Faith leaders across Britain come out against illegal migration bill
At the start of World Refugee Week, leaders of faiths and many Christian denominations have come out against the government’s illegal migration bill, which is going through parliament. They have made a film voicing their concerns , which is published on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website. Their message echoes the opposition to the bill from Church of England bishops in the House of Lords. The bill would leave people arriving illegally in small boats unable to claim asylum and under threat of being removed to Rwanda, a situation which the faith leaders denounce as denying safety to those who are vulnerable. The film includes 14 faith leaders saying people, of faith strive to welcome the stranger, to offer hospitality, to love, protect, listen, learn, and show compassion. “This bill does not reflect what we want our country to be”.
Contributors were: Bishop of Chelmsford, Guli Frances Dehqani; Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath; Bishop Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church; Elizabeth Palmer CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society; Emily Shepherd, Co-CEO of Welcome Churches, Fr Michael Coughlan; Parish Priest; Fiona Bennett, Moderator United Reformed Church; Rev Inderjit Bhogal, President of City of Sanctuary; Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the Church of Scotland; Rev Tim Presswood, President of Baptists Together 2023-2024; Rabbi Robyn Ashworth Stern, Manchester Reform Synagogue; Rabbi Alexandra White, Liberal Jewish Synagogue; Rabbi John Levy, North Western Reform Synagogue; Imam Dr Sayed Razawai, Chief Imam and Director General, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society.
Great Big Live Assembly to mark World Refugee Day
Today is World Refugee Day and at 9am more than 202,000 children will be joining together the first “Great Big Live Assembly”, hosted by Danylo, a 9-year-old Ukrainian now living in the UK, and linking online with children in a refugee camp in Syria. The event has been organised by Dr Krish Kandiah, founder of the Sanctuary Foundation, to help children understand more about the global refugee situation and how they can help. Any teachers reading this before 0900 can sign up here.
Refugee writers centre stage at St Martin in the Fields book event
Refugee writers from Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan will tell their stories alongside celebrity hosts and authors at an event this evening at St Martin in the Fields, next to Trafalgar Square in London. “No Place Like Home” includes testimony from Yeva Skalietska, who was 12 and living in Kharkiv, Ukraine, when she wrote a diary about her experience of war, now published with a foreword by Michael Morpurgo. Other writers include people who have fled from Afghanistan and Syria. Celebrity hosts include comedian Mel Giedroyc, whose father came from an aristocratic family deported from Poland in the second world war and who came to the UK as a refugee in 1945. The event has been organised by the Sanctuary Foundation
Teaching assistant wins appeal against dismissal over transgender and sex education concerns
A teaching assistant who was sacked for sharing two Facebook posts that raised concerns about how transgenderism and compulsory sex education was to be taught at her son’s Church of England primary school, has won her appeal against dismissal. She was employed by Fairford school, Gloucestershire, at the time. The Employment Appeal Tribunal said that “the freedom to manifest belief (religious or otherwise) and to express views relating to that belief are essential rights in any democracy, whether or not the belief in question is popular or mainstream and even if its expression may offend.” Kristie Higgs was backed in her campaign by the Christian Legal Centre, which hails the judgment as setting a legal precedent confirming that the Equality Act 2010 protects employees from discrimination not only for their beliefs, but also for expression or manifestation of their beliefs. It says it expects this will protect Christians who are disciplined or dismissed by their employers for sharing their beliefs in conversations or on social media, as well as by praying and wearing crosses, for example.
Muslim scholars campaign for UK moon sightings to determine festival dates
Imams and scholars from Blackburn have launched a campaign urging people to follow local moonsighting criteria when deciding when to celebrate Eid.It follows confusion at the start and end of Ramadan, when communities in the UK celebrate on two different days, some following local sightings and the others following sightings made in Saudia Arabia. Annual disagreements have even split families and neighbours. Asian Image explains that until 1984, Muslims in the UK predominantly followed sightings in the UK or Morocco, the nearest Islamic country, but sightings from Saudi Arabia sometimes contradicted that information.
Former Malaysian PM “fosters dialogue” for British Muslim leaders
The 97-year-old former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, has held a meeting with British Muslim leaders in London, “fostering dialogue and inspiring progress”. The event was organised by the founder of the Islam Channel, Mohamed Ali Harrath, whose website report explains: “It exemplified the growing influence and significance of Muslim leaders in shaping the social and economic landscape of the United Kingdom and beyond. The focal points of the discussions were effective leadership, entrepreneurship, and the challenges faced by the Muslim community around the globe”.
Jesus Army abuse claims worse than feared
The Jesus Army Redress Scheme has taken out a half page ad in The Church Times, urging people who have suffered abuse, had “adverse experiences” or employment related claims, to come forward and claim compensation. The website offering advice suggests people contact lawyers to help with their claim. The Jesus Amy was a charismatic evangelical movement which was started by evangelist Noel Stanton in a village near Northampton in 1969 and spread to around 24 congregations throughout England. Members lived in communes and they were known for going round in buses, stopping to evangelise people on the street. It closed in 2019 after membership fell following claims of a history of sexual assault by leaders against church members since the 1970s. Several former members have been found guilty of sexual abuse of children. Noel Stanton died in 2009 but there have been 43 complainants of historic sexual and physical abuse against him and church leaders. Last month, the BBC reported lawyers saying the abuse was worse than feared with many people coming forward for redress. The Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association represents about 800 alleged victims.
Film about The Jesus People grosses $50 million in 4 months
“Jesus Revolution”, a film about the Jesus People movement of young, hippie, evangelical charismatic Christians that swept California in the 60s and 70s, has already made $50 million at the box office. Produced by the Christian “Kingdom Story Company”, the cast includes Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in “The Chosen”, the equally successful multi film series about Jesus’ life. Roumie plays the part of Lonnie Frisbee, who said of himself in the 60s that he looked like Jesus with long beard and flowing hair. Religion Unplugged explains how he was taking drugs including LSD, experienced a vision of Jesus, was converted and started a mass movement of “Jesus Freaks”. The movement brought in pastors Chuck Smith, John Wimber and Greg Laurie, who co-wrote the “Jesus Revolution” script. Frisbee was attached to extraordinary stories of passionate sermons, miracles and baptisms. But he was fired and outcast by the other leaders, eventually dying aged 43 in 1993. The Guardian criticises the film for implying that he was ousted due to a rift over theology, whereas the real reason was that he was gay.
