Christian preacher exonerated
A man who was attacked by an Islamic mob ended up being arrested for “causing religiously aggravated distress” to his attackers. But his case was thrown out by the judge in a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, because the prosecution had no evidence to support their case. According to Christian Concern, Mr Recorder G Kelly found in favour of Karandeep Mamman – a Christian who was arrested after criticising Islam in public.
Mamman – whose case was backed by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) – was attacked by an Islamic mob in Walsall after he said that Islam has a wrong view of Jesus. Mamman said the mob threatened to “cut his throat”. Yet it was Mamman who was charged under section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 for causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm and distress.
CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams said: “The CCTV footage reveals Karandeep being assaulted, threatened and surrounded for expressing his Christian beliefs, yet it is he that ends up being prosecuted by the police.” Mamman commented: “The authorities should have been protecting my personal safety and free speech rights. Instead, by prosecuting me they have encouraged members of the public that this is the appropriate approach to getting your way and shutting down the expression of beliefs that you don’t like…
“I am relieved and pleased that the judge threw the case out and I give all the glory to Jesus.”
Big rise in babies lost to abortion in NI
Abortions in Northern Ireland increased by 29 per cent in just one year, according to the latest statistics. Figures from its Department of Health revealed 2,792 lives were ended by abortion from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. This represents an increase of 624 (28.78 per cent) on the previous year – the largest year-on-year percentage rise in abortion in any region of the UK in five decades. Right to Life (RTL) UK blamed the rise on the vote by Westminster MPs in July 2019 to impose a permissive abortion regime on the province. This was despite the fact that abortion is supposed to be a devolved issue, decided by the province, not by the whole UK parliament. Moreover, no MP representing a Northern Ireland constituency actually voted in support of the move. (Photo – Carla Lockhart MP denounces ‘horrific’ abortion law. Credit – Carla Lockhart)
RTL UK says: “Previously there were strong protections for the unborn, with abortion limited to situations when a mother’s life was in danger… [and] polling from ComRes showed a strong majority of women in Northern Ireland rejected interference from Westminster on this sensitive issue.”
The vote effectively legalised abortion up to birth for babies with disabilities, including Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot.
“Women in Northern Ireland rejected Westminster’s interference on this sensitive issue”
Carla Lockhart, MP for Upper Bann, said: “I am calling on MLAs to take urgent action to bring forward legislation to Stormont to repeal this horrific abortion law that was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster.” The vote effectively legalised abortion up to birth for babies with disabilities – including Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot
Left-wingers try to abolish prayer in Parliament
Left-leaning members of Parliament have introduced a motion to ban the nearly 500-year-old tradition of daily prayers in the House of Commons. According to The Mirror, Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan put forward the motion, arguing that prayer in the workplace is “an outdated and outmoded practice”. Supporters of the motion include two other Labour MPs, three Lib Dems, two Greens and one SNP member, and the motion is backed by the National Secular Society.
The idea of banning prayer in Parliament was first mooted last year, but at the time it was thought it was unlikely to succeed. The practice takes around three minutes and attendance by MPs is optional.
Women-only gym sparks trans fury
Transgender activists have heaped horrendous online abuse on a UK fitness influencer for opening a biological women-only gym. In February, Natalee Barnett announced the opening of her gym, The Girls Spot, in Wadsworth, London, after four years of fundraising. Her wish for it to be a safe gym for women arose “from the desire to tackle gym harassment, intimidation, and sexual harassment that women face in the gym regularly”. She was soon facing intimidation herself. As LifeSiteNews commented, “For trans activists, the safety of women and girls is secondary to their identity claims”. Many of the social media attacks from activists were obscene, and some were threatening, saying: “I hope you drop dead.” (Photo – Natalee Barnett outside her new gym.
Credit: Screenshot/Natalee Barnett/Instagram)
J K Rowling aptly described the story: “’Let us in your gym or we’ll kill you’ say men who pose no risk to women whatsoever.”
A celebrity gossip news site, Tyla, published the story under a warning: “This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.” It claimed that Natalee Barnett had made a U-turn after announcing in 2021 that her gym would always welcome trans women.
Andrew Halloway is a British freelance editor, writer and publishing consultant. He is also editor of Good News—a national monthly evangelistic newspaper (www.goodnews-paper.org.uk). Andrew has 18 years’ experience as an editor and publishing manager in the Christian publishing world, and holds a first class honours degree in Humanities. He has long had an interest in the creation/evolution debate, and is the contributing editor of ‘The Delusion of Evolution’, a magazine-style evangelistic booklet that has sold over 23,000 copies in the UK (available from www.newlife.co.uk).