Site Title

A man who ripped a veil from a Muslim woman's face as she walked though Glasgow has been jailed for two years.

A TEENAGER has been convicted of religiously aggravated criminal damage after smashing a window at a Salvation Army hostel.

Two Saudi clerics have declared Muslim women are exempt from wearing full veils in France, which is planning to ban them, but added they should avoid visiting it as tourists.

Authorities in Iran have issued an arrest warrant for an acclaimed Iranian lawyer and arrested his wife and brother-in-law over his involvement in the case of a woman sentenced to death by stoning

Supreme court judges predicted that "more and more" gay and lesbian refugees are likely to seek protection in Britain after a landmark legal ruling recognised the rights of asylum seekers.

Five supreme court justices said gay and lesbian asylum seekers should not be expected to "exercise discretion" in their home countries to avoid persecution.

According to human rights campaigner Gita Sahgal, "there is active support for sharia laws precisely because it is limited to denying women rights in the family. No hands are being cut off, so there can't be a problem …"

UCL INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL LAW & MAISON FRANCAISE D'OXFORD

PRESENT
Law, Religion & Education
Religious Freedom in the Sphere of Education  

Dr Myriam Hunter-Henin (Director, UCL Institute of Global Law)

8/9 October 2010

Venue:
Maison Francaise d'Oxford
2-10 Norham Road
Oxford
OX2 6SE

A Protestant primary school teacher who suffered discrimination because of her religion has been awarded £8,250 at an industrial tribunal.

It started when Cherie Booth QC (also known as Cherie Blair) — acting in her role as judge — made her now-infamous remark in court to Shamso Miah that she would not be sending him to prison despite the fact that he attacked a man for no apparent reason and broke his jaw. Recorder Booth told Mr Miah that he was being given a suspended sentence because he was “a religious man” who knew what he did was wrong. Read more...

The United States Supreme Court refused on Monday to consider an appeal by the Vatican for immunity in a paedophilia case. The case, brought in 2002, can now go ahead and the ruling paves the way for Vatican officials and, technically, Pope Benedict himself, to be questioned under oath with regard to the alleged sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests in the United States. Read more...

A ‘parallel’ system of justice based on Islamic law should face a test case under the Human Rights Act, a group campaigning against religious laws said this week.

The One Law for All Campaign called for a case to be initiated to determine whether Muslim arbitration tribunals and sharia councils are public authorities under the 1998 act. If found to be so, they would be prohibited from acting in any manner contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, according to the report Sharia Law in Britain. Read more...

The Government has done a u-turn on its commitment to ensure that all children receive a broad, balanced and objective sex and relationship education (SRE). The amendment tabled by Ed Balls under pressure from the Catholic Education Service, will give an opt out to faith schools. The Government originally intended all governing bodies and head teachers to have regard to a set of "principles" which include statements that sex and relationship education should be taught in a way that endeavours to promote equality and encourages acceptance of diversity. However, the Government has now laid an amendment to this Bill which many fear would curtail the implementation of SRE in religious schools and allow faith schools to put pressure on children in relation to issues such as contraception and sexual orientation. The new amendment states that the principles "are not to be read as preventing the governing body or head teacher of a school within subsection (7B) from causing or allowing PSHE to be taught in a way that reflects the school's religious character." More

Important change for freedom of speech looks possible

Obama administration opposes defamation of religion laws as they would restrict freedom of speech

Jewish Free School in London goes to court over admissions policy

Judge sentenced man to seven years for rape, then told him: 'You have turned to Islam and this promises well for your future, particularly as you are now an adherent of a religion which respects women and self-discipline.'

Sudanese journalist's courage in challenging the absurdity of her trial, sentencing, and imprisonment for wearing trousers has spotlighted the penal codes still in force in many Arab and Muslim states.

Indonesian rights activists condemned as "cruel and degrading" a new Islamic law calling for adulterers to be stoned to death.

In a surprising twist to the Sharia Courts debate there are claims that some non-Muslims are turning to these courts to arbitrate in cases, usually in contractual matters

Avon & Somerset Police have provided female police officer with Islamic head covering to be worn when entering a Mosque

A Muslim woman in the Sudan Lubna Hussein has been charged with wearing ‘indecent' clothing namely a pair of trousers. She has it seems turned the tables on the judiciary by inviting journalist to watch the trial and punishment to raise awareness of the harsh punishment.

A law has been passed amongst Shia Muslims- a form of Shia personal law in Afghanistan which allows a man to force his wife to have sex with him and if she refuses to starve her. A journalist tries to argue that this is not consistent with Islam, despite the basis of the law being a verse in the Quran

Earlier this week the House of Lords voted to withdraw Clause 61 from
the Coroners and justice Bill, with the implication that people with
extreme religious views will still be able to act in ways that incite
hatred on grounds of sexual orientation without fear of prosecution. More

The BBC are considering having an atheist opinion on thought for the
day, a welcome counter-point to the religious opinion already given
airtime. More

Communities may be able to ask for a police officer from their own
community to handle their case. More

A housing Officer sacked by Wandsworth Council has taken his case to
the Employment Tribunal. He was allegedly sacked for telling a woman
that her illness was as a result of her lack of faith. More

The Shadow Schools Minister Nick Gibb has told THE ‘Church Times’ that
under the conservatives there will be support for many more state run
religious schools. More

Whilst the UK has finally abolished the blasphemy laws, Ireland has
this week introduced a set of blasphemy laws which forbids causing
‘outrage’ amongst religious people. More

