Call for faith to unite communities as forces of division ‘grow louder’
There is a need to utilise faith to bring communities back together, according to Nick Knowles, CEO of the anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate. He was speaking at an event to launch the report “Questions of Hope and Hate: Faith and Faultlines in a Changing Britain”, which analyses the growing politicisation of religion, polarisation and strained faith relations, and suggests ways to improve social cohesion. Mr Knowles came up with the idea of writing the report, in collaboration with the Good Faith Partnership, after seeing the emerging role of faith in society. He said there has been a “conscious decision to downplay interfaith, as part of a wider conscious decision to downplay cohesion, and at a time when the very fabric of a multicultural society is now being challenged”. One of the challenges in working with faith groups, he suggested, is that the institutions which will initiate and manage the projects, are secular, often with little understanding or recognition of working with faith groups as a partner, and there is a need for religious literacy across society. He said: “The forces of division are growing ever louder and we need to redouble our efforts supported by local and national government”. The report is the subject of our briefing at 1200 today, where a panel will discuss the findings and what can be done. Get the zoom link from [email protected]
Chief Rabbi ‘not proud of settler violence’ on the West Bank
The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has condemned settler violence, saying it “deserves to be called out”. The Jewish Chroncile reports that the remarks were made during the Boundless Insights podcast with Aviva Klompas, a Canadian-American who is CEO of Boundless, a pro-Israel education group. Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: “There are some elements of what is happening in Israel over which sometimes one might not feel particularly proud. I’ll give you one example of something that I’m not proud of. It’s settler violence. It’s when some settlers take the law into their own hands and they unlawfully attack innocent Palestinians in the territories. And that is exacerbated when it is carried out in the name of religion. That’s certainly something I’m not proud of, and I believe it needs to be called out. But in general, we can indeed stand tall, and we should, because once we know the facts, we’ve got everything to be proud of.” Jewish Chronicle report here
Jewish MP banned from visiting Bristol school over Israel’s action in Gaza
Damien Egan, the Labour MP for Bristol North East, who is Jewish, has been banned from visiting a school in the city after intervention from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which won support from the National Education Union staff group, parents and local constituents. A post on the Campaign’s Bristol Branch Facebook page, from 5 September 2025, says: “This is a clear message: politicians who openly support Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza are not welcome in our schools. Egan is Vice Chair of Labour Friends of Israel and has visited Israel since the current onslaught on Gaza began, demonstrating his support. We celebrate this cancellation as a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of trade unionists, parents, and campaigners standing together.” The Times reports that the story came to light when mentioned by Steve Reed, the communities’ secretary, who addressed the Jewish Labour Movement conference last Sunday. He called it “an absolute outrage” and said they would be called in: “you cannot have people with those kinds of attitudes teaching our children”. Times story is here
Bishop of Oxford says Grok’s sexualised deepfake technology is ‘truly appalling’
The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, has said that the availability of technology creating sexualised deepfakes of real people is “truly appalling” from a Christian perspective. The bishop, who leads for the Church of England on AI and technology, was speaking after the government publicly criticised X and the ability of the X AI app Grok to create sexualised images of women and children. It announced that a law making it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, would be enacted this week. The bishop wrote: “The sexualised deepfakes of real individuals used without their consent is immensely damaging to the individuals’ dignity and the dignity of our society. The damage is long lasting because the images are almost impossible to take down. I completely support the calls to X to withdraw the service and to Ofcom to investigate and to enforce the law. I support the Government’s drive to ban nudification apps through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill.” He urged the Government to apply the same robust stance across the entire technology sector.
Bishop of Chelmsford praying for peace in Iran
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis Dehqani, who was born in Iran and whose father was the Anglican Bishop there, has given her view of the recent violent protests, to the Church Times. She is quoted saying: “There is no doubt that the current administration appears to be in its final throes and fighting for survival, though it’s impossible to predict the timing. Whether the end will be soon, or is still some way off, no one can say. The real question for Iran is what will follow. My prayers are for a peaceful resolution that will lead to justice and freedom.”
Exeter Cathedral School announces closure
Exeter Cathedral School, founded in 1179, has announced it will close its prep school for children in years three to eight, in July this year following “unavoidable financial pressures that many small independent schools are currently facing”. Another company will take over the running of the Nursery and Pre Prep years. In a statement, it said the choristers can continue their studies together in the nearby independent Exeter School, a co-educational environment. The school said the decision to close was “extremely difficult” and it understood the impact this would have on the entire school community, students, families and staff.
US clergy prominent role in demonstrations after Renee Good’s death
US clergy have been prominent in demonstrations following the death of Renee Good, shot and killed in her car by a federal agent in Minneapolis last Friday. The Religion News Service reports that local clergy met at the site of the killing, where a makeshift shrine has emerged, reflecting on her life and condemning the ICE raids on migrants. In a march across the city in the snow, “Movement Chaplains” who emerged after George Floyd was killed, walked with the protesters to offer spiritual help amidst the anger. And 50 faith leaders gathered outside the White House, mourning Renee Good, and appealing for ICE to be abolished.
Historic Mississippi synagogue burned to the ground
A 19-year-old man has been charged with arson after a historic Mississippi synagogue was razed to the ground. The fire started in the early hours on Saturday in the library, destroying sacred Torahs and caused smoke damage, but there were no injuries. Beth Israel was founded in 1860 and is the largest Jewish synagogue in the state, sharing the building with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. The Washington Post reports that the man accused, Stephen Spencer Pittman, was turned in by his father.
How Muslims date: the modern struggle to complete ‘half your faith’
Statistics suggest that British Muslims are twice as likely to be single past the age of 30, as compared to the general population, and a buoyant dating industry has sprung up. Maira Butt reports on the fortunes of online data apps and social events, as Muslims seek to observe their religious duty to find a partner, a requirement which accounts for “half of the faith”. Pew Research has indicated that 58 per cent of Muslims marry older – between the ages of 30 and 49 – with 17 per cent marrying between 18 and 29. Another statistic is that 90 per cent of Muslims want to marry only within their own culture, and it’s suggested that Muslim professionals in cities struggle to find people of the “same calibre”, based on nationalities, level of religiosity and personal and career goals. Maira’s report is here
