National Secular Society - Your daily media briefing

Your daily media briefing - Tuesday 15 October

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

Court bid to stop anti-LGBT protests at Birmingham school starts

Protests were held outside the high court on Monday over a bid to permanently ban activists against equality lessons from demonstrating outside a Birmingham primary school.

The Guardian

Parents’ evening cancelled ‘over concern for teachers’ at school affected by protests

A head teacher whose primary school has been targeted by protests over LGBT equality lessons had to cancel a parents' evening because she feared for teachers' safety, a court has heard.

The Times (£)

‘Behind the gates of Anderton Park - the Birmingham school at the centre of national debate’

On the eve of a high court battle seeking to curb protests at the gates of Anderton Park School for good, Jane Haynes went inside to find out more about the school's ethos.

Birmingham Live

Atheist woman wins right to exhume cremated remains of baby boy

An atheist mother has won a rare court case to exhume the ashes of her two-year-old son after they were buried in consecrated land by mistake 15 years ago.

Mail Online

Schools in NI should `adapt' to meet needs of increasingly diverse classes

Schools in Northern Ireland need to adapt to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, it has been urged.

The Irish News

‘Teachers are losing their religion and breaking the rules’

Eve Debbage of TeacherTapp says teachers are less religious today than they were 50 years ago.

Schools Week

Sinn Féin supports abortions in certain circumstances and within a 'limited gestational period'

Sinn Féin will tell a consultation on Northern Ireland's new abortion laws that it only supports terminations in certain circumstances and within a "limited gestational period".

The Irish News

‘Former Islamist and far-right extremists unite to fight rising hate’

A decade ago, Jesse Morton and Ivan Humble were on opposite sides of an ideological battle. Now, they are fighting extremism together, Lizzie Dearden writes.

The Independent

Civic leaders in attendance as religious service celebrates life in Leicestershire

Leicestershire's top civic and religious leaders converged on Melton Mowbray on Sunday to attend a special service to celebrate life in the county.

Melton Times

Bangladeshi court indicts eight men over murder of man who published atheist books

On Sunday, a Bangladeshi court indicted eight men, all part of a radical Islamic terrorist organisation, for the murder of Faisal Abedin Deepan, who published the works of a murdered atheist author.

The Friendly Atheist (Patheos)

Latest from the NSS

Secularism is a feminist issue

Ahead of the FiLiA 2019 conference this weekend, Megan Manson argues that secularism is a crucial ingredient in campaigns for women's equality.

Latest NSS podcast

Ep 16: Operation Christmas Child | Faith schools

In this week's episode, Emma Park speaks to Megan Manson about the evangelical charity behind Operation Christmas Child, and to Alastair Lichten about children being sent to faith schools against their parents' preferences.

The episode also features highlights from our 2019 Bradlaugh Lecture, where assistant head Andrew Moffat defended inclusive education.

Viewing this online?

If you're viewing this online and would like to receive the daily media briefing straight to your inbox, click subscribe.

While you're here

Please support our work so we can make the case for a fairer secular democracy for all.

Support us from just £1 a month

Disclaimer: Links are provided to external websites for information and in the interests of free exchange. We do not accept any responsibility for the content of those sites, nor does a link indicate approval or imply endorsement of those sites.

secularism.org.uk

Challenging Religious Privilege