In submission to MPs, archdeacon Rick Simpson says claims by ex-vicar Matthew Firth are ‘deeply problematic’ A former vicar who claimed the Church of England was complicit in a “conveyor belt” of baptisms of asylum seekers presented an unrecognisable picture and was known to “take a right-of-centre stance in immigration”, a senior clergyman has told MPs. The Ven Rick Simpson, archdeacon of Auckland in the diocese of Durham, said that neither he nor anyone he had spoken to at St Cuthbert’s church in Darlington recognised the “picture that was presented” by the ex-vicar, both in articles in the ..read more

Video evidence shows multiple arrests after regime launched new draconian campaign against women and girls Harrowing first-hand accounts of women being dragged from the streets of Iran and detained by security services have emerged as human rights groups say country’s hijab rules have been brutally enforced since the country’s drone strikes on Israel on 13 April. A new campaign, called Noor (“light” in Persian), was announced the same day the Iranian regime launched drone attacks against Israel, to crack down on “violations” of the country’s draconian hijab rules, which dictate that all women ..read more

Longtime, legendary pastor of San Francisco’s Glide Memorial church was advocate for civil rights and social justice Reverend Cecil Williams, the longtime head of a church that grew to international fame for being a safe haven for San Francisco’s most marginalized citizens, has passed away. He was 94 years old. He, alongside his wife and poet Janice Mirikitani, transformed Glide memorial church into an institution built on love and support for the city’s queer community and those struggling with homelessness and drug addiction. Mirikitani passed away in 2021 at 80. Williams died Monday at his ..read more

Retired Lawrence Hecker, 92, charged in New Orleans, has memory loss and should be re-evaluated at later date, report finds A 92-year-old retired Catholic priest charged with strangling a teenager and raping him in a New Orleans church in 1975 has short-term memory loss that prevents him from assisting in his defense, according to a team of forensic psychiatrists whose findings could influence whether one of Louisiana’s most prominent cases of clergy abuse is ever tried. In a report which has not been publicly released but was reviewed Tuesday by WWL Louisiana and the Guardian, the psychiatris ..read more

Regular worshippers joined by newcomers for first 15-minute service at St David’s in Penllergaer Outside, the hustle and bustle of everyday life carried but for a few minutes – precisely 15 actually – there was a little bit of space for a calm coming together and reflection in the church of St David’s in Swansea. Regular worshippers were joined by commuters and families who had popped in to sample the first “micro service” being led by the Rev John Gillibrand, the vicar of Pontarddulais with Penllergaer ..read more

Opposition says prime minister targeting Muslim minority with ‘hate speech’ and violating election rules India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been accused of hate speech during a campaign rally where he called Muslims “infiltrators” who had “many children” and claimed they would take people’s hard-earned money. The opposition accused Modi of “blatantly targeting” India’s 200 million Muslim minority with comments made while addressing voters at a speech in Rajasthan on Sunday ..read more

Readers respond to a news report and an article by Nadeine Asbali on a prayer ban at Michaela community school in London I was disappointed by the court ruling on Michaela community school’s prayer ban (High court upholds top London school’s ban on prayer rituals, 16 April), and shocked to see the jubilant reaction from several prominent politicians. Children praying in school is not disruptive or threatening, and for Kemi Badenoch to suggest that these pupils are attempting to “impose their views on an entire school community” screams of xenophobia. With this ruling, it’s the other way around ..read more

Policing at a pro-Palestine marchSolving the climate crisisGreatness in baldnessPaint coloursThe best guitarists It is appalling that a police officer used the phrase “openly Jewish” when trying to move Gideon Falter away from a pro-Palestine march (Met apologises for calling antisemitism campaigner ‘openly Jewish’, 19 April). But it’s also ludicrous to suggest that being Jewish would be provocative. There have always been lots of “openly Jewish” people at the marches calling for a ceasefire, carrying signs such as “Jews say ceasefire now”, “Jews against Israeli militarism”, “Jews for justice ..read more

Folk singer revives music believed to have been rejected by hymn book committees, after she found recordings in archive A trove of Welsh hymns believed to have been “cancelled” by all-male committees because they did not like their open approach to issues such as mental health and addiction has been unearthed and is being performed at 50 chapels across the country. The Welsh folk singer Lleuwen Steffan was working in a museum archive when she came across recordings of Welsh-language hymns she had never heard before ..read more

My family’s kibbutz was devastated. After 200 dark days, we need to expand our compassion, to recognise each other’s pain Passover has an intensity I have always cherished. I love the sense of community, family, tradition, inclusivity and togetherness. We mark it with a ceremonial meal – the Seder – with rituals, special foods and a communal reading of the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. In London, we invite a joyous array of guests, Jewish and not Jewish, and find creative ways to interpret the story of the path to freedom. Each year we are encouraged to reflect: “In each and ever ..read more