Faith leaders say causes of riots must be confronted in order to rebuild communities
Community and faith leaders from towns and cities across England have spoken of the importance of free and open discussion on the causes of the riots this summer. In a Religion Media Centre briefing, bringing together participants from our 11 Creating Connections events, they spoke of their efforts to provide opportunities for dialogue between faith groups locally and their need of help in finding methods that work well. There was agreement that superficial large meetings were not enough. Instead, deep conversations were needed to understand the anger, disenfranchisement and frustration that caused the unrest. While welcoming signals from government that it is committed to working alongside faith groups on its five missions, such as safe streets or healthcare, they warned against being co-opted, adopted by the government for its own ends. Working with difficult social problems with a responsibility to broker peace and avoid future unrest between communities was a large task that required proper resourcing, they said. There were examples of close working with councils on joint initiatives and this was to be encouraged, especially with resiliency teams that swing into action in a crisis. This was the third special Creating Connections briefing since the riots and you can view it again on our YouTube channel here.
A new religious literacy standard for the public sector
A consultation held this week has given strong support to an initiative to improve the literacy of the public sector in religions and beliefs. The Religion and Belief Literacy Partnership has been working on a project to devise a new workplace standard, known as ReLIT, which will assess how well organisations understand, respect and work with the full range of faiths and beliefs, religious and otherwise, in devising policy and delivering public services. It aims to help all parts of the public sector to deliver better for all the country’s communities. The project builds on the recommendations in the Bloom review on how government should engage with faith, which said that all parts of the public sector should improve their religious literacy. But it broadens this to include other beliefs that are central to people’s identities. Representatives from a range of government departments and other public sector organisations, attended the event and supported the endeavour. The project is led by Mark Hammond, the former head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, with Michael Wakelin, executive chairman of the Religion Media Centre, journalist Remona Aly and Jasmine Kundra, an e-learning specialist.
Secular use of churches is no violation of sacred space says vicar
A parish church in a medieval market town is consolidating an ancient role — as a place of worship and a community space. The Rev Simon Rowlands, vicar of St Mary of Charity, Faversham, 10 miles west of Canterbury, says creative community use of church buildings is nothing new and rejects criticism that it is a violation of sacred space. The church, which dates from Saxon times, is used for exhibitions, concerts, public meetings, and as host to a literary festival. Christine Rayner’s report here
Iran blamed for hack calling for revenge over Quran burning in Sweden
The Swedish authorities say Iran is behind thousands of text messages calling for revenge over the burning of the Quran last year. Senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said a preliminary investigation by the Sweden’s domestic security agency found the cyberattack was carried out by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which hacked an SMS service and sent 15,000 text messages. One message, calling Swedes “demons”, said “those who desecrated the Quran must have their work covered in ashes”. AP report here
Pope goes ahead with tour despite flu
Pope Francis will still visit Belgium and Luxembourg this week, even though he cancelled all his audiences on Monday because of a “slight flu-like state”. Francis, 87, has had a packed schedule of audiences since returning from a four-nation, 11-day journey through Asia, the longest trip of his pontificate. He will conclude his Benelux tour with mass in Brussels on Sunday. AP report here
‘Provocative’ theologian to advise on Catholic discipline
Of the 28 new “consultors” chosen by Pope Francis to assist the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is the provocative figure of moral theologian Father Maurizio Chiodi, the Catholic Herald reports. The theologian has caused consternation in recent years by expressing various opinions contrary to Catholic teaching, among them suggesting that the use of contraception by married couples could be morally permissible in some circumstances. The dicastery is responsible for the doctrine and discipline of the Catholic church.
Villages to rebuild mosque destroyed in Moroccan quake
The 12th-century Great Mosque of Tinmel, destroyed by an earthquake in Morocco last year, is being rebuilt. The quake, a year ago, killed 3,000 people, destroyed almost 60,000 homes and nearly 600 schools. In Tinmel, workers are sifting through the rubble searching for pieces of the mosque — considered a marvel of North African architecture — stacking bricks and sorting the fragments of decorative elements, preparing to rebuild the mosque using as much of the remains as possible. AP report here
Judo champion suspended for signing the cross
The International Judo Federation has suspended a Serbian champion for five months, after he was seen making the sign of the cross at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. Nemanja Majdov, 28, was told the gesture was a “violation” of the Olympian code banning the display of religious symbols during competitions. It was said Majdov also refused to bow to his opponent at the end of the contest, another breach of Olympic rules. The athlete, who holds seven European and three world medals, says he will not apologise and will return to the sport at the end of his ban. Christian Post story here
