Zelensky meets the Pope to discuss release of Ukrainians held in Russia
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday, as part of his tour of four cities in Europe, securing financial and political support. Posting on Twitter / X, he said the issue of bringing home captured and deported people was the main focus of their talks and remains “incredibly painful”. They include adults and children, civilians held in prisons and camps in Russia. He said Ukraine is counting on the Holy See’s assistance to help bring them back to Ukraine. A conference on the release of prisoners and deported Ukrainians will be held at the end of this month in Canada. The Pope has appointed Cardinal Matteo Zuppi as the peace envoy for the war in Ukraine and he is known to have visited Moscow, Kyiv, Washington and Beijing to mediate for peace.
Pope appeals for UN peacekeepers to be respected in Lebanon
The Pope has appealed for United Nations peacekeepers to be respected in Lebanon, following a series of Israeli strikes injuring five people. He has repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, urging the parties to pursue diplomacy and dialogue. Giving the “Angelus address” on Sunday in Rome, he said “War is an illusion. It will never bring peace, it will never bring security. It is a defeat for everyone, especially for those who believe themselves invincible. I pray for all the victims, for the displaced, for the hostages – who I hope will be released immediately – and I pray that this great needless suffering, generated by hatred and revenge, will soon come to an end.”
Sikh Federation International launched in Smethwick
The Sikh Federation International organisation has been launched at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, to coordinate efforts of Federations in around a dozen countries to establish the independent, sovereign state of Khalistan in the Punjab region. In a statement, it says: “With increasing political turmoil and instability in South Asia, it is imperative that Sikhs are organised to be a global stakeholder to proactively participate in shaping the future of the region and broader world order”. It says that in the last 18 months, India has targeted Sikh activists in the diaspora. It vows to “highlight India’s ongoing human rights violations and acts of transnational repression and foreign political interference to advocate for justice and accountability on the global stage”. Representatives of the Sikh Federation International will brief MPs on the initiative, in a meeting in the Commons this afternoon.
Swastikas and ‘Heil Hitler’ raked into Hendo golf course bunkers
Police are investigating after swastikas and “Heil Hitler” were marked out in the bunkers at Hendon golf course. The damage including to signs and property at the club, was discovered on Friday morning, as the Jewish community were preparing to observe Yom Kippur. Police say they are aware of the shock and distress the incident has caused and a visible police presence was set up in the surrounding community. The community security trust said “for this to occur in the heart of the Jewish community shortly before the onset of Yom Kippur is utterly disgraceful”.
Documentary says Christopher Columbus was Jewish
A TV documentary claims that Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe. Columbus DNA: The true origin on Spain’s national broadcaster TVE, shown this weekend, said researchers had analysed the remains of Columbus and his illegitimate son, Hernando Colón, and found the DNA showed Jewish origin. The Telegraph reports that the documentary suggested this may have been concealed at the time as Jews were being persecuted in Spain and Europe. The investigation, which lasted 22 years, concluded it was unlikely he came from Genoa, and more likely he was from Jewish silk-spinners in the Valencia region. In 1492, when Columbus made his first voyage to the Americas, Spain ordered the expulsion of all Jews who did not convert to Christianity.
Top 500 Muslims in the world named
The ‘Muslim 500’, a list of the most influential Muslims in the world, has named Palestine advocates as its man and woman of the Year. They are British-Palestinian surgeon, Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who has treated the victims of the war in Gaza, and Jordan’s Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, for advocating for justice for Palestinians. The list is created by the Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, and places King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan as the most influential Muslim in the world. Liverpool footballer Mohamed Salah ranks 39th in the Top 50, and there are mentions for Mike Tyson and Mo Farah. Other names include Pakistan politician Imran Khan, London mayor Imran Khan, Dr Tim Winter. The Issa brothers, owners of Asda, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), actors Riz Ahmed and Aamir Khan, and journalists Mehdi Hasan and Mishal Husain. Full list here
Lambeth Palace and Westminster Abbey to turn red on 20 November
Lambeth Palace and Westminster Abbey will be lit up in red on 20 November, named “Red Wednesday” in a campaign to highlight Christian persecution around the world. The initiative is announced by the Church of England, which has published resources for church members to find out more about religious persecution around the globe. It follows a debate at the General Synod calling for a national focus on prayer and action for the persecuted church. “Red Wednesday” is a campaign started by Aid to the Church in Need when buildings are bathed in red light, and global prayer and action highlights persecution and repression affecting all faiths. Its national director, Dr Caroline Hull, said they are delighted that the CofE is getting behind the campaign which has been going for eight years. The government has still not appointed a Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, a position held by former Tory MP Fiona Bruce, who lost her seat at the last election.
Durga Puja festival celebrated with ceremonies and art
The Hindu festival Durga Puja, commemorating the visit to earth of the goddess Durga and her family, has been celebrated in many countries over the past week. Today is the last day of the festival at the Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, in Ealing west London, with religious ceremonies, cultural performances, food, and a place for worship. The London Sharad Utsav, or autumn festival, is a flagship event of the Bengal Heritage Foundation. By tradition, “pandals” – temporary temples – are constructed with the goddess astride a lion, flanked by her children the elephant-headed Ganesha, the warrior god Kartikeya on his peacock and the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, while the defeated buffalo demon lies at her feet, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. The BBC reports that in Kolkata, the festival has turned the city into a public gallery, but this year, the art work is coloured by protests at the murder and rape of a trainee doctor, with figures of women and animals rendered in stark red, black and white.
Church refused permission for pole dancer to perform in annual festival
A pole dancing teacher in Glastonbury, who was refused permission to perform on a stage in a church in the town during the annual Christmas “Frost fayre” last year, has been frozen out of an opportunity again this year. Sophie Badger told the BBC that the former vicar at St John’s in Glastonbury had objected to her putting on a performance last year. She applied again but Glastonbury Town Council said the application had been declined because there was not enough physical space to perform the dance. St John’s Church is not having a stage and there was no space at the five alternative venues. Ms Badger told reporters that pole dancing was more akin to ballet or gymnastics. She said: “If you are going to sexualise it – which is what people are doing – it seems unfair and a little worrying. Women should be allowed to show some skin without people sexualising them.”
