Early election interview with Nigel Farage targets Muslims
There has been wide condemnation of Nigel Farage’s’ comments in an interview this weekend, saying there was a growing number of young Muslims who do not support British values and “loathe much of what we stand for”. Mr Farage, honorary president of Reform UK, was speaking on Sky News on Sunday. Foreign office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan, interviewed on LBC radio, said: “The vast proportion of British Muslims are wonderful, peace-loving, community-minded people. There are a very small proportion who want to challenge those values that we hold dear in the UK, which are British values”, vocing a need to bring that minority into the community. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said Mr Farage’s claim was “incendiary rhetoric” and the election needed a sense of how we bring our country together, not this kind of division. Steve Baker, Tory MP for High Wycombe, said Mr Farage was “ignorant and offensive”. Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said Farage’s remarks were horribly Islamophobic and racist.
Board of Deputies president elect says Britain is a very good place to be Jewish
Philip Rosenberg, president elect of the Board of Deputies, has told the Jerusalem Post that the UK is a very good place to be Jewish, but there is a need to fight extremism. He said his priorities were to tackle antisemitism, extremism, and foster unity to ensure that Britain would remain a haven for Jews. He believed that Britain’s Jews could help tackle increasing polarization, extremism, and lack of cohesion in UK society, because they had been in the minority in many societies and he has had conversations with the government and opposition, giving ideas. He was in Jerusalem for the World Jewish Congress executive committee, which gathers representatives from more than 20 countries. The meeting last week was described as a “solidarity mission”, including visits to sites associated with the 7 October attacks and a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Mr Rosenberg told the president that the UK Jewish community will stand up for Israel’s security and work towards peace in the Middle East.
Muslim International Film festival in London reclaims the words Muslim and Islam
The Muslim International Film Festival opens in London on Thursday, celebrating Muslim cinema and showcasing “stories we don’t usually see”. Director, Sajid Varda, said the festival will provide a platform for the world’s Muslim film makers and honour those who “explore the rich tapestry of Muslim culture and faith in their works”. She told the BBC that too often there is a negative portrayal of Muslims in the mainstream media, and this festival reclaims the words Muslim and Islam. The BBC reports that the festival includes films featuring Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed and Informer’s Nabhaan Rizwan. It opens with the London premiere of Hounds, a crime film set in Casablanca. Others films include “In Camera” on an actor rejected in auditions, and “Dammi” on a man who travels back to Paris to reconnect with his estranged father. Further details here
Pope calls World Children’s Day saying the faith conversation must include children
Around 50,000 children gathered in Rome’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday for the first World Children’s Day, called by Pope Francis. They listened as he talked to them about the Trinity, war and peace, and the church, using simple questions with loud yes or no responses. He said he was inspired to call the day after meeting boys and girls in the Vatican last November and realising the conversation had to include children. Festooned with colourful balloons, he told the children to go forward in joy and courage, while praying for children suffering in war, who cannot go to school, are hungry or neglected.
The mother of a teenager about to become a saint says he had a special mission
Kaya Burgess, of The Times, has interviewed the mother of a 15-year-old boy who is about be become a saint, where she describes his early interest in God and the church. Carlo Acutis died from leukaemia after a short illness, but two miracles have become associated with him, one where the priest prayed to him and the other when a relative visited his tomb. Carlo’s mother Antonia, says she and her husband were not observant Christians, but Carlo was always intrigued by religion, going into churches to “say hello to Jesus”, praying for the dead and asking questions. He developed a website documenting miracles from around the world, and his presence on social media earned him the nickname “God’s Influencer”. He was also determined to help the poor in Milan, donating clothes and making friends with migrants. Antonia’s advice to parents who want to raise a saint is to set a good example: “From when they are small, if they want to grow their children in faith, they need to start to speak about God, to pray together, to speak about values, about respect. Sometimes they have to say ‘no’.” She says Carlo was special and had a special mission. Times article is here
Former Archbishop of Canterbury directly linked to slave trade
The Observer reported that a former Archbishop of Canterbury in the 18th century, Thomas Secker, approved payments to buy slaves for two sugar plantations in Barbados. It says the evidence is in Lambeth Palace archives and reveals the links between the Church of England and chattel slavery on plantations owned by its missionary arm, The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The reports says that Secker agreed to reimburse a payment for £1,093 for the purchase of slaves on the Codrington Plantations, as well as hiring slaves from a third party. In response, the present Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is quoted saying: “Every new piece of evidence around the Church’s involvement in the slave trade is sobering, and reading that a former archbishop of Canterbury was involved in the purchase of enslaved people is particularly painful. It is also a reminder that this work is not finished and there is more we need to do to examine our role in the trade in enslaved Africans, which was a blasphemy against God’s creation in treating men, women and children as less than human”. Observer article is here
Independent race equality charity to investigate racism in CofE
The Church of England Archbishops’ Council has appointed the charity Race Equality First to investigate racist incidents in the Church of England. The Church Times quotes the CofE’s director of racial justice, Guy Hewitt, saying “anecdotal evidence suggested that such occurrences are more common than appreciated.” He cites examples of people “stereotyped, overlooked, or excluded, or facing harassment, hostile comments or microaggression”. The new arrangement follows a report from the Archbishops’ anti-racism task force recommending an independent system for handling complaints.
Bodies of two young missionaries killed in Haiti to return to the US this week
The Associated Press reports that the bodies of a young American missionary couple, who were shot dead by gangs in Haiti, are expected to be brought back to Missouri this week. Davy and Natalie Lloyd, and Jude Montis, the local director of the mission group “Missions in Haiti Inc.”, were killed as they were leaving a youth group event at a church in Lizon in northern Port-au-Prince. Natalie Lloyd is the daughter of Missouri state Representative, Ben Baker. AP explains that Haiti’s capital has been crumbling as violent gangs rule the streets controlling 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince, and the people are awaiting the arrival of UN back deployment of police from Kenya to stem the violence.
Pope: “too much frociaggine” among trainee priests
The Italian newspaper La Republica has reported that the Pope told a group of Italian bishops that there are too many gay men entering Italian seminaries and there is “too much frociaggine (faggotry)” among those training for the priesthood. The report is of a closed-door meeting from a week ago during a discussion on admitting gay men to seminaries. Corriere della Sera, Italy’s bestselling daily, confirmed the report and said bishops were incredulous, believing he was unaware of the offensive meaning of the word. The Pope has previously argued that LGBT people are welcomed in the church, saying of gay priests “who am I to judge?”. He has also allowed same sex blessings, saying this does not contradict doctrine. On the priesthood, his line in 2018 was that gay people should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, as they would be forced to lead a double life hiding their sexuality. The story has appeared in various publications but the Vatican has not yet commented.
