A think-tank report said that attempts to ban religious faith from shaping education were 'misguided and ultimately harmful'. The Christian contribution to education was 'positive and constructive', contributing powerfully to the common good.
Source: Trevor Cooling, Doing God in Education, Theos
Links: Report | Theos press release | Christian Institute report
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined public attitudes towards faith schools. Religious characteristics, especially attendance at religious services and perceived religiosity, had a strong impact; and previous or existing attendance at a private school by a household member, and ideological beliefs, also played a role.
Source: Ben Clements, 'Understanding public attitudes in Britain towards faith schools', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 36 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined the making and representation of Muslim identity, through a study of 24 prominent British Muslims – including members of the political, policy, and academic/intellectual 'elite'.
Source: Waqar Ahmad and Venetia Evergeti, 'The making and representation of Muslim identity in Britain: conversations with British Muslim "elites"', Ethnic and Racial Studies, Volume 33 Number 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Nov
A think-tank report said that faith schools – and other schools – were increasingly vulnerable to 'extremist' influences. Counter-extremism mechanisms and due diligence checks, especially on new schools providers and bodies, were inadequate.
Source: John Bald, Alice Harber, Neal Robinson and Elena Schiff, Faith Schools We Can Believe In: Ensuring that tolerant and democratic values are upheld in every part of Britain's education system, Policy Exchange
Links: Report | Policy Exchange press release
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined the debate on the wearing of the veil. Many garments and practices surrounding veiling were reduced in the media to a threatening set of symbols of difference and otherness. Detaching gender issues and Islam from their wider social context led to regressive, intolerant, and overtly racist assumptions.
Source: Milly Williamson and Gholam Khiabany, 'UK: the veil and the politics of racism', Race and Class, Volume 52 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Oct
A think-tank report presented the views of leading British Muslim women on a wide range of issues that affected them. Muslim women were not a 'homogeneous victimized monolith', as was often depicted: Muslim women held a diversity of views about Islam and its relation to western liberalism.
Source: Faisal al Yafai (ed.), Women, Islam and Western Liberalism, Civitas
Links: Civitas press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A new book examined the views on religion of young people who attended Christian youth and community work projects in England. The majority said that religion was irrelevant to their daily lives.
Source: Sylvia Collins-Mayo, Bob Mayo, Sally Nash and Christopher Cocksworth, The Faith of Generation Y, Church House Publishing
Links: Summary | NSS press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A new book examined the growth of Muslim political assertiveness in the context of debates concerning multiculturalism and 'Britishness'.
Source: Tariq Modood, Still Not Easy Being British: Struggles for a multicultural citizenship, Trentham Books
Links: Summary | Bristol University press release
Date: 2010-Sep
The charities regulator decided that it would not give consent to the charity Catholic Care to amend its charitable objects to restrict its adoption services to heterosexual prospective parents only.
Source: Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds): Application for consent to a change of objects under Section 64 of The Charities Act 1993, Charity Commission for England and Wales
Links: Decision | Charity Commission press release | EHRC press release | BHA press release | LGF press release | NSS press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report | PinkNews report | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Aug
A study examined the role of women and faith in building cohesive communities. It explored how faith identity and religious beliefs could influence community cohesion and the development of shared values; and it identified key issues for the inclusion of women within communities and in leadership positions.
Source: Ghazala Mir, John Lawler and Mary Godfrey, Women, Faith and Social Cohesion, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2010-Jul
A think-tank report said that the growth in accusations of 'hate crime' threatened freedom of speech, because it destroyed the possibility and practice of open, sociable, and critical discussion of religion.
Source: Jon Gower Davies, A New Inquisition: Religious persecution in Britain today, Civitas
Links: Civitas press release | NSS press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-Jul
A report examined the factors that either enhanced or undermined community cohesion in two local wards in Bradford (a northern city) – one where there were established Muslim communities and another where Muslim migrants had recently arrived.
Source: Yunas Samad, Muslims and Community Cohesion in Bradford, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2010-Jul
The prisons inspectorate said that prisons had come a 'considerable distance' in meeting the religious needs of Muslims: but that they were not yet effectively managing a complex and multi-dimensional population.
Source: Muslim Prisoners' Experiences: A thematic review, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales
Links: Report | HCI Prisons press release | BHA press release | IRR press release | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jun
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that religious education in many schools in England was no better than satisfactory, and in some cases inadequate, because teachers were unsure about what they were trying to achieve in the subject.
Source: Transforming Religious Education: Religious education in schools 2006-09, HMI 090215, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | BHA press release | NSS press release | Accord Coalition press release | Catholic Church press release | Christian Institute report
Date: 2010-Jun
A report said that Sharia Councils and Muslim Arbitration Tribunals violated United Kingdom law, public policy, and human rights.
