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** Your daily media briefing - Monday 4 January
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.
*= Registration may be required to read the article.
** Secularism in the media
* BBC defends The Goes Wrong Show after complaints it is an ‘insult to Christian religion’ <[link removed]>
In the 30-minute festive play, which aired in December, the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society put on a disastrous Nativity, in which the baby Jesus is eaten by a sheep.
The Independent
* Irish state broadcaster apologises over TV comedy depicting God as rapist <[link removed]>
A countdown show on New Year's Eve included a mock news report about God being the latest prominent figure implicated in a sexual harassment scandal.
The Guardian
* Western Isles council snubs official sex education teaching for Catholic guide <[link removed]>
Every SNP councillor in the Western Isles has endorsed a Catholic teaching pack which upholds the church's stance against gay sex, and snubbed materials provided by the Scottish government.
The Times*
* Neurologist who is also a priest criticised by judge in life-support case <[link removed]>
A neurologist who is also a priest has been criticised by a judge after giving evidence about the condition of a Catholic man at the centre of a life-support treatment dispute.
Premier Christian News
* Scottish assisted dying law change now at 'tipping point' in Holyrood <[link removed]>
Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton said he believed the election of just a "few more" progressive MSPs in next May's Holyrood election is likely to secure majority support for change.
The Scotsman*
* Street preacher reported to police for shouting to crowds 'Father Christmas isn't real' <[link removed]>
A Somerset man dubbed 'Britain's most arrested preacher' was reported to police for shouting to crowds 'Father Christmas isn't real.'
Somerset County Gazette
* French Muslim ‘beaten over Christmas lunch photo’ <[link removed]>
The son of a police officer was allegedly beaten up by a gang of fellow Muslims for eating a Christmas lunch, with the incident condemned by France's interior minister as the latest example of Islamist attempts to undermine French values.
The Times*
* ‘Macron’s quest to foster an “enlightened Islam” within a secular France is brave but risky’ <[link removed]>
Macron is determined to reconcile the demands of a modern multicultural society with the proud philosophical and constitutional values of the French republic, says John Keiger.
The Times*
* Celebrations in Argentina after landmark abortion law passes <[link removed]>
Pro-choice activists celebrated on the streets on Wednesday as Argentina joined a handful of South American nations to legalise abortion, a landmark decision in a country where the Catholic Church has long held sway.
France 24
* Campaigner for ex-Muslim women Zara Kay arrested in Tanzania <[link removed]>
An Australian woman who has renounced her Islamic faith and campaigns globally for women's rights has been arrested and charged in Tanzania, the country of her birth.
ABC News
* Pastafarians and atheists protected under Facebook hate speech rules <[link removed]>
The company says that it does not have a comprehensive list of religions but it has listed some groups that are protected under its hate speech rules. These include pastafarians, scientologists, Mormons, Rastafaris, Jehovah's Witnesses and atheists.
The Times*
* India: Assam state bans state-run Islamic schools <[link removed]>
India's northeastern state of Assam has passed a law abolishing state-run Islamic schools, ahead of local elections next year.
The Independent
* Pakistan arrests 14 after mob led by Islamist clerics sets Hindu temple on fire <[link removed]>
At least 14 arrests were made by Pakistani police in overnight raids on Thursday after a century-old Hindu temple was set on fire and razed by a violent religious mob led by Islamist clerics in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
The Independent
* Car bumper stickers are a new front in India’s caste war <[link removed]>
Police in Uttar Pradesh have been ordered to crack down on a trend of drivers displaying their caste on bumper or window stickers or custom numberplates.
The Times*
* ‘Each year, 1,000 Pakistani girls forcibly converted to Islam’ <[link removed]>
Human rights activists say the practice has accelerated during lockdowns against the coronavirus, when girls are out of school and more visible, bride traffickers are more active on the Internet and families are more in debt.
Yahoo/Associated Press
** Work for the NSS: Deadline extended
* Digital communications and engagement officer <[link removed]>
We're looking for a digital communications and engagement officer. This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional communicator with first-rate digital skills. The application deadline is 5pm, 18 January 2021.
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