We must stand up to religious extremism in the UK before it tears us apart,’ writes Frederick Chedam

Conduct a Google search on combatting extremism and the results will overwhelmingly display concerns over far-right activity, the extent of which has proved negligible while a cursory glance at the long list of terrorist attacks shows the causes overwhelmingly to be inspired by religious extremism. That religious extremism is the platform that launches terrorism is a statistical reality, yet one that many shy away from acknowledging openly.

Consider the recent London protests in support of Hamas. Aside from humanitarian concern, one might expect events in Gaza to have little impact on everyday life in the UK but the reality is starkly different. Thousands flood the streets, their voices and slogans timidly policed by a Metropolitan Police force seemingly paralyzed by the fear of losing control over the situation. Amidst these gatherings, a disturbing trend emerges: a rise in anti-Semitic attacks and an atmosphere where Jewish individuals feel unwelcome in their own capital.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman aptly labelled these gatherings as "hate marches," emblematic of a broader surge in religious extremism across the UK. Yet, extremism doesn't solely manifest in these high-profile events.

The failure to define and confront extremism stems from a broader reluctance to draw clear lines. While laws targeting terrorism and hate crimes exist, extremism remains undefined, providing a convenient cloak for those who exploit societal tolerance to advance their agendas. Efforts to establish legal definitions have been met with resistance, often framed as encroachments on free speech or dismissed as hollow gestures.

Legal precedents, such as the Begg v BBC defamation case, may have made some progress and offer an insight into when extremism could cross into legal sanction. The BBC successfully defended its use of the term ‘extremism’ in news reporting in a defamation case brought against it. Yet, the ruling remains isolated, overshadowed by broader legal and academic critiques. The result? Begg v BBC is an obscure defamation case law in a legal landscape riddled with loopholes, allowing hateful ideologies to propagate unchecked.

\u200bRishi Sunak© GB News

Addressing this crisis demands clarity and courage. The absence of a robust definition of extremism only emboldens those who seek to sow division and discord. While the notion of multiculturalism is laudable over-tolerance has provided a breeding ground for grievances imported from distant shores, reshaping the landscape of free speech and protest into something unrecognizable.

There's an urgent need for a coherent definition of extremism that guides behaviour across all spheres of public discourse. If academia and policymakers are unable or reluctant to provide a definition, it falls upon lawmakers to have the courage to impose one. The task is daunting, particularly in a political climate where even broaching the subject risks accusations of Islamophobia or cultural insensitivity. It will take a Government with courage to overcome some of the institutional thinking that has come to dominate the debate.

Trump compares himself to Jesus Christ – again

Donald Trump took to Truth Social to once again compare himself to Jesus Christ as he complained about the criminal and civil cases against him, which he views as politically motivated persecution.

On Monday, Mr Trump claimed that he received a message stating: “It’s ironic that Christ walked through His greatest persecution the very week they are trying to steal your property from you.”

The supposed sender of the message also included a verse saying, “They have also surrounded me with words of hatred – and fought against me without a cause – In return for my love they are my accusers ... let an accuser stand at his right hand – when he is judged – let him be found guilty – and let his prayer become sin – let his days be few – and let another take his office”.

It was unclear if Mr Trump believed that the last line was intended to refer to President Joe Biden, but the former president has repeatedly claimed that he’s being prosecuted because he’s standing in the way of the authorities going after his supporters.

The message Mr Trump shared said, “Thank you again for taking the arrows intended for us”.

The verse shared was Psalm 109, which members of the Christian right have been using as a rallying cry since at least the early days of the Obama presidency, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

“The verse immediately following the psalm referenced is a bit more ominous: ‘Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow’,” the outlet noted in November 2009, less than a year into president Barack Obama’s time in office.

Deborah Lauter, the then-director of civil rights at the Anti-Defamation League, told The Monitor at the time that “the problem is you don’t know if people who are donning that message in a shirt or on a bumper sticker are fully aware of the quote or what follows. Obviously, that message makes the ambiguity disappear”.

“If they’re just referring to him being out of office, that’s one thing. If they’re referring to him being dead, that’s so offensive. It’s protected speech, but it’s clearly offensive,” she added.

Robert Reich, who served as Bill Clinton’s labour secretary, wrote on X that “Donald Trump is starting the week by comparing himself to Jesus. Whether he has an [actual] messiah complex or is just conning his supporters, he’s playing to a growing GOP faction that wants America to be [a] white Christian Nationalist state, with Donald Trump as a divine ruler”.

The Biden campaign also issued a statement slamming Mr Trump, calling him “weak and desperate both as a man and a candidate”.

“He spent the weekend golfing, the morning comparing himself to Jesus, and the afternoon lying about having money he definitely doesn't have,” the campaign said.