Source: Sharia Law in Britain: A threat to one law for all and equal rights, One Law for All
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jun
A new book examined the history, social make-up, institutions, and politics of Muslim communities in Britain.
Source: Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Muslims in Britain: An introduction, Cambridge University Press
Links: Summary | Cardiff University press release
Date: 2010-Jun
The Court of Appeal ruled that a relationships guidance counsellor had not been discriminated against when he was sacked for refusing to give sex therapy to homosexuals. The counsellor had claimed that he was a victim of unlawful religious discrimination, because he was a Christian.
Source: McFarlane v Relate Avon Ltd, Court of Appeal 29 April 2010
Links: Text of judgement | NSS press release | BHA press release | Stonewall press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2010-Apr
A study examined the role of faith-based organizations in homelessness provision.
Source: Sarah Johnsen with Suzanne Fitzpatrick, The Role of Faith-Based Organisations in the Provision of Services for Homeless People, Chartered Institute of Housing
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Apr
The High Court ruled that a Catholic adoption society should not be required to treat homosexual couples as parents when considering adoption requests.
Source: Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) v Charity Commission for England and Wales & Anor, High Court 17 March 2010
Links: Text of judgement | Stonewall press release | BHA press release | NSS press release | TUC press release | Christian Institute report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report collated and synthesized existing empirical evidence of Muslim communities' attitudes towards violent extremism and possible driving factors.
Source: Sanah Sheikh, Chih Hoong Sin, Ewan King and Asima Shaikh, Literature Review of Attitudes Towards Violent Extremism Amongst Muslim Communities in the UK, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
An article challenged the view that the causes of the decline in church attendance lay in the social and cultural changes associated with the 1960s. Much of the decline of the churches was explained not by adult defection but by a failure to keep children in the faith.
Source: Steve Bruce and Tony Glendinning, 'When was secularization? Dating the decline of the British churches and locating its cause', British Journal of Sociology, Volume 61 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Mar
The Catholic bishops of England and Wales published a document (in advance of the general election) setting out key themes in Catholic social teaching as a 'contribution to the wide-ranging debate about the values and vision that underpinned society'. It said that social issues could not be left only to government to solve, but were the responsibility of all. It was up to everyone in civil society to lead the rebuilding of the essential trust in institutions and in one another.
Source: Choosing the Common Good, Catholic Church in England & Wales
Links: Report | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-Mar
A think-tank report criticized the 'silent downgrading' of religious rights in contemporary society.
Source: Roger Trigg, Free to Believe? Religious freedom in a liberal society, Theos
Links: Report | Theos press release | Christian Institute report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by a Christian organization called for clarification of the opposition Conservative Party's policies on new faith-based academy schools. It said that there was a threat to the rights of religious parents to be accommodated within the state education.
Source: Guy Brandon and John Hayward, New Academies, New Opportunities: An assessment of Conservative Party education policy, Jubilee Centre
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
An article examined the impact on Muslim communities of the government's 'war on terror'.
Source: Stephen Vertigans, 'British Muslims and the UK government's 'war on terror' within: evidence of a clash of civilizations or emergent de-civilizing processes?', British Journal of Sociology, Volume 61 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Mar
The Court of Appeal ruled that an employer was entitled to ban one of their employees from wearing a religious symbol (a small cross on a necklace): the ban was not discriminatory because Christians generally did not consider wearing a cross as a requirement of their religion.
Source: Eweida v British Airways Plc, Court of Appeal 12 February 2010
Links: Text of judgement
Date: 2010-Feb
A report used data from the 2007-08 Citizenship Survey to explore Muslim communities' views, attitudes, and perceptions concerning a range of issues including cohesion, values, and perceptions of religious prejudice.
Source: Attitudes, Values and Perceptions: Muslims and the General Population in 2007-08, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Feb
An article reported a study that compared the effect of atheism and religious faith on coping with the negative stresses and losses commonly associated with ageing and old age. All the study participants – regardless of their beliefs – were coping well, and suggested that a strong atheistic belief system could fulfil the same role as a strong religious belief system in providing support, explanation, consolation, and inspiration.
Source: Peter Wilkinson and Peter Coleman, 'Strong beliefs and coping in old age: a case-based comparison of atheism and religious faith', Ageing and Society, Volume 30 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
An article examined recent research into engagement and partnership work between Muslim communities and the police for the purposes of counter-terrorism. The notion of 'shared values' as a criterion for choosing which individuals/groups to engage in countering terrorism was strategically flawed: it was ill-defined and carried the danger of making many Muslim practices and beliefs appear as 'anti-social' and 'extreme'. This was likely to further alienate Muslim communities, and to exclude those groups with whom the state had so far successfully engaged to counter terrorism.
Source: Basia Spalek and Laura Zahra McDonald, 'Terror crime prevention: constructing Muslim practices and beliefs as "anti-social" and "extreme" through CONTEST 2', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jan