Muslim organisations raise concerns over new anti-Muslim hatred definition
Muslim organisations have expressed reservations about the government’s definition of anti-Muslim hatred, which was announced in the Commons yesterday by the Communities Secretary, Steve Reed. A working group had spent a year discussing the wording, aiming to change the previous definition of Islamophobia which referred to racism. Hyphen Online reports that Muslim groups wanted the word Islamophobia and the racialisation of Muslims included, but neither were. Majid Iqbal, chief executive of the Islamophobia Response Unit, says they are reserving judgment, having significant concerns over not using the word Islamophobia, and critical of the use of the word “intentional”, saying this would be difficult to prove. Dr Wajid Akhter, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said they would not endorse the wording as it was a diminished version of a definiton agreed by the working group, and there had been a lack of transparency and meaningful engagement with grassroots community representatives. Baroness Shaista Gohir, CEO of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, said she was pleased with the definition which had adopted most of the working group’s wording. Hyphen Online report by Saman Javed here. Anti-Muslim hatred definition wording here.
Conference on Christian revival after ‘post-war liberal consensus breaks down‘
A conference “Christian Revival: Our Post-Liberal hope”, takes place at Pusey House, Oxford, today and tomorrow, considering what it describes as “a new cultural and moral moment” emerging from the breakdown of the “long post-war consensus in the West, politically defined by liberal democracy, economically by globalisation, and morally by a shared repudiation of past horrors”. Organisers say a “trans-denominational Christian restoration is gathering force intellectually, spiritually and culturally, a renewal that is a re-enchantment of the world through the recovery of Christian metaphysics, not as private consolation but as public truth”. The conference is organised in partnership with the Danube Institute, based in Hungary, and the speakers include Danny Kruger MP, Jenny Sinclair, Rod Dreher, Dr Iain McGilchrist, Lord Glasman and David Campanale. A poll run by Whitestone Insight and published today, says 52 per cent of the British public believe continuing to move away from Britain’s Christian roots would be to the detriment of future generations, and 58 per cent say Christianity still has something positive to offer the way Britain is governed. The conference is to be livestreamed on YouTube – links here.
Ayatollah Khamenei, ‘shadow prince’ and teacher of Islamic law
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has become the new leader of Iran following his father’s assassination, is yet to appear in public, but he is known to be a hardliner and there have been enthusiastic rallies in Iran, in his support. Commentary suggests he is regarded as a mid-ranking cleric, but not a leading scholar in Islamic law. He studied and taught Islamic theology in Qom, Iran’s centre of Shi’ite theological learning, where he gave “the highest level of jurisprudential instruction”. He then returned to work for his father in government, where he was known as the shadow prince, working behind the scenes. He was given the title Ayatollah in 2022, indicating a senior jurist capable of interpreting Islamic law, and after his father died, he was elected by an 88-member Assembly of clerics. In line with his father, he is a “Twelver” in Shi’a Islam, a group which believes the last imam in the line of twelve imams descended from the Prophet Mohammed, is in a hidden state and one day will return as Messiah. According to Dr Ali Al-Jabiri, a former TV journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Euro Times, a Swedish newspaper published in Arabic, there are reports that the Ayatollah is in hospital receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the blast which killed his father, wife and son. These reports have not been verified. Further background here
Al Quds march banned this weekend
The Home Secretary has approved a request from the Metropolitan Police to ban the annual Al Quds march and rally planned for London on Sunday, amid fears of public disorder. It is part of an International Day of Demonstrations established by Iran’s first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, after the revolution in 1979. Counter-protest groups against the Iranian regime were expected. Met Police statement here
US faith leaders’ online prayer vigil for peace in the Middle East
Faith leaders representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Bahá’í, Sikh, Buddhist and other traditions, were among 630 people who joined an online interfaith vigil yesterday to pray for peace in the Middle East. They remembered people who had died, people suffering from the attacks and the military. So far, the war has killed 1,230 Iranians, 500 in Lebanon, 13 Israelis and seven US military personnel. The prayers included a plea to seek a proper response to violence in Iran, Palestine, Ukraine, Haiti, Venezuela; guidance for world leaders; strength for persecuted minorities and hope for the day when the war ends. There was an appeal for people of faith to work together for lasting peace, and Episcopalians have been urged to write to their members of Congress appealing for action to stop the escalation of violence.
LDS church distributed $1.58 billion in humanitarian aid in 2025
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints distributed US $1.58 billion in humanitarian aid and emergency relief in 2025. The “Caring for Those in Need 2025 Report” says it ran 3,514 projects in 196 countries, and their members volunteered 7.4 million hours of service. They worked alongside other aid agencies to provide food across six countries, prenatal care and vitamins for pregnant women, screening of children for malnutrition, offering vaccinations and education. Projects were undertaken in the US as well as the rest of the world, allowing a response to urgent need alongside “strengthening the self-reliance of individuals and communities over time”. LDS says by collaborating with agencies such as UNICEF, the World Food Programme, Project HOPE, CARE, WaterAid, ShelterBox, and others, the church can amplify its ability to care for those in need.
San Diego bishop resigns after accusations of $270k embezzlement
The bishop of a small Chaldean Catholic community in the San Diego area has resigned amid charges that he embezzled $270,000 from the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon. Bishop Emanuel Shaleta has denied 17 charges, including money laundering, and during a recent mass, told the congregation that he has never “abused any penny of the church money”. He has been bailed and a temporary administrator has been appointed. The Chaldean Catholic church represents more than a million Aramaic-speaking Christians who are primarily from Iraq.
Safeguarding complaint against Sarah Mullally dismissed as vexatious
A complaint against the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, over alleged mishandling of a safeguarding complaint when she was Bishop of London, has been dismissed. The President of Tribunals said the complaint was “vexatious and ought not to have been brought”. The Archbishop welcomed the decision and said she was disappointed over the delay in handling the complaint, promising to ensure robust safeguarding processes in the future.
Trading London for the Garden of England: Sarah Mullally bound for Canterbury
Three Church of England clergy in the Canterbury diocese have been speaking about their hopes and expectation as they prepare to welcome their first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, who will finally be installed at Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March. The Dean of Canterbury, Dr David Monteith, explains he chose Lady Day for the installation, as many people have been moved by the appointment of a woman: “It seems to them like a glass ceiling has coming tumbling down — and that’s significant”. The Rev Rachel Webbley, rector of the team ministry in Whitstable, admires the new archbishop’s calm consistency and says: “She will have so many roles, a very demanding life, but I hope she finds the place affirming, a place she can really enjoy remaining in and feel loved”. And the Rev Simon Rowlands, vicar in Faversham, says it will be interesting to get to know the new archbishop: “If I have any hopes for our new archbishop, it is that there is a reconnection between the local and the centre.” Report by Christine Rayner here.
