National Secular Society - Your daily media briefing

Secularism in the media

Humanists claim victory in battle to sit on RE councils

Humanists say a London council has backed down in the face of a legal challenge after trying to bar them from sitting on its standing advisory council on religious education, which sets the local RE curriculum.

Tes

‘C of E scorned for views on school worship’ – NSS quoted

The Church of England's chief education officer has defended collective worship in schools, prompting criticism from the NSS and others.

The Freethinker (Patheos)

Qatar accused of using British bank to ‘promote’ Islamist causes

A British bank controlled by the Qatari state is providing financial services to multiple British organisations linked to Islamists.

The Times (£)

‘The smearing of Andrew Norfolk’

Hardeep Singh says Times reporter Andrew Norfolk has been denounced as a racist for exposing Muslim grooming gangs.

Spiked Online

Lincolnshire non-Muslim girls asked to wear hijab for a day

Non-Muslim girls in Lincolnshire are being asked to wear a hijab for a day to raise awareness of discrimination.

BBC

‘Marriage is an unequal institution that belongs in the past’

Clare Chambers explains why she campaigns for a marriage-free state.

New Statesman

Conservative Party chair says inquiry into Tory ‘Islamophobia’ will go ahead

The Conservative Party is planning to hold an inquiry into 'Islamophobia' in its ranks, party chairman James Cleverly has said.

The Independent

Australian cancer patient first to use new assisted dying law

An Australian woman with terminal cancer has become the first person to end their life under new assisted dying laws, a charity says.

BBC

New Zealand unveils bill to legalise abortion

New Zealand has announced a bill to legalise abortion for all women that would reclassify terminations as a health matter rather than a crime.

The Guardian

Man gets £20k compensation from NHS after he went in for Botox and ended up circumcised

A pensioner has been awarded £20,000 compensation after getting circumcised by mistake.

Daily Star

‘Why so few US politicians come out as atheists’

David Smith says non-believers remain few and far between in US politics, with being an atheist treated as being anti-religious.

The Guardian

secularism.org.uk

Challenging Religious Privilege

Your daily media briefing - Monday 5 August