was commissioned by the National Association of Diocesan Advisers in Women’s Ministry and was completed by women priests over two years. They cite a case where a woman going on maternity leave was encouraged to pay for her coverage because she is “receiving wages for a job she is not doing.” And they document numerous reports of unfair or bullying behavior by clergy toward pregnant pastors. Church Times reports here

Vice chancellors will meet the prime minister today to discuss the pro-Palestinian camp protests

The Prime Minister will meet university vice-chancellors today to discuss the recent wave of pro-Palestine protests on university campuses, where students have set up protest camps with pop-up tents and Jewish students report rising anti-Semitism. Universities UK Chief Executive Vivienne Stern told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight that universities have tried to enable students to take part in legitimate protests, with tolerant and respectful debate. But where protests infringe on the rights of others, veer into hate speech, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, universities must take action.

NUS is abandoning its decision to declare the Union of Jewish Students unrepresentative

Jewish News reports that at its recent conference in Blackpool there was an attempt to expel the Union of Jewish Students from the National Union of Students. A show of hands during a breakout session favored the proposal, which questioned the legitimacy of UJS to represent all Jewish student voices. But it was quashed by NUS officials who prevented the motion from going ahead for a formal vote by the conference. A statement from the NUS said this was not a matter for the conference: “The Union of Jewish Students is the representative body of Jewish students on our campuses, with a history predating the NUS, and is recognized by the NUS as associate member”.

MPs express their support for the proposed Holocaust memorial next to parliament

Politicians from across the political spectrum have renewed calls for a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Center to be built in the Victoria Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament. The Jewish Chronicle reports that the pledges were made at an event marking Yom HaShoah, the Jewish community’s day to commemorate the six million Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust. The Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, said a permanent national Holocaust memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens is needed now more than ever due to rising anti-Semitism, as a reminder of what happened and what hatred leads to. Shadow International Development Secretary Lisa Nandy said the Labor Party was 100 per cent committed to building the monument.

Archbishop of York visits sister city New York and shares common concerns about migration and poverty

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will preside over today’s Ascension Day service at St Thomas’s Church in New York, where the homily will be delivered by Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopalian Church USA. The Archbishop previously blessed a ledger stone designed by York Minster to commemorate the 100^e anniversary of the twinning of the cities of York and New York. The Revd Canon Carl Turner, rector of St Thomas, said the two towns had many similarities, with churches involved in the local community, caring for refugees and tackling human trafficking. The Archbishop spent time with some of the Church’s social care projects, working with homeless people and migrants, offering frontline support and food and sharing conversations about international strategies to tackle the problems.