Reaction to the budget from faith groups
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget announcements have been welcomed for their focus on health and education. However, there was dissatisfaction with a “missed golden chance” to end child poverty and lack of action on international aid.
Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle and lead bishop in the House of Lords for economics and business, said that the budget should be considered from the perspective of the most vulnerable. “I recognise the challenges the Chancellor faces and welcome the focus on education and health. Our churches, chaplaincies and schools, see day-in-day out the impact of poverty in our communities – both urban and rural.”
Christians Against Poverty said “the new measures provide light at the end of the tunnel but it’s still a long, dark tunnel for millions in poverty”. The Child Poverty Action Group said the budget “missed a golden chance to scrap the two-child limit” on benefits.
The Just Money Movement, a Christian organisation campaigning on faith, money and justice, said it welcomed moves towards raising revenue from the wealthiest to pay for public services and investment, but called for further taxes on wealth and greater commitment to ending the crises of poverty, inequality, climate and nature.
Christine Allen, Executive Director of the Catholic aid agency CAFOD, said: “It was disappointing to see no reference to Overseas Development Aid, which has been slashed and pillaged in recent years, with 28 per cent of the aid budget spent on asylum seekers and refugees within the UK last year. If a bonus allocation to cover these costs is not forthcoming, the help we give to other countries could fall to its lowest level since 2007. Turning our back on countries facing conflict, famine, unsustainable debt and the crippling effects of climate change is not who Britain is”.
The Holocaust Education Trust welcomed the Chancellor’s decision to allocate £2m for holocaust education, saying it is “fantastic news”. In a statement on Twitter / X, it said: “We are hugely grateful to the Chancellor for recognising our work. We are at a crucial juncture as Holocaust survivors become fewer and frailer, and the importance of ensuring their testimony is preserved and accessible for generations to come cannot be underestimated”. In a statement to The Jewish Chronicle, the Trust’s chief executive Karen Pollock emphasised the importance of innovative ways of recording the stories of survivors using emerging technologies.
Diwali celebrated as Commons pays tribute to Rishi Sunak
The Prime Minister paid tribute to his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, in the Commons yesterday, as he prepared to speak for the last time as leader of the Conservative party. Sir Keir Starmer said that Mr. Sunak’s appointment as the first British Asian Prime Minister was “a significant moment in our national story”, reminding the Commons of the time two years ago when Mr Sunak and his family, who are Hindus, lit candles outside Number Ten to celebrate Diwali. As the festival comes round again, Mr Sunak gave these parting words: “May I point out that tomorrow is Diwali? I became leader of my party during Diwali, and I now stand down during that same festival. I am proud to have been the first British Asian Prime Minister, but I was even prouder that it was not that big a deal. That speaks volumes about the values of the British people, of our country, and of this Parliament. Will the Prime Minister join me in applauding the kindness, decency and tolerance that have always been the British way?”. Diwali is celebrated by an estimated one billion people worldwide and NPR provides an explainer of the traditions, customs and global celebrations here.
Tensions escalate over killing of Sikh separatist in Canada
Diplomatic tensions have escalated after a Canadian government minister publicly accused an Indian minister of plotting to murder Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, revealed he had leaked information to the Washington Post, alleging that prime minister Narendra Modi’s closest political ally, Amit Shah was behind plans to murder Sikh separatists. He made the admission in testimony before a parliamentary committee. Senior police officials have accused Indian diplomats of involvement in the death of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot and killed outside a gurdwara in Vancouver. Both countries expelled diplomats after the incident. Meanwhile, Indo-Canadian groups have demanded an apology after a decision to cancel an annual Diwali celebration at Parliament House in Ottawa, following the row.
Latino split loyalties in the US election campaign
The description of Puerto Rico as an “island of garbage”, made by a comedian at a Trump rally, is still reverberating in the US presidential election campaign and both candidates have renewed their pursuit of the Latino vote. A survey last month by Pew Research Centre indicated around two-thirds of Hispanic Catholics and religiously unaffiliated Hispanics said they were supporting Kamala Harris, but two-thirds of Latino Protestants planned to back Trump. The pastor of a Latino evangelical church in Phoenix, Arizona, interviewed by the Associated Press, said his congregation is torn this time between opposition to abortion but concern about the “sharp rhetoric around immigration and lack of reform”. Voting was not an intellectual issue, but a matter of faith and spirituality, he said.
