Man stabbed to death during funeral prayer outside Coventry mosque
A 52 year old man was stabbed during a funeral prayer outside the Al Madinah Central Mosque and Institute in Coventry on Sunday night, rushed into the mosque for safety, but died from his wounds soon after. Mohammed Nabeel Afzal Qadri, the head Imam at the mosque, said the savage, brutal attack was devastating and he severely condemned the “despicable and callous act”. Police have arrested two men aged 56 and 27 and all activities at the mosque have been suspended while inquiries continue. Imam Qadri told Coventry Live: “This was an isolated incident not linked to any religious or communal tensions.”
Kirill says soldiers who die in the war in Ukraine have made a sacrifice and their sins are washed away
The Orthodox Times reports a sermon by the Russian Orthodox Church head, Patriarch Kirill, where he spoke of soldiers who died in the war in Ukraine as having made a sacrifice. Kirill has supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine and is an ally of Putin. He said he prayed the war would end as soon as possible, but the church realised that if a person was driven by a sense of duty to fight, and then died, “then he has undoubtedly committed something that amounts to a sacrifice. He will have sacrificed himself for others. And therefore, we believe that this sacrifice washes away all the sins committed by such a man.”
Hijab death protests in Iran “could destabilise the country”
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, has warned that the continuing violent protests over the death of a young woman arrested for incorrectly wearing a hijab, could destabilise the country, according to The Times. Three weeks ago, 22 year old Mahsa Amini was arrested and taken into police custody where she died. Protests have been triggered all over the world, while in Iran, they are reported to have turned increasingly violent with 133 people having died and reports of tear gas and gunshots being heard as armed police disperse protesters. The Times reports that the speaker said the demonstrations “were not like previous protests that have called for reform. Instead, they aimed to topple the government”.
Catholics called to renew commitment to environmental cause
Roman Catholic bishops in England and Wales have renewed their appeal for every person and every institution to address the ecological crisis. They say Catholics should repair their relationship with creation and promote the common good. The appeal is in a new edition of “The Call of Creation”, a document first published twenty years ago. Podcast featuring Bishop John Arnold is here
Teacher in Ireland appeals decision over his religious objection to transgender naming
Enoch Burke, the Irish teacher jailed for contempt in a dispute which began over his refusal to address a transitioning student as “they” rather than “he”, has appealed against the injunction barring him from attending or teaching at his school in Co Westmeath. Burke is an evangelical Christian who says his decisions are based on grounds of religion and he is being persecuted for his faith. He has been in prison since early September after refusing to abide by the terms of the injunction, but was allowed to attend court to lodge his appeal and ask that the injunction be set aside while awaiting a hearing on the whole story. Afterwards, he returned to prison and the Independent reports that the appeal is unlikely to be heard until after Christmas.
Catholic family campaigner arrested over “malicious posts”
Caroline Farrow, Catholic media commentator and campaign director at CitizenGo, has been arrested over a social media exchange on transgenderism, after which she was accused of harassment and malicious communications. She has denied posting the comments, saying she was playing the organ in church at the time. Her husband is a former Anglican priest, who became Roman Catholic and has a church in Surrey. She told the story of her arrest on Twitter, explaining that police officers came to her house as she was cooking dinner for their family of five, and took away electronic devices before taking her to the police station, holding her in a cell and releasing her after several hours. Surrey police say their inquiries are continuing.
European court says tighter safeguards needed in cases of euthanasia
Alliance Defending Freedom, an international legal group “protecting” religious freedom, family and life, has welcomed a court ruling that more safeguards are needed in cases of euthanasia in Belgium. ADF acted for Tom Mortier, whose mother suffered incurable depression and died after a doctor administered euthanasia. The European Court of Human Rights said the lethal injection had been given in accordance with national legislation, but there should be more safeguards to ensure doctors’ decisions in such cases were independent. Times story here
Heavy metal band releases healing force of shaman
A feature in the heavy metal “Hammer” online magazine, tells the story of Kai, a shamanic artist, dressed in animal skins, who has created the band Heilung, performing ancient folk pagan music in heavy metal style. It describes his performances as like a trance, integrating ancient and modern music. The band’s name is the German word for healing, and the article quotes Kai saying many fans have reported improvements to their mental and physical health after listening to an album or attending a show. In his own words: “I go onstage, I empty myself and invite helping forces to work through me. That means that Kai as a person, as an ego, has to step back and make room, which is why there are shows that I can barely remember”. The article tells his story of conversion from evangelical Christianity through paganism to shamanism and into a culture where Germanic traditions and spiritualism became mainstream.
