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Your daily media briefing - Thursday 9 July

  

In the Media is our daily collection of news and commentary related to secularism, available delivered to your inbox. You can also read the latest news and opinion and listen to our podcasts on our website.

  

Secularism in the media

 

Scottish Hate Crime Bill is 'threat to free speech'

An editorial in the Scottish Daily Mail says the proposed Hate Crime Bill risks endangering the fundamental principles of free speech.

Scottish Daily Mail (via PressReader)

 

Widow loses benefits claims case over Islamic 'marriage'

Law lords have ruled a 2010 nikah (Islamic 'marriage') ceremony between parties at Oldham Register Office did not qualify under English law.

The Oldham Times

 

Neo-Nazis telling followers to ‘deliberately infect’ Jews and Muslims with coronavirus, report warns

Research by the Commission for Countering Extremism said groups of all kinds had been seeking to "breed hate" and spread conspiracy theories feeding into their worldview.

The Independent

 

Church of England awards major grants to spread Christianity in towns and cities

A funding package worth £24 million has been announced by the Church of England to help spread Christianity in urban and deprived areas.

Episcopal News Service

 

Religious leaders press equalities minister to ban conversion therapy

Religious leaders have written to the equalities minister calling for the government to deliver its promised ban on so-called gay 'conversion therapy'.

ITV

 

LGBT asylum seekers routinely see claims rejected in Europe and UK

People seeking asylum in the UK and Europe on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity are routinely seeing their claims rejected because of a widespread "culture of disbelief" and an "impossible burden of proof", researchers have said.

The Guardian

 

US: Supreme Court rules job discrimination laws don’t protect church-school teachers

The Supreme Court on Wednesday barred teachers who work at church-run schools from filing discrimination lawsuits against their employers, ruling that the Constitution's protection for religious liberty exempts church schools from state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Los Angeles Times

 

US anti-abortion groups received millions in federal Covid-19 aid

Christian anti-abortion lobbying organisations received millions in taxpayer-backed forgivable loans from the US government's coronavirus aid program, even as lawmakers demanded the nation's largest abortion provider return federal loans.

The Guardian

 

'Churches were eager to reopen. Now they are a major source of coronavirus cases.'

More than 650 cases have been linked to reopened religious facilities.

The New York Times (£)

 

Islamic activists halt construction of first Hindu temple in Islamabad

The controversial construction of the first Hindu temple in Pakistan's capital has been halted after it was challenged in the courts.

The Guardian

  

News from the NSS

 

Christian charity can’t discriminate against gay carers, court rules

The National Secular Society has welcomed a ruling that a Christian fostering service acted unlawfully by refusing to let gay people be carers.

 

Overhaul of RE in Wales begins with new bill

The Welsh Government has published legislation to replace religious education (RE) with a more pluralistic 'religion, values and ethics' (RVE) subject.

  

Latest from the No More Faith Schools campaign

 

How faith schools are spreading without scrutiny or consultation

A lack of transparency in faith academy proposals is seriously undermining inclusive education, argues Alastair Lichten

  

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