3D images shed light on Turin Shroud’s authenticity
A world expert in forensic facial reconstruction software has concluded that the “Shroud of Turin” cannot be an authentic artefact. One of the most disputed religious objects in history, the Shroud appears to have captured the shape of a gaunt and long-haired, bearded man bearing the marks of blood around his wrists and feet. For many, it is considered the final fabric to have covered the body of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion. However, Cicero Moraes says that the fabric cannot be real as it would have been left considerably more distorted, according to The Telegraph. Using 3D imaging software, he concluded that blood stains generate a more robust and deformed structure over time. “So, roughly speaking, what we see as a result of printing stains from a human body would be a more swollen and distorted version of it, not an image that looks like a photocopy”.
FA apologises after Muslim footballer banned for refusing shorts
The FA has apologised after a female Muslim footballer was banned from a match for wearing tracksuit bottoms instead of shorts. Iqra Ismail was prevented from playing in a match in Tower Hamlets, London on Sunday 25 October after her clothing was deemed inappropriate. She was due to play for the United Dragons as a half-time substitute in a Greater London Women’s Football League game against Tower Hamlets. However, due to religious reasons, she wore tracksuit bottoms instead of football shorts and was barred from taking part in the match by the referee. Posting to social media, Ismail said: “I have been playing in this league for almost five years now, wearing tracksuit bottoms, and every year they have made it more and more difficult for women like me to play.” In a statement to Sky Sports News, an FA spokesperson said it is in contact with Middlesex FA to ensure the issue is quickly resolved and is committed to ensuring English football is inclusive: “We proactively wrote to all county FAs and match officials across the women’s grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised”.
Southwark Diocese apologises for visit to church under investigation
The Diocese of Southwark has said it “deeply regrets” any distress caused by a visit to the Catford branch of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), on a recent peace walk in Lewisham, south-east London. The survivors group “Surviving Universal UK” said the event, which took place last month, caused “considerable upset, distress, and confusion”. UCKG is subject to an ongoing inquiry by the Charity Commission regarding potential safeguarding concerns. This follows a BBC Panorama and Guardian investigation in 2022 on the UCKG’s treatment of young and vulnerable people. UCKG told The Guardian it was “disappointed” with the apology and “the fact that no one has had the courtesy of contacting us regarding the damaging allegations before making what appears to be a statement of fact about these in the published text”. It reiterated that it had already addressed the allegations.
US Pagans hit by hurricane confronted by evangelists
Concerns have been raised after Pagan residents in North Carolina have alleged that they have been subject to evangelising by Christian groups in exchange for the provision of aid. The Wild Hunt reported it had been contacted by numerous individuals within the Appalachian region with stories about uneasy interactions with several groups while receiving aid. One woman suggested that she had been approached by one group who had asked about her relationship with Jesus. After stating that she was a Pagan the volunteer promptly left. Another individual stopped receiving support after he declined to discuss his spiritual beliefs and was told that the disaster was his designated “punishment” from God. The discomfort has led to Pagan organisations within the region emphasising the importance of establishing a pool of resources to tap into during a crisis.
TikTok influencer leaves priesthood after controversial comments enrage superiors
TikTok priest Fr Matthieu Jasseron has announced he is leaving the priesthood, saying he has been “abused, lynched and humiliated” by superiors and colleagues. He had more than a million fans on social media and received more than 30 million likes over two years, but closed his TikTok channel a year ago after physical threats and with traditionalists demanding his removal. Last July, he left his parish church when his contract was not renewed. His videos enraged traditionalists for comments including nothing in the Gospels said homosexuality was a sin or banned masturbation, abortion could be justified and the Devil was a fictional character in children’s stories. In his 45-minute account of his resignation in an interview on YouTube, Jasseron voiced unshaken devotion to Christianity while denouncing the church, calling its leadership a feudal “mafia” that had failed to tackle the scandal of sexual abuse by priests.
Articles on Halloween
We have an article by Maira Butt about Islam and Halloween, looking at beliefs in the “Unseen realm” and reluctance to take part in Halloween customs as it conflicts with the idea of Allah as the ultimate reality. A factsheet on Samhain here and a feature by Dr Jennifer Uzzell on how pagans celebrate the darkness in Samhain, which coincides with Halloween and the Christian All Saints Day. And there’s a briefing on modern witchcraft which is popular on TikTok.
