Archbishop of York says action needed now against ‘barbaric assault’ on Gaza
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has spoken out against Israel’s action in Gaza as “depraved and unconscionable” and appealed to the UK government to take action now. His statement says: “With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the Government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable. In the name of God, I cry out against this barbaric assault on human life and dignity. It is a stain on the conscience of the international community, and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law”. He spoke out as US, Israeli and Qatari officials prepared for a meeting on the ceasefire, in Rome today. The Archbishop said the statement by 27 countries condemning the denial of aid was important, but not enough: “There is no time to wait. Action must be taken now to stop this ongoing assault on Gaza, end settlement-building and settler violence in the West Bank, and secure negotiation for a lasting and just peace.” He said he continues to condemn the 7 October attacks, and to call for the release of all hostages, but “This war is now one of aggression – it is a grave sin and it must stop”. Full statement is here
Christian aid agencies join statement saying people in Gaza are ‘wasting away’
Christian Aid, Caritas, Cafod, Pax Christi, and the Quaker Palestine Israel Network were among 109 aid agencies which signed a statement warning that people are wasting away in Gaza with food supplies not getting through to the starving. They say massacres at food distribution sites in Gaza are occurring near-daily. Supplies are held in depots and humanitarian aid agencies are blocked form distributing them: “The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death”. The BBC reports that Israel has rejected the organisations’ statement and accused them of “serving the propaganda of Hamas”. Statement is here
Christian organisations tell government to abandon fossil fuels
Eighteen Christian organisations have written to the Prime Minister and Energy Secretary, pleading with them to stop oil and gas exploration at Rosebank, which lies about 80 miles north-west of Shetland, where drilling is due to start producing oil from 2026. The issue is part of their wider campaign against fossil fuels. The letter says: “As concerned faith groups, we are calling on the government to reject Rosebank as a key opportunity to show the courage that the late Pope Francis calls for and the climate leadership that you promised in your own manifesto”. Signatories include leaders from the URC, Methodist, Baptist, Salvation Army, Laudati Si Movement, CAFOD, Christian Aid and TearFund. Letter is here
Epping archdeacon says area is a powder keg over asylum seekers tension
The Church Times reports the response of a church leader in Epping, which has seen clashes as protesters gathered to demonstrate against asylum seekers being housed in a local hotel. It quotes the Archdeacon of Chelmsford, Jonathan Croucher, saying the local area is a powder keg because of rising tensions, and describes the fears of people in Epping “as much about the presence of outsider agitators as about the use of the hotel”. Article is here
Air India crash repatriation blunder disrespects Hindu cremation ritual
British families of victims in the Air India Flight 171 crash have received the wrong remains in a botched repatriation process. James Healy-Pratt, a lawyer acting for the bereaved, said he had been working with the families of 12 victims and the remains of several of them had been wrongly identified, with one family forced to abandon funeral plans after allegedly being told the coffin contained a different, unidentified body. The practice of cremating one body at a time is deeply rooted in Hindu tradition, tied to the belief that each soul deserves individual attention and respect in its transition. A total of 52 Britons were among the 260 people killed in the tragedy, when the plane crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad en route to London. Cockpit recordings suggest a fuel shut-off error by the captain led to the tragedy. Many victims, including the 52 Britons, were badly burned, requiring DNA for identification. The error came to light when London coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox attempted to verify identities. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise the issue with India’s prime minister Narendra Modi during his UK visit. India’s foreign ministry insists repatriations were handled professionally. BBC story here. Factsheet: Death and funerals in world religions here
LBC’s James O’Brien apologises for broadcasting message which outraged Jewish communities
LBC radio presenter James O’Brien has apologised for reading out a message from a listener who said a Jewish school taught children to view Arabs as “cockroaches to be crushed”. He said the message came from “Chris, in Oxford,” who said: “My wife was brought up Jewish and at Shabbat school in a leafy Hertfordshire town she was taught that one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed”. The Jewish Leadership Council described the reading of the message on air as “irresponsible and dangerous journalism”; The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was a ‘modern blood libel on national radio”; The Board of Deputies demanded he be taken off the air; Ofcom and the Met police have received complaints and an LBC post on the call was deleted. Yesterday, James O’Brien apologised on air, saying: “As with all the texts and messages that I read out on the programme, I did so in good faith, but the message has understandably upset a lot of people, and I regret taking those unsubstantiated claims at face value, and I’m genuinely sorry for that. It is very important that I get that out there and thank you for your attention.”
Survey suggests religious belief boosts good mental health
A report based on a survey of 2,068 adults in Britain, suggests that religious belief significantly boosts emotional wellbeing. The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life commissioned the survey which was conducted Whitestone Insight. The sample included Muslims, Christians, and those with no faith and found that people of faith report higher life satisfaction, resilience, and emotional health. The study included further questions to around 500 practising Muslims and Christians, which showed they were more optimistic, less anxious, and more confident in handling life’s challenges than non-believers. Muslims scored highest for feelings of harmony and acceptance, while both Muslim and Christian respondents reported fewer regrets and lower levels of despair. The study also found that faith identity, believing and belonging, was more strongly linked to wellbeing than regular attendance at religious services. Young people and women showed the highest levels of anxiety and low mood, and feelings of wellbeing were highest in Northern Ireland. ‘Faith & Happiness: How Religious Belief Shapes Britain’s Emotional Wellbeing’is here.
Pew research shows US Muslims support for Democrats in decline
Pew Research analysis of the Muslim vote in the US shows that the Democratic advantage has shrunk considerably. Pew reports that in the last 20 years, US Muslims have been more likely to identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. But now around half of Muslim adults (53 per cent) identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, while 42 per cent identity with or lean toward the Republican Party. Muslims make up slightly more than one per cent of the US adult population, but Pew says they can have a significant political impact in areas where they are most highly concentrated. Many observers have attributed the shift away from the Democratic Party to Muslims’ disappointment with President Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. But the research finds a more nuanced picture with Muslims holding diverse political values which do not sit neatly into any category. Pew Research here
Christian and family of 11 killed in Suweida during recent violence
Open Doors, a charity which campaigns in support of persecuted Christians, says it has verified reports that a Druze Christian and extended family of 11 were killed in Suweida, southern Syria, during the recent violence. It names him as Khaled Mezher, described in some media as a church leader, an active lay member of Good Shepherd Evangelical Church involved in its pastoral work. The mass killing took place at his home last weekend. The charity says he was killed not because of his faith, but because he was Druze. None the less, Christians are said to be fleeing from their homes in and around Suweida, fearing for their future under the new regime.
Row over ‘Knights Templar bells’ removed from Scottish church
A couple who bought Holywood Church, near Dumfries, in 2019, are resisting attempts to re-instate the medieval church bells which they removed for security reasons. The bells are linked to the Knights Templar and have been described as “one of the most significant and valuable medieval discoveries in Scotland”. The couple removed them, and several plaques, for safe keeping but have now been issued with a listed building enforcement notice by the Scottish government which is demanding their re-instatement. The Daily Record reports that the couple are looking to sell the building, which they bought with planning permission to convert into a three-building house, and do not plan to remove the bells permanently. But they say that restoring them before the building is secure would be an unacceptable risk. Story here
