In the news

Thanks! I know, I know.. It's not Duncan's fault though so I'm ignoring it.

Done, as if we haven’t have it difficult as it is.

Also done.

(but I echo HB's sentiments about change.org)

Thanks guys!

This is a fun one: Home Office refuses asylum to Iranian Muslim who converted to Christianity because Christianity is too violent

It's a fair point to raise when some Mail reader is ranting about how Islam is inherently more violent than Christianity, but it's a surprise to see government officials making this argument.

I suspect immigration officials are happy to argue that white is white to reject one applicant and then switch to arguing that black is white for the next case.

Wow! Presumably if he'd renounced organised religion entirely and become a secular atheist, the home office would've refused asylum on the basis of his lack of moral compass?

This Aaron Campbell kid is almost unbelievable. I wish it wasn't true.

can you paste full text if you have access?

The Home Office refused asylum to an Iranian who converted from Islam to Christianity because it said that Christianity was not a peaceful religion.

Immigration officials wrote to the man citing violent passages from the Bible to prove their point. They said that the Book of Revelation was “filled with imagery of revenge, destruction, death and violence”.

The Church of England condemned the “lack of religious literacy” shown by the immigration officials, after the man warned he might now face persecution in Iran for his faith.

The official letter cites a passage from Leviticus in the Old Testament, which states: “You will pursue your enemies and they will fall by the sword before you.”

It also cites chapter 10 of Matthew’s gospel, where Jesus states: “I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

The letter, sent on Home Office headed paper and entitled “Decision to refuse a protection and human rights claim”, concluded: “These examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a ‘peaceful’ religion, as opposed to Islam which contains violence, rage and revenge.”

Nathan Stevens, a Christian immigration caseworker helping the asylum seeker, said: “I was genuinely shocked to read this unbelievably offensive diatribe being used to justify a refusal of asylum. Whatever your views on faith, how can a government official arbitrarily pick bits out of a holy book and then use them to trash someone’s heartfelt reason for coming to a personal decision to follow another faith?”

The Bishop of Durham, the Right Rev Paul Butler, said: “I am extremely concerned that a government department could determine the future of another human being based on such a profound misunderstanding of the texts and practices of faith communities. To use extracts from the Book of Revelation to argue that Christianity is a violent religion is like arguing that a government report on the impact of climate change is advocating drought and flooding.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “This letter is not in accordance with our policy approach to claims based on religious persecution, including conversions to a particular faith.

"We continue to work closely with key partners . . . to improve our policy guidance and training provided to asylum decision-makers so that we approach claims involving religious conversion in the appropriate way.”

Bishop Butler said: “The fact that these comments were made at all suggests that the problem goes deeper than a lack of religious literacy among individual civil servants and indicates that the management structures and ethos of the Home Office, when dealing with cases with a religious dimension, need serious overhaul.

“The Church of England has regularly raised the issue of the religious literacy of staff at all levels within the Home Office. This fresh case shows just how radically the Home Office needs to change in its understanding of all religious beliefs.”

Stephen Evans, head of the National Secular Society, said that the letter was “wholly inappropriate”. He added: “Decisions on the merits of an asylum appeal should be based on an assessment of the facts at hand and not on the state’s interpretation of any given religion. It’s not the role of the Home Office to play theologian.”

This is hilarious.

"To use extracts from the Book of Revelation to argue that
Christianity is a violent religion is like arguing that a government
report on the impact of climate change is advocating drought and
flooding.”

No it isn't.

Hilarious isn't the word I'd use.

Signed Caz.

Well, there's obviously how the poor guy is affected by this nonsense, but I'm afraid hilarity is my main reaction here, albeit laced with a good deal of gallows humour. The Home Office, reportedly never quite the welcome wagon, has become such an awful department, and events like this caricature perfectly Theresa May's mean and petty influence over its immigration decisions. Talk about moving the xenophobic goalposts--it just seems to make it so transparent that officials have been told to find a reason, any reason, to reject applicants.

More deaths on London railways, with speculation they might be of graffiti artists:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/two-people-electrocuted-on-east-london-overground-train-tracks-a4097256.html

Thanks!

So apparently they were on top of a freight train.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/two-men-were-on-top-of-moving-train-before-they-died-police-say-a4098841.html

No doubt a horrible way to die, but what were they doing there in the first place? Is there still a craze for 'train surfing'? I remember reading about some kids dying while doing that in Germany, but that was at least twenty years ago.

Don’t know but “freight hopping” is a thing on YouTube with many people doing thousands of miles on freight trains.

I was in the last coach on a Southeastern train not so long ago which, as it pulled away from the platform, had a couple of lads run alongside, and jump on to the back of the train (which is pretty smooth, and yellow). They jumped off when we arrived at the next station. This was in broad daylight, somewhere like Brixton or Herne Hill - I forget which.

I guess it's the stuff Mr Jimothy is doing about three minutes into this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvGpoKhTbVA

Unhappy that he wasn't dancing on the train

Don’t know but “freight hopping” is a thing on YouTube with many people doing thousands of miles on freight trains.

Yes, I've watched two documentaries about it. In one, a filmmaker and her friends did it themselves.

Enjoying the football commentary tonight.

1 Attachment

wahey!

Think big: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/lithuanian-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-100-million-from-google-facebook/

john sam smith pubs trying to ban tablet and mobile phone usage, the old geezer in charge was shocked to see all the youths looking at their gadgets during an undercover visit and has told staff to try and stop people using them

thumbs up emoji, such a shame their beer and cider give me the most terrible squits

cheers mashton