Bishop of London Rt Rev Sarah Mullally and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan welcomed a host of young people from different religions ahead of an Iftar where Muslims break their fast.

Speaking to Premier at the event, Mr Khan said: “I want to pay huge tribute to the Bishop of London and everyone at St Paul’s Cathedral for opening up this really special cathedral and spiritual home of many Londoners.

“As a city, we don’t just tolerate difference, but we respect it, celebrate it and we embrace it.”

“Those of us that believe in pluaralism and believe the fact that we have more in common than that which divides us and separates us.

“The message from London is that we are going to put down bridges rather than build walls.”

The Naz Legacy Foundation in partnership with The Randeree Charitable Foundation and Pears Foundation presented the annual cross faith event.

Over one hundred young Londoners from different faiths, or none, come together to discuss their faith and how to bring different communities in London together within a spirit of community, unity and public service.

Each year it is held in a different religious location across London and this year for the first time it was at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Both Sarah Mullally and Sadiq Khan gave an address before speaking with the young people to discuss their faiths and experiences they have faced.

Afterwards, the young leaders…

Asia Bibi, a Catholic Pakistani woman, was acquitted of a charge of blasphemy agaisnt Islam last October but was not able to leave the country until this week because the fear of her being killed by Islamist extremists who disagreed with her appeal against the death sentence being granted.

Rehman Chisti, the Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham in Kent, quit his role as Vice Chairman of the Conservative party and Trade Envoy to Pakistan last November partly because of the UK’s response to Asia Bibi’s case, which he considered morally disappointing.

During Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Chisti said: “I know the Prime Minister will welcome the news that Asia Bibi, who was persecuted for her faith, is on her way to Canada, who have offered her sanctuary. Can I ask this question to the Prime Minister, and I think everyone wants to know this answer from the Prime Minister, why is it that Canada offered sