Two pupils from Alsager High School in Cheshire were punished after they refused to pray to Allah. The 7-grade class kids were urged by their religious education teacher Alison Phillips to take part in a Muslim prayer. Prayer mats were given to them, and the pupils were told to kneel down following the Muslim ritual. They were also told to wear Muslim headwear during the lesson.
PC Graham Cogman has taken his police force to an Employment Tribunal on grounds of harassment because of his traditional Christian values after a series of complaints and investigations suggesting he is ‘homophobic’ – something he strenuously denies. He says that the ‘over the top’ promotion of homosexual rights within Norfolk Police makes being a Christian policeman, or an officer with traditional family values, extremely difficult, unless a person is prepared to ignore his or her conscience.
Police investigated Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson for expressing her religious beliefs about homosexuality on a BBC radio show. Officers from the ‘serious crime branch’ of the Police Service of Northern Ireland held interviews about the incident.
The Spanish TV channel "La Sexta" broadcasted the program “Salvados por la Iglesia” (Saved by the Church), hosted by Jordi Evole. Evole, knows as "el follonero" (the troublemaker), makes fun of the Pope for allegedly wearing Prada; the canonization process; and the Wednesday General Audience hosted by the Pope in the Vatican.
A group of women gathered in front of Santa María del Pi Church in Barcelona for a pro-choice manifestation. Five of them entered the Church, interrupted the service, and in front of the mass attendees chained themselves to one of the church altars for "free and unrestricted abortions".
A parish priest was beaten up by three youths who hurled religious abuse during the attack. The assault took place in the churchyard of St Matthew’s Church in Bethnal Green, East London. Reverend Kevin Scully was left with two black eyes and a cut nose, and only escaped more serious injury because a member of the public intervened.
The Toledo City Hall council representative in charge of community events, Carmen Jiménez Martín, authorized a profane parade the day before of the traditional and highly celebrated Corpus Christi procession. The theater company Morboria used grotesque characters and dressed them in religious gowns; women dressed as prostitutes were marching next to other participants dressed as saints; and a puppet represented the Virgin Mary. Sacred symbols were part of the profane decoration.
Representatives of the United Left (Izquierda Unida Republicana) of Asturias released a public announcement where they condemned the participation of civil servants in the funeral in Madrid by „not being able to distinguish public functions from private life.“ They requested that a laity protocol be applied in the future.
The International Atheist Federation complained to President Rodriguez Zapatero requesting the immediate ending of the announcement of Roman Catholic services at Barajas airport, in Madrid.
Education Minister Caitriona Ruane, a member of the Sinn Fein Party, is importing school uniform policies from London which led to schools being able to ban students from wearing crucifixes and Sikh religious bangles.