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National Secular Society

secularism.org.uk

Challenging Religious Privilege

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Your daily media briefing - Thursday 22 August

  

In the Media, our daily collection of news and commentary related to secularism, is one of the most popular features on our website and now available delivered to your inbox.

  

Secularism in the media

 

Islamophobia definition will prevent criticism of Islam, say writers

A proposed definition of Islamophobia risks curtailing freedom of speech and work to expose extremism, a new collection of essays has warned.

The Telegraph

 

Anti-abortion protesters lose appeal over clinic buffer zone

Anti-abortion protesters have lost their legal challenge against the UK's first buffer zone around an abortion clinic.

BBC

 

Councillor in Denbighshire calls for end of prayers before meetings – NSS mentioned

A councillor is calling for the end of the practice of holding prayers before council meetings in Denbighshire.

North Wales Live

 

Fewer students taking Religious Studies GCSE

The number of young people taking Religious Studies has fallen, a report has found.

The Irish News

 

Belfast school won’t have priest on staff for first time

St Malachy's College in north Belfast will be without a full-time clergyman among its teaching staff for the first time in September.

Belfast Live

 

New Muslim burial site allocated in Lancashire

Extra space has been allocated within a cemetery in Burnley to accommodate Muslim burials for the foreseeable future.

Lancashire Telegraph

 

Catholic priest survivors’ group says it’s cowardly that convicted cardinal hasn’t been defrocked

An Australian appeals court has upheld the conviction of Cardinal George Pell, who was found guilty earlier this year of molesting two 13-year-old choir boys in the 1990s. And yet Pell still retains his title in the Catholic Church.

Time

 

Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats lack knowledge or are disloyal

US president Donald Trump has criticised Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats, saying "it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty", sparking criticism.

CNN

 

Trump abortion ‘gag rule’ leaves poor patients ‘with nowhere to go’ in US

Subsidised family planning is at risk in the US after the group Planned Parenthood withdrew from a programme which distributes grants to clinics. The withdrawal came after a new Trump administration rule banned clinics from referring patients for abortions.

The Guardian

 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses want the US Supreme Court to help them cover up sex abuse

The organisation that oversees the Jehovah's Witnesses is currently embroiled in a major legal battle in the US that involves child molestation, religious secrecy, and (possibly) the Supreme Court.

The Friendly Atheist (Patheos)

  

Latest from the NSS

 

‘Islamophobia’ definition curtails free speech, campaigners warn

The widespread adoption of a proposed definition of 'Islamophobia' risks curtailing free speech, a collection of essays has warned.

  

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