The debate about Sharia Councils and Muslim Tribunals in the UK
continues with some suggesting that to deny the use of them to Muslims
would be discriminatory given that Jewish Beth Din courts already
operate in the UK and Sharia Courts have existed in America for a
number of years. More

The recent Court of appeal case concerning the Jewish Free School has
highlighted the difficulty facing anti-discrimination laws when it
comes to religious faiths such as Judaism and Sikhism which both
encompass a religious group and an ethnic group. More

Baroness Scotland, the Attorney General has told a Church newspaper
that she would help Churches fight for exemptions from the Equalities
Bill for religious Organisations to discriminate against employees on
religious grounds. More

President Sarkozy of France this week suggested that the Burkah worn by Muslim women would not be acceptable in France and was a sign of enslavement. Such comments are unlikely to be made by a British Politician. Even less circumspect comments such as those made by Jack Straw drew criticism. – Here are two articles that discuss the differing views on what it means to be secular in Britain and France. Article 1   Article 2

The court of appeal decided this week that the Jewish free School discriminated against a Jewish child, because his mother was not considered sufficiently Jewish by the School and so refused entry...More

In his speech in the House of Commons about his plans for constitutional reform, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that he would start consultation on reforming the House of Lords...More

A Catholic adoption charity that tried to find a loophole in the law that would permit them to continue discriminating against homosexuals has lost its final appeal to the Charity Tribunal. Now the charity concerned, Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds), is complaining that the whole process has cost it £150,000 – a huge chunk out of its operating costs. Catholic Care had wanted to use an exemption in the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 that allows charities to discriminate if their constitutions permit it... More

This year's Reith Lectures are well worth listening to. Prof Michael Sandel tackles complex issues dealing with morality and society. Compulsory listening for all secularists. More

In the wake of the shameful victory of the BNP in the recent European elections, Douglas Murray of the Guardian reports on the challenges of supporting free speech and the importance of continuing to debate with extremists in the public arena. He said "the oxygen of free societies is freedom of speech. Everything short of incitement has to be tolerated, even when it is wrong". More

In a legally interesting case a Jewish couple who own a flat have sued the management company of the their block after automatic lighting was installed in the common areas. Due to their beleifs, the couple feel they cannot leave their flat on the sabath as they would trigger the switch. The couple have sued claiming religious discrimination. More

The Saudi Gazette announced that, exactly as they promised, the Organisation of Isamic Conference is moving ahead with the creation of an "Islamic" Human Rights Commission. As the Internation Humanist and Ethical Union warned in a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2008 More

An Americal journalist discusses the need to preserve secularism in today's USA, whilst the Guardian newpaper discusses the irreconcilable nature of the abortion debate in the USA. More

Educational policies designed to bring children closer together and address sectarianism are being ignored by councils. An investigation by the Sunday Herald has revealed around 70% of local authorities have failed to open a single shared campus facility. More than half of councils have also failed to twin any Catholic schools with other institutions in the non-religious sector. More

The Government has published its new Equalities Bill. Although the Bill contains positive development for disability rights, trans-gender discrimination and discrimination by association, the Government has failed to protect teachers in faith schools from religious discrimination by removing the existing exemption from the 2003 Religion or Belief Regulations. The impact of the public sector Equality Duty on social cohesion is of concern. More

'God has no place in science lessons' says University Professor ahead of debate on religion and science at St Andrews University...More

If the retiring Cardinal of Westminster, Cormac Murphy O’Connor, is given a place in the House of Lords, it will make the most eloquent case yet for the abolition of the second chamber, said Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society. More

The Government has published its new Equalities Bill. Although the Bill contains positive development for disability rights, trans-gender discrimination and discrimination by association, the Government has failed to protect teachers in faith schools from religious discrimination by removing the existing exemption from the 2003 Religion or Belief Regulations. The impact of the public sector Equality Duty on social cohesion is of concern.  More

Judges could be forced to bow to Sharia law in some divorce cases heard in Britain. An EU plan calls for family courts across Europe to hear cases using the laws of whichever country the couple involved have close links to. More

An air stewardess has been sacked after refusing her airline's demand to wear traditional Islamic dress and walk behind male colleagues in Saudi Arabia. More

Intelligence estimates suggest more than 5,000 children have been trained by Taliban for deadly missions. TANK: Haneef Mehsud was a normal teenager who spent most of his time hanging out with friends and playing cricket before he was recruited by the Taliban...More

A new report by the LSE shows that faith secondary schools fail to improve standards and lead to greater social segregation along lines of class and ability. More

For the first time, the broadcaster will take advice on programmes like 'Thought for the Day' from a secularist. Andrew Copson of the British Humanist Association has been appointed to the BBC's Standing Conference on Religion and Belief, a new body which replaces the Central Religious Advisory Committee (CRAC), which advised on "religion-related policy and coverage". More

Churches and religious organisations should fund their own presence in hospitals, says the National Secular Society (NSS), after it discovered that chaplaincy services are costing the National Health Service more than £32million. This would pay for around another 1,300 nurses or over 2,500 cleaning staff. Both are much-needed. More

Creationism threatens to slip into science lessons in Hampshire secondary schools if the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) is allowed to have its way. More

Lillian Ladele, the Islington registrar who refused to conduct same-sex Civil Partnerships on religious grounds, has been refused leave to appeal against the decision of an Employment Appeal Tribunal that she did not suffer indirect religious discrimination at work. She has also been ordered to pay costs. More

The United States has withdrawn from a conference organised by the United Nations Human Rights Commission that seeks to challenge racism and xenophobia. More