News and Views 

New blasphemy law in UK; Uptick in attacks on Nigerian Christians; Revival in Ukraine; Antisemitism in Ireland, and much more....

Islam

• Turkish atheist fined for burning Koran in London. Hamit Coskun – half Kurdish and half Armenian – burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London in February. He was found guilty last week of a religiously aggravated public order offence. Coskun said he was protesting against President Erdogan of Turkey, who had "made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a Sharia regime." Judge McGarva rejected this, saying he "did not accept" Coskun's claim that his criticism was of Islam in general and not its adherents. The Crown noted that because he was subsequently attacked and allegedly stabbed for his action, Coskun's behaviour must not have been peaceful. The Free Speech Union has agreed to pay for half Coskun’s legal fees – the National Secular Society is paying for the other half. 
• England now has a blasphemy law. Many commentators say it is a turning point in British society – a citizen being convicted and fined for blasphemy, all by a supposedly secular court. Many believe the conviction "seriously imperils full-blooded public discussion of religion". The evidence from across the Islamic world is that liberal Muslims and ex-Muslims bear much of the brunt of blasphemy laws and anti-blasphemy violence. Coskun, an atheist, is currently seeking asylum in the UK, claiming he faced political persecution in his native Turkey. Undaunted, he has said he intends to go on a Quran-burning tour of some of the UK’s other great cities. Read also here, here and also here, where he defends his actions in his own words.

Persecution of Christians

• Escalation in violent attacks on Nigerian Christians. The persecution of Christians in Nigeria has escalated significantly in recent weeks. There are reports of “ongoing relentless attacks against Christian communities” in the region south of the city of Jos in North-Central Nigeria. Over 200 Christians have allegedly been killed since April alone, including at least nine last weekend. On Palm Sunday, more than 55 people, mainly children and women, were massacred while worshipping God in church. In a nearby village, terrorists shouted “Allahu Akbar” while launching a series of coordinated attacks. The next day, as villagers held a funeral for the slain, over 500 terrorists returned – mourners abandoned unburied corpses and fled for their lives.
• The attempted genocide of Nigerian Christians. The Nigerian authorities tend to turn a blind eye. The media either ignores the massacres, or reports them as mere tribal clashes. A journalist for Truth Nigeria, who has reported on these events for 15 years, said that more than 150 communities have already been taken, turned into “no-go zones” for Christians and “staging grounds for more terror attacks. What is going on is a clearcut calculated agenda to eliminate Christians in Africa’s most populous nation and impose an Islamic caliphate.” Read also here.

World Events

• From the ashes of conflict in Ukraine, a Gospel fire is rising. Ukrainian evangelist David Karcha has testified that even in the midst of horrendous devastation, suffering and loss in his native land, a spiritual revival is taking root. Ukrainian churches — many without buildings, electricity or heat — have become spiritual hospitals for a broken people. Ukraine became known as the “Bible Belt” of Eastern Europe following a deep spiritual awakening that spread across the land after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The hunger for God continued even with the outbreak of war. Karcha reported that in 2023 alone, Ukrainian Baptist churches witnessed thousands of baptisms, many from individuals who had never previously attended a church. “Hundreds of thousands have walked through our doors seeking more than shelter—they’re seeking God,” he said. Karcha testifies to a great many stories of divine encounters amid destruction.

Society and Politics

• 82% increase in Down’s syndrome abortions in 4 years. Statistics recently released by Public Health Scotland show that the total number of abortions carried out in Scotland in 2024 was the highest number on record, rising from 17.5 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 in 2023 to 17.9 in 2024. This increase is a staggering 82% since 2021. There was also a rise in repeat abortions, with over 40% of abortions being repeat abortions. The figures also show a 15.38% increase in the number of babies with Down’s syndrome who were aborted in Scotland, from 52 in 2023 to 60 in 2024 (33 in 2021). An investigation by the Sunday Times found that the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome across the UK has fallen by 30% in NHS hospitals that have introduced Non-Invasive Prenatal screening.
• Most people with Down’s syndrome happy with their lives. Under the current law, abortion is allowed up to birth if a baby has a disability, including Down’s syndrome. Yet, according to a 2013 study, almost 99% of people with Down’s syndrome report being happy with their lives; 96% like how they look; 97% like who they are. While rates of mental illness, loneliness, and chronic misery are at all-time highs across many Western countries, people with Down syndrome tend to be a happy exception. 
• White working-class pupils’ grades fall well behind peers. White working-class children are falling behind their peers in all but 21 schools across the country, shocking official data has shown. Only a tiny fraction of more than 3,400 secondary schools across England see white working-class pupils doing as well as their peers. The proportion of white working-class pupils getting grades 5 or above in English and maths GCSE was 18.6%, vastly lower than the 45.9% national average. Labour’s  Education Secretary has admitted that “these children have been betrayed – left behind in society's rear-view mirror. They are children whose interests too many politicians have simply discarded.” Critics, however, said Labour is only paying attention to the issue to counter the threat from Reform.

Antisemitism

• Ireland declares ‘genocide’ in Gaza. Ireland is known for its hostility towards Israel. Last week, the Irish government became the first western government to declare that Israel is committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza. But to certify this claim, Ireland's prime minister Micheál Martin is aware that he needs to “broaden the criteria by which genocide is judged by the Geneva Convention” – which The Telegraph’s Michael Deacon termed Ireland’s “most shameless plan yet.”
• Ireland consumed by hatred of Israel. What came as a shock even to many Irish people is that Ireland is Israel's second biggest trading partner, after the USA. This week, however, the country aims to ban trade in goods with Israeli businesses in occupied Palestinian territories, becoming the first EU country to take such a step. Following a recent visit to his native land, The Spectator’s Brendan O’Neill says, “Ireland has become consumed by a hatred of Israel”, and that the cultish creed of Israelophobia is in evidence everywhere in the country. A bar in Donegal recently banned “all Zionists”. A Jew in Dublin was spat on and told to get out of the country. An Irish boxer shouted “Free Palestine” in the face of an Israeli opponent last weekend. A recent survey found that even among Irish Catholics, antisemitism is at ‘Medieval’ levels.

Israel

• Officials stop Shavuot offering on Temple Mount. Earlier this week, two Jewish priests ascended the Temple Mount and tried to present a Shavuot wave offering (sacrifice) of two loaves of bread (Lev 23:17) where the altar is believed to have stood – the first time this ceremony has been performed at the site since the destruction of the Jewish Temple over 2,000 years ago. Many prophecy watchers believe that sacrifices need to have been restarted before the end of days and the return of Jesus. See Daniel 12:11 and 9:27. Some believe a third Temple is required, but a regular (daily) sacrifice is all that is indicated. “The Two Loaves sacrifice was offered at the site of the Temple courtyard and was properly elevated by a priest dressed in priestly garments, all under the halachic supervision and guidance of Rabbi Israel Ariel,” the Temple Movement said in a statement. However, Israeli police and Waqf officials interrupted the ceremony and detained the activists.

Church Issues

• What’s happening at Egypt’s St Catherine’s Monastery? The oldest continuously functioning monastery in the world may be closed and turned into a museum, following an Egyptian court ruling last week. St Catherine’s monastery was built in the mid-sixth century at the foot of Mt Sinai. Known for its excellent Byzantine art, it currently houses around 20 monks. But a Cairo court has decreed that ownership of the land the monastery is built on be transferred to the Egyptian government despite the Egyptian president recently giving public assurances to the Greek government that the monastery would not be closed. The Archbishop of Athens called the ruling “scandalous”. Confusingly, Egypt has since reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the monastery. Read also here.