Buddhist spiritual adviser offers loving-kindness as Tennessee execution fails
Christa Pike, the 50 year old convicted murderer whose execution was botched in Tennessee, has a Buddhist spiritual adviser, Mikey Noechel, who was present during the attempted execution. He practised Metta, or loving-kindness meditation, with her, repeating during the procedure: “May you be at peace. May you be kind and gentle to yourself”. She relayed the same message to media witnesses behind the glass. Noechel is a guiding teacher at the Wild Heart Meditation Center, a Buddhist community in Nashville, and was in and out of the execution chamber during the final stages. Witnesses reported that after the second dose of pentobarbital, Noechel was allowed back into the chamber and later, he was among those who left as the situation developed. Pike was taken by ambulance to hospital where she is said to be in a critical condition.
Catholic death penalty opponents say failed execution ‘horrifying’
The botched execution has prompted criticism from Catholic leaders and anti-death-penalty campaigners. The three Catholic bishops covering Tennessee – J. Mark Spalding, David P. Talley and Mark Beckman – had called for her execution to be halted, citing the Church’s opposition to capital punishment and the dignity of every human life. Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, described the failed execution as “horrifying” and said it should prompt renewed opposition to state-sanctioned killing. Richard Garnett of the University of Notre Dame’s Program on Church, State and Society also criticised attempts to make executions appear medical or technical.
Jagtar Singh Johal released after almost nine years in Indian prison
A Sikh from Scotland, Jagtar Singh Johal, 39, has been released on bail in India after almost nine years in detention without conviction. He was arrested in November 2017, shortly after his wedding, over allegations that he was an active member of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force, and that he helped fund and facilitate a conspiracy linked to targeted killings in Punjab. Johal has denied all charges, and he and his lawyers have disputed the evidence against him. He was acquitted in one Punjab case in March 2025, which involved allegations of terrorist funding. Last month, he was granted bail in seven cases including allegations of conspiracy to murder and offences that can carry the death penalty if he were convicted. Despite this he remained in prison until yesterday. His bail conditions include surrendering his passport, regular reporting to investigators and restrictions on travel and speaking publicly about the case. The campaign for his release was led by his brother, Gurpeet Singh Johal, a solicitor and Labour councillor for Dumbarton Ward. Film of his release on social media here
Council defends speaker who said Virgin Mary ‘wore a hijab’
North Yorkshire Council has defended a speaker who told staff that the Virgin Mary “wore a hijab”, after his comments were reported by national newspapers and criticised by Reform politicians. The speaker, Abbas Najib, a former police officer and lawyer, delivered the talk to North Yorkshire council last week, as part of Project Unity, a scheme to tackle anti Muslim hatred. He told The Times that head coverings are part of Jewish and Sikh tradition, and the point of the session was that “these are traditions shared across faiths and cultures, not something foreign or unique to Islam”. He said the fact that it had been treated as controversial reflected attitudes towards Muslims. Odette Robson, head of community safety and CCTV at the council, is quoted in Richmondshire Today saying that public services benefited from “a broad range of voices and experiences” and that hearing perspectives that may challenge existing assumptions “can help deepen understanding of issues such as race, faith, identity, integration and community relations.”
High Court settles five-year Hindu succession dispute over UK charity
A five-year legal dispute over control of the Yogi Divine Society, a global Hindu organisation based in Gujurat with a British centre in Harrow, has been settled by a High Court judge. The dispute went to court after the death of its spiritual leader, Hariprasad Swamiji, who had not publicly named a successor. Supporters of two rival monks, Prem Swami and Prabodh Swami, fought over control of the Society and its UK charity and property. The judge ruled that trustees supporting Prabodh Swami had acted improperly in trying to remove Prem Swami’s supporters, but allowed them to remain in day-to-day control. Prem Swami retains a veto over decisions by the charity’s trustees. The UK organisation has a £1.62m annual income and owns substantial property. Times report here
Charity Commission investigates mosque after complaint over sermons
The Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case after the National Secular Society complained about sermons allegedly promoting violence against women, the death penalty for gay people and execution for witchcraft. The Times reports that sermons were published on the Hackney Islamic Community Centre’s YouTube channel in 2023, when it was known as Masjid Imam an-Nawawi, but have since been removed. Times reporters have seen the videos, but they are no longer publicly available. The Charity Commission is quoted confirming that concerns have been raised “about alleged sermons and social media content linked to Hackney Islamic Community Centre and we have opened a regulatory compliance case to further assess these. This will determine any next steps.”
Dr Ed Kessler stepping down as chair of Movement for Progressive Judaism
Noeleen Cohen has been appointed chair designate of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, succeeding Dr Ed Kessler in December. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a charity trustee including chair of the New Israel Fund (UK), and vice-chair of Citizens UK. Originally from South Africa, she moved to London in the 1990s and worked in marketing before moving into the voluntary sector. Dr Kessler says he plans to remain deeply involved with the Movement.
Stars, charts and a $15bn cosmic business
The Guardian carries a report of the United Astrology Conference held in Chicago, where 1,500 people flaunt their wares. Astrology is now a $15bn industry, with a 2025 Pew Research report finding that 30 per cent of American adults consult astrology, tarot or a fortune teller at least once a year. In astrology, the configuration of the sky at the moment of birth is believed to influence future lives, shedding light on personality, relationships and life events. It’s described as an art, spiritual practice, language or therapeutic tool and its growing popularity has been driven partly by apps and technology. But there are warnings and fears that AI may make the human interpreter obsolete. The article is here
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RMC lecture recording – Sarah Sands: The news sphere and the heavenly sphere
The recording of this year’s Religion Media Centre’s lecture, “The news sphere and the heavenly sphere”, delivered by the CEO of Hymns Ancient and Modern, Sarah Sands, is now up on our YouTube channel. She discusses how news and religion both have the instruction “to bear witness”, and defends the importance of the reporter’s right to question people in order to find the truth, applauding new shoots of journalism in community led publications. She reflects on her time at the BBC and Thought for the Day, which she describes as a “great British institution”, but revealed that presenters were not allowed to comment on any matter raised in the scripts, saying “it was strictly one-way traffic”. View the recording on our You Tube channel here. Read the transcript of her lecture here. Read our article here
Tablet reporter wins RMC Young Reporter Award
Aili Winstanley Channer, a reporter for The Tablet, has won the Religion Media Centre’s Young Reporter award, for her article “Finding the way home – a counter-cultural revival”. The article, published by The Tablet in February, tells the story of new bursts of energy in the Catholic Church with dramatic increases in the numbers of people being received into the church. While the numbers attending church continue to decline, young converts in particular are bringing new energy, and there are reports of a 30 per cent rise in converts from other denominations. The judges were particularly impressed by the breadth of her research and engaging writing style. Aili joined The Tablet in October last year as the Charles Plater Trust Intern. She was presented with her award at the Religion Media Centre lecture at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street. Her prize is a cheque for £500 donated by the Rev Professor Keith Magee of The Guardian Foundation. Tablet report here
