No. 8093 27 APRIL 2018 www.churchtimes.co.uk £2.40 treading the paths of the saints Fr John Musther’s defiant journey pages 20-21 NEWS exploiting the vulnerable? Alfie Evans’s legal team criticised by judge page 3 COMMENT a fight for democracy David Hirsh on Labour’s anti-Semitism problem page 15 REVIEWS gesturing to the depths Richard Holloway looks death squarely in the eye; plus reviews of Tom Wright and Marilynne Robinson pages 23-24 nominate a young interfaith champion page 2 TWENTYfor ONE TWENTYfor ONE 212NEWS 21 27 April 2018 Know a young interfaith ambassador? We launch a search will select 21 of these — seven Jews, “With a combined audience of seven Christians, and seven Muslims more than 350,000 across the three to find people who — who will receive an award at a communities, we are uniquely placed ceremony in Lambeth Palace in to highlight the many glow ing ex - help to break down November. amples of positive interactions to our The deadline for nominations is readers and viewers, and to spread barriers between 29 June. Each of the media outlets awareness to wider society.” will profile the selected nominees. For more details and the nomina- faiths The judges are: tion form, visit: 21421.co.uk. Christian : the President of the Our partners: Methodist Conference, the Revd Jewish News is the biggest-distri- Paul Handley Michaela Youngson; the Most bution newspaper serving the UK’s Revd Kevin McDonald, Arch- 300,000-strong Jewish com mun- THE Church Times has joined forces bishop Emeritus of the Roman ity. It has an exclusive UK di gital for the first time with the newspaper Catholic archdiocese of South- partnership with The Times of Jewish News and the TV channel wark and interfaith lead for the Israel, and has created a num ber British Muslim TV to encourage RC Church in England and of initiatives, including Night of young people involved in interfaith Wales; and a third judge to be Heroes, Jewish Living Expo, and collaboration. confirmed. Jewish School Awards. This week, the three media Muslim : the Islamic scholar British Muslim TV is a new TV organisations, together with Coexist and imam Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra; channel with a range of edu ca- House, an organisation that supports the writer and broadcaster Sarah tional and entertaining content. religious dialogue, launched “21 for Joseph; the Director-General of the Broad casting 24 hours a day, and TWENTY ONE21”: a search for 21 young people Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, Imam TWENTY ONE available to watch free on Sky or who are making a significant differ- Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi. stream online, the station’s pro- ence to relationships between the Jewish : Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski, gramming focuses on the British three Abrahamic faiths. of the United Synagogue; Rabbi Muslim community. for Readers are invited to nominate Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi for Coexist House is a global centre people aged 35 or under who have of the Movement for Reform Juda- for transforming public under stand- made a contribution to interfaith ism; and Rabbi Joseph Dweck, Senior ing of the practices and perspectives har mony in any field: dialogue, Rabbi, S&P Sephardi Community. of the world’s religions. It was study, social projects, politics, sport, Others : Jonathan Hellewell, special created in 2015 in partnership with etc. A distinguished panel of judges adviser on communities to the Prime the City of London Corporation, 21Minister; Sir Bernard Rix, chair of A spokesperson 21 for the four ward to shining a light on those the University of Cambridge, the trustees, Coexist House; and Michael partner organisations said: “The nar- demonstrating in their work and Vic toria and Albert Museum, the Our cover: Fr John Musther in the Wakelin, director of pro gram mes, rative of faiths in constant conflict is their lives how their faith makes Inner Temple, and the Coexist Foun- remains of a chapel in Bragar, on Coexist House. all too dominant today — often per- them more open, not less, to friend- da tion. the Isle of Lewis. Photo Phil Cope The judges will be chaired by petuated by the media. Through this ships and social action across cul- Andrew Gilbert. unique collaboration, we look for- tural boundaries. Leader comment, page 14 Subscribe here £85 annually by direct debit (please complete mandate below) OR £90 by cheque for a one-year subscription (make payable to ‘Church Times’) Please complete the form below and return to : Church Times, 13a Hellesdon Park Road, Norwich NR6 5DR Signature . ..................................................................................................................Date ......................... Title ........................First name ................................................................................................................... Surname ........................................................................................................................................................ 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For more subscription offers see www.church times.co.uk/subscribe 27 April 2018 NEWS3 PA Alfie’s parents are ill-advised, judge warns Campaign ‘not in the was described by the judge as a “deluded and fanatical young man” couple’s best interest’ who had prepared witness state ments “littered with vituperation and bile”. says Supreme Court Mr Stroilov, who is not thought to be a qualified lawyer, also advised Mr Evans that he could remove Alfie Tim Wyatt from the hospital, which would have breached a Court of Appeal ruling THE activist legal group represent- and risked imprisonment for con- ing Alfie Evans, a terminally ill child, tempt of court. Mr Stroilov has sug- has been strongly criticised by a gested pursuing a private prosecu tion judge, Mr Justice Hayden. for murder against the doctors who Lawyers and others from the this week switched off Alfie’s life- Christian Legal Centre — connected support. to the conservative Evangelical lobby Not everyone in “Alfie’s army” of group Christian Concern — have supporters had the best interests of been arguing on behalf of Alfie’s Mr Evans and Ms James at heart, Mr Tom Evans, Alfie’s father, receives an embrace outside Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool parents through a series of legal Justice Hayden warned the couple. wrangles since last December. During an earlier hearing, he said Doctors at the Alder Hey Chil- that he was worried about “those dren’s Hospital, Liverpool, requested around that peck away at the good permission to turn off the 23-month- advice”. Foodbank demand still growing old’s life support and allow him to Police had to form a protective die, as they believed that his condi- cordon around the entrance to Alder tion — an unidentified degenerative Hey on Monday, as supporters tried Madeleine Davies effect in April 2016, means that absolute essentials like food and neurological disorder — was un - to storm the hospital in protest at the people are struggling to afford essen- housing,” the Trust’s chief executive, treat able. Prolonging his life would European Court of Human Rights’ DEMAND for foodbanks has in - tials, the Trussell Trust says. Emma Revie, said on Tuesday. be “unkind and inhu mane”, they refusal to take up his case. creased sharply by 13 per cent, two “Low income” is the most com- Trussell Trust foodbanks in areas argued. Alfie’s parents were earlier repres- years after MPs suggested that it mon reason cited by those referring where Universal Credit has been Alfie’s parents, Tom Evans and ented by MSB Solicitors. A lawyer might have plateaued. people to the trust, accounting for 28 fully rolled out for at least a year Kate James, have appealed repeat- there, Mary Holmes, has accused the The Trussell Trust reported on per cent of referrals. The second- reported an average increase in edly against rulings given in favour Christian Legal Centre of exploiting Tuesday that its 428 foodbanks gave commonest reason was benefit de - demand of 52 per cent. Foodbanks of the doctors, and have taken the the situation. “These people I don’t out