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** Your daily media briefing - Tuesday 1 September
In the Media <[link removed]> is our daily collection of news and commentary related to secularism, available delivered to your inbox. You can also read the latest news <[link removed]> and opinion <[link removed]> and listen to our podcasts <[link removed]> on our website.
** Secularism in the media
* More than 130,000 children assigned to faith schools despite parents wanting a non-religious school - NSS quoted <[link removed]>
Research by the National Secular Society found that 132,216 children were assigned to faith schools in England between 2014 and 2020 despite their families listing a non-faith school as their first preference.
iNews
* Swale's new mayor axes council chaplain role <[link removed]>
Paul Stephen, the Independents Alliance councillor for Woodstock, has decreed that politics and religion no longer mix in the council chamber at Sittingbourne and has refused to appoint a new civic chaplain.
Kent Online
* County Council defers plans to withdraw free public transport for faith schools <[link removed]>
Cumbria County Council has made the decision to defer withdrawal of free public transport for children at faith schools until next year.
NW Mail
* Switzerland quarantine rule ‘could stop terminally ill accessing assisted death’ <[link removed]>
Dignity in Dying said the rule change, announced late on Thursday for England, has made it "impossible to plan" for terminally ill patients hoping to travel to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.
Shropshire Star
* Monks to leave abuse associated Downside Abbey <[link removed]>
The abbey was affiliated with Downside School, which was highlighted in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The review found "appalling abuse" was inflicted on pupils and the institution tried to cover it up.
BBC
* Hate crime law ‘could silence religion’ <[link removed]>
An atheist has pledged to use hate crime legislation being proposed for Scotland to close down organised religion and silence "Holy Willies".
The Times (£)
* Five years on, France to try suspects in Charlie Hebdo killings <[link removed]>
Fourteen suspected accomplices to the French Islamist militants behind the 2015 attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris will go on trial on Wednesday.
Reuters
* 'Is France turning its back on blasphemy?' <[link removed]>
A deep-rooted tradition of unapologetically poking fun at men and gods alike may be in peril five years after the deadly jihadist attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, observers say.
France24
* Violence erupts in Swedish town of Malmo after anti-Islam actions, police say <[link removed]>
A riot broke out on Friday in the southern Swedish town of Malmo, where at least 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities, police said.
Reuters
* Norway: Clashes break out at anti-Islam rally <[link removed]>
Tensions in the Norwegian capital came to a head when an anti-Islam protester ripped pages from the Quran.
Deutsche Welle
* Berlin headscarf ban is illegal, court rules <[link removed]>
A German court ruled that a ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools in Berlin is unconstitutional.
Politico
* Lebanon president calls for proclamation of 'secular state' <[link removed]>
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun called Sunday for the proclamation of a "secular state" during a televised address to mark the upcoming centenary of the Lebanese state.
France 24
* New Zealand: Bible studies case dropped, as 'opt-in clause' added to law <[link removed]>
A long-running court battle over Bible studies being allowed in state schools has been dropped after a "opt-in" clause was added to the Education and Training Act 2020.
Stuff
* Nigeria: Governor accepts death penalty on singer for 'blasphemy' <[link removed]>
The Governor of Kano State has accepted the death penalty on singer Yahaya Sharif. Sharif was convicted by a sharia court for insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammed in a song he shared on WhatsApp.
International Centre for Investigative Reporting
* 'Religious orthodoxy is rooted in fear of women' <[link removed]>
We should salute and support those brave women who refuse to accept the outdated prejudices within their own faiths, says Libby Purves.
The Times (£)
** The latest from the NSS
* Regulator escalates inquiry into ‘plague protection kits’ church <[link removed]>
The Charity Commission has stepped up an inquiry into a church whose bishop sold 'plague protection kits' during the coronavirus outbreak.
* First ‘Apostasy Day’ defends the right to leave religion <[link removed]>
An international coalition of ex-Muslim groups has marked the first Apostasy Day, in defence of the right to renounce or change religion.
* Problems around Islamic marriage require a secular solution <[link removed]>
A new report says compulsory registration for Islamic marriages is needed to tackle discrimination and abuse. Megan Manson argues broad reform to marriage laws is a better way to ensure fairness and equality for all.
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