British Muslim Trust to monitor anti-Muslim hate crime
The government has announced it has appointed the British Muslim Trust to monitor anti-Muslim hate crimes across the UK, engage with affected communities, and publish regular public reports based on robust data and analysis. The Trust is a new organisation founded by the Randeree Charitable Trust and Aziz Foundation. Its CEO is Akeela Ahmed, co-founder of the British Muslim Network, and its chair is philanthropist Shabir Randeree. Last year, the Muslim community faced the largest number of hate crimes ever recorded. There are several groups which already undertake work on Islamophobia. Majid Iqbal, CEO of the Islamophobia Response Unit, responded to the news with a plea for collaboration so that the new Trust will complement existing work. The Muslim Council of Britain issued a statement saying: “For too long, there has been significant mistrust and doubts from many in the Muslim community at the grassroots level towards Government-appointed interlocutors in this space. It’s encouraging that the current Government is taking steps to address this, however, there are many years of mistrust that need to be untangled”. Maira Butt’s report is on our website here
Bishop of Sheffield to chair Orgreave inquiry
The Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox, is to chair an inquiry into the violent confrontation between police and pickets at the Orgreave coking plant, during the miners’ strike in 1984. Hundreds of police were drafted in as thousands of picketing miners assembled and in the violent clash which followed, there were 120 injuries and 95 arrests. Criminal charges collapsed after police evidence was discredited. Announcing the inquiry, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, said that as an MP for a former mining area in West Yorkshire, she understood the lasting impact on people’s lives and the questions over the prosecutions and the discredited evidence. The aim was to uncover the truth. The bishop said he expected the inquiry would begin in the autumn, but he did not “underestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task ahead”.
Hillingdon reverses street preaching ban after legal challenge
A ban on street preaching in the London borough of Hillingdon has been reversed following a judicial review. The council had put in place a controversial Public Spaces Protection Order prohibiting amplified preaching, distributing leaflets, and displaying Bible verses. The Pentecostal Kingsbury Church in Uxbridge took legal advice from the Christian Legal Centre and the prohibition was reversed. Pastor Babatunde Balogun (Pastor Tunde), who leads the church, said he believed they had been “criminalised for loving our neighbour” without any consultation. Church leaders said it was a “win for Christian freedom and public worship”.
Rival Druze and Bedouin communities maintain fragile peace
Fighting has stopped in the southern Syrian city of Suweida after intense clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias left an estimated 1,000 dead. A ceasefire agreement was reached over the weekend, ending weeks of violence that devastated the region. Armed Bedouins have since relocated to the city’s outskirts, with Syrian government forces and police overseeing their withdrawal. Coaches dispatched by the government are evacuating remaining Bedouin residents. The interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, viewed as more sympathetic to the Bedouin community, addressed both sides. While extending an appeal to the Druze population, he criticised the actions of Druze fighters and emphasized the central government’s authority, saying: “Militias cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country’s affairs and restoring security”. Read Ruth Marks Eglash’s explainer about the Druze community here
United Methodist Church offers advice on US immigration crackdown
United Methodist leaders in the United States have offered legal advice on immigration and human rights, to church leaders and members, during a webinar which attracted 1000 people. Church lawyers addressed recent ICE travel bans, raids, and threats to legal status, though birthright citizenship remains safe for now due to action in the courts. The webinar heard that 71 per cent of ICE arrests and 67 per cent of detentions involve people without a criminal record, according to the Cato Institute. The Rev Giovanni Arroyo, who heads the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, told the webinar: “Immigration is not merely about policy; it’s about people.” He said the issue is not just political, but deeply theological, rooted in justice, mercy, and community. The Council of Bishops and affiliated agencies emphasied legal clarity and compassionate care, promising to provide updates and resources while affirming faith-led advocacy. UM News story here
Hindu temple in New York at risk after neighbours object to noisy services
A Hindu temple in the centre of Quens, New York, which is known for flamboyant worship, support for women and same sex leadership, is under threat of closure as the local authority demands it makes upgrades to be suitable as a community space. The Shri Shakti Mariammaa temple, in a former factory, is a place where Indo-Caribbean people worship the goddess Kali, the deity of time and death, who is said to spiritually possess her followers. Beneath a six-foot-tall statue of the goddess, there are bottles of rum, fruit at the altar and incense filling the room. The Religion News Service reports that at a recent service, a young male lay priest, shook and danced vigorously through the crowd, possessed by Kali. Neighbours have complained about the noise, with singing and drums going into the night, and the temple has been told to register as a community space. Now a Go Fund Me campaign has been set up to save the temple, with a visitor appreciating that “it’s not like sitting down at an ashram. Here, it’s almost like being part of a live interactive performance.” Religion News Service article here
TikToker sparks fury after provocatively eating chicken in ISKCON restaurant
A social media influencer by the name of Cenzoo, has outraged Hindusbyposting a video of himself walking into ISKCON’s Govinda restaurant in Soho and eating KFC fried chicken in front of horrified staff. ISKCON is Hindu and prohibits meat eating. A clip on TikTok shows him walking into the shop and asking staff if the place is a “vegan restaurant”. He was told the restaurant serves no meat due to its Hindu principles, at which point he produces a KFC box, takes a piece of chicken and offers it to the staff. He is told to leave but continues to eat the chicken, offering more to customers. The restaurant is run by ISKCON UK’s Radha-Krishna Temple, whose president told India Today that it was a childish, disrespectful prank which he blamed on poor education. Scotland Yard is reviewing statements about the incident.