“America deserves better than a feeble, confused, and tired Donald Trump,” they added.

Mr Trump has compared himself to Jesus in the past, such as when he reposted an AI image last year showing a court sketch of Jesus sitting beside Mr Trump in a courtroom during one of his many legal proceedings.

Pope makes last-minute decision not to deliver Palm Sunday Mass homily

Pope Francis decided at the last minute to skip his homily during Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square, avoiding a strenuous speech at the start of a busy Holy Week that will test his increasingly frail health.

Francis – affected by bad knees and persistent respiratory problems – also did not participate in the procession of cardinals around the obelisk in the piazza at the start of the Mass.

Instead, the 87-year-old pontiff blessed the palm fronds and olive branches carried by the faithful from the altar.

Francis had been expected to deliver a homily halfway through the service and a prepared text had been distributed to journalists.

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Palm Sunday mass© Provided by The Irish News

But when an aide presented Francis with his glasses to begin reading, the pope made clear he would not deliver the remarks, leaving the crowd waiting in silence.

The Vatican press office said the homily was replaced by “a moment of silence and prayer”.

Francis did pronounce prayers throughout the service and offered a long appeal for peace at the end of the Mass.

He said he was praying for the families of those killed in what he called an “inhuman” attack at a Moscow concert hall and also asked for prayers for “the martyred Ukraine” and people of Gaza.

Vatican officials estimated some 60,000 people attended the Mass, held under a sunny spring sky.

Francis spent several minutes greeting them from the Popemobile, making several loops around the square at the end of the service.

Palm Sunday kicks off a busy week for Francis leading up to Easter Sunday when the faithful commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

Pope Francis rubs his eyes before the start of the Palm Sunday Mass (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)© Provided by The Irish News

On Thursday, Francis is due to travel to a Rome women’s prison for the traditional washing of the feet ritual. On Friday he is scheduled to preside over the torchlit Way of the Cross procession at Rome’s Colosseum re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion.

The following day marks the Easter Vigil, during which Francis presides over a solemn night-time service in the basilica, followed by Easter Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square and his noontime blessing from the loggia above.

The Holy Week schedule is challenging for popes even under the best of circumstances.

But that is especially true this year for Francis, who has been battling on and off all winter what he and the Vatican have described as a case of the flu, bronchitis or a cold.

For the last several weeks he has occasionally asked an aide to read aloud his speeches and catechism lessons to spare him the effort.

On Sunday, there was no substitute called in and the homily was skipped. Vatican officials said the prepared text was to be considered as never having existed. Usually, the pope does not deliver a homily at Easter but he traditionally offers reflections on Palm Sunday.

Even when he is not sick, Francis often speaks in a whisper and seems to run out of breath easily. He had part of one lung removed when he was a young man because of a respiratory infection.

Pope Francis waves as he leaves at the end of the service (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)© Provided by The Irish News

At this time last year, he was in hospital for three days with an acute case of bronchitis but then rallied to get through Holy Week.

He has been in hospital two other times during his pontificate for abdominal surgery, including one 10-day stay in 2021 to remove part of his large intestine.

At the end of the Mass, Francis offered a long prayer for peace for all those suffering from war, and for the Lord to comfort the victims of the “vile terrorist attack” in Moscow.

“May he convert the hearts of those who protect, organise and carry out these inhuman acts that offend God, who commanded us not to kill,” Francis said.

Without citing Moscow, Francis also asked the faithful not to forget Ukraine’s suffering. He noted many Ukrainians are now without electricity as a result of “intense attacks on infrastructure, which not only bring death and suffering, but also the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe of even bigger dimensions”.

“Please don’t forget the martyred Ukraine,” he said. “And let us also think of Gaza, which is suffering so much, and so many other places of war.” 

New York City's mayor gets baptized in jail by Rev. Al Sharpton on Good Friday

“Having been arrested and then elected mayor, I reminded these young men that where you are is not who you are,” Adams, a Democrat, said in a statement. "For the first time in their lives, their mayor didn’t look down at them — I sat side by side with them to be cleansed and recommit ourselves to getting on the right path.” NYC Mayor Jail Baptism:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams marked Good Friday by receiving a jailhouse baptism from the Rev. Al Sharpton, joining in on the religious rite with a group of men incarcerated at the troubled Rikers Island jail complex.

The ceremony came as part of a visit to the jail complex where Adams was scheduled to meet with detainees on the Christian holiday.

Images from the event, provided by the mayor's office, appear to show Adams interlocking hands with Sharpton during a prayer, the reverend washing Adams' feet and Adams being baptized.

Adams and the civil rights leader have close ties through their long tenures in New York politics. Adams often calls into Sharpton's satellite radio show and the pair have appeared together at City Hall events.