The religious past and present of the Syrian rebel group HTS
The Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which swept away the Assad regime, has historic ties to Islamic State and al-Qaeda and the United States has officially labelled it a foreign terrorist organization. The Washington Post explains that in its past, it was led by religious extremists aiming to turn Syria into an Islamist caliphate. But the paper has spoken to analysts who say HTS has shown tolerance and religious freedom in areas it has occupied, a feature seen in the past two-week lightning strike on Syria. A US based website offering news on the Middle East, Al-Monitor, reports that in Aleppo, which fell to the rebels a week ago, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani took to Telegram to urge his fighters to “calm the concerns of our people, from all communities. Aleppo has always been a meeting point for civilisations and cultures, and it will remain so, with a long history of cultural and religious diversity”, he said. The report says that the majority of Aleppo’s two million residents are Muslim and the Christian minority has declined to 30,000 since the civil war began in 2011. Archbishop Boutros Marayati, addressing worshippers yesterday at the Armenian Catholic Saint Barbara Church yesterday, said: “Do not fear, dear brothers. We have received assurances from all parties. Continue living normally, and everything will remain as before, even better,” he said.
Notre Dame re-opens to the world’s gaze
Notre-Dame Cathedral has been officially re-opened five years after a fire raged through the building, taking down the spire and medieval timber roof frames in a spectacle that shocked the nation. The Cathedral’s statue of the Virgin Mary, moved elsewhere during renovation work, was processed back to Notre Dame in preparation for the re-opening ceremony on Saturday evening. The Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, knocked his crozier three times on the great west door and was let in, joined by a congregation with 40 world leaders including President Trump, Prince William and President Zelensky, together with 170 bishops from France and around the world, who processed in. Macron gave an address inside the Cathedral on the separation of church and state, saying Notre Dame “tells us how much meaning and transcendence help us to live in this world.” He praised the firefighters and builders and said: “the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of all”. The ceremony had prayers and sacred music with choirs and the restored great organ, but the first mass was not held until Sunday. The Pope chose not to attend and issued a statement saying: “May the rebirth of this admirable church be a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France”. During yesterday’s mass, the newly created bronze altar was blessed with sacred oil. The church estimates that 15 million visitors are expected to visit the cathedral each year.
Welby apologises after ‘tone-deaf’ final speech in the House of Lords
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has apologised for causing further distress to survivors of abuse from his last speech in the House of Lords, which people have criticised as being frivolous, tone deaf and making light of his resignation. Instead of addressing the church’s cover up of abuse by John Smyth and his own role in that, he spoke of his diary secretary’s plans which were quashed by his sudden resignation. He said heads must roll and his head had been chosen, citing the story of a medieval predecessor whose head was chopped off and played with as a football. He said his head had been chosen because it rolled best and a leader must resign whether they are personally responsible or not. BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool reported that three lead bishops involved in safeguarding have since written to survivors saying the speech was utterly insensitive, lacked focus on victims of abuse and made light of the circumstances surrounding his resignation. Dr Welby is stepping down on 6 January.
Stephen Cottrell told the Lords he apologised for ‘shameful failings’ of the CofE
The day after Welby’s last speech in the Lords, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, directly addressed the CofE’s safeguarding issue, during his own speech in the Lords on stronger communities. The archbishop, who will take up many of Dr Welby’s duties once he has left, said: “The recently published Makin review has again revealed shocking failures within the Church of England to safeguard children, and, in this case, vulnerable young adults. I pay tribute to the victims and survivors who came forward to disclose the horrors that they experienced. My heart goes out to them and I apologise for these shameful failings. Moreover, I pledge myself to work purposefully for independent scrutiny of safeguarding in the Church of England and greater operational independence”. He was speaking on his motion “to take note” of the importance of social cohesion and strong, supportive community life during periods of change and global uncertainty.
BBC announces programmes on religion and ethics for next year
BBC coverage of faith is to increase its focus on reflecting the diversity of Britain, its heads of religion and ethics have pledged. At a showcase session on their output at New Broadcasting House in London on Friday, the audience was reminded that more than half the population are affiliated to a religion and it is still at the heart of many people’s identity. This is to be reflected in a new series on prayer and reflection planned for autumn 2025, as-live religious services from six of the UK’s major faiths as well as programmes reflecting Christian faith and worship. Catherine Pepinster’s report Is here
Two British Indian leaders stripped of their honours
Two leading British Indian community figures have been stripped of their honours. Lord Rami Ranger was stripped of his CBE, given for services to business and the community, after a complaint about a comment defending Modi and another about a gurdwara trustee. His spokesperson said he had not committed any crime. And Anil Bhanot, managing trustee of the Hindu Council UK, who received an OBE for community cohesion, was stripped because of a comment judged to be Islamophobic, which he denies.
Thousands march through London in protest at rising antisemitism
More than 10,000 people marched through central London in protest at the rise in antisemitism in the UK since October 7, in one of the largest Jewish gatherings this year. The Jewish Chronicle said organiser Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, gave a speech saying Britain had betrayed values of tolerance and decency. He said protests had “stifled debate on our campuses, forced Parliament to change its proceedings out of fear for MPs’ safety, scared schoolchildren, forced Jews to hide their identity on public transport, intimidated us in our workplaces and even encroached into our hospitals”. The fight against antisemitism “puts Jews on the frontlines of the battle for the future of the West”. Jewish Chronicle report here
Muhammad top baby boy name in England and Wales
The Office for National Statistics has found that “Muhammad” is the most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales for the first time. It has featured in the top 100 since 1924, and in the top ten since 2016 but its top position is new. It came top in the English regions of the North West, Yorkshire And The Humber, West Midlands and London. Other spellings of the same name came in at 28th and 68th. Second was Noah and third, Oliver. For girls the top name was Olivia, followed by Amelia and Isla. Top Muslim girls’ names are Layla and Zara.
Palestinian Anglican Layan Nasir released from Israeli detention
Layan Nasir, a 24-year Anglican Palestinian woman who had been held by Israel in administrative detention for eight months without charge, was released on Thursday 5 December after Anglican leaders campaigned for her freedom. She is a member of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Birzeit and was detained in April when soldiers came to her home at 4am. Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani has supported Layan’s case since visiting her mother Lulu and older brother Kamal, while on a visit to Israel and Palestine in May and said she was delighted and relieved at Layan’s release.
Makin review has caused ‘culture of fear’ encouraging cover up
The Church Times reports comments by the Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, in relation to the Makin review. He said the “atmosphere of blame and guilt” that followed, is creating a culture of fear in the local church that encourages cover-up. Clergy feel under pressure, wanting to do the right thing, but worried about failing and subsequent disciplinary processes. In response, the Bishop of Newcastle, Helen Ann Hartley, disagreed, saying it wasn’t about blame, but responsibilities and the need to build transparency, accountability and independence into how the Church does safeguarding
CofE multimillion growth plan for the north ‘must be paused’
A CofE initiative to give a £1.76 million grant, with the promise of £1.62million more, to dioceses in the north of England, to create 600 new worshipping communities, has been criticised by the Bishop of Newcastle, who says it must be paused. Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley said “initiatives like this must be paused until the recommendations of #Makin and #Scolding can be implemented and urgent matters of culture and governance in the Church can be attended to #safeguarding”.
Sacked school ‘pastoral manager’ says she was persecuted for her faith
An employment tribunal will this week hear the case of Gozen Soydag, dismissed as “pastoral manager” of a Catholic girls’ school, for her comments on marriage posted on social media, which she was told were incompatible with the school’s ethos. She claims she was persecuted for her Christian beliefs and is claiming unfair dismissal. Times story here
Pagan prayer at Oklahoma city council slammed as work of the devil
A Pagan who offered an opening prayer at Tulsa City Council meeting in Oklahoma has been told she is an agent of Satan. Amy McAdams, who introduced herself as a “priestess of the goddess”, invoked the name of Medusa, asked for injustice to be “petrified” and that the councillors would “find within themselves the body divine”. When Oklahoma State Governor Kevin Stitt, saw the recording, he said: “Satan is trying to establish a foothold, but Oklahoma is going to be a shining city on the hill”. Stitt previously claimed all of Oklahoma in the name of Jesus Christ and has championed the opening of the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school. The state’s education chief also mandated that all Oklahoma schools teach the Bible in its classrooms. Story is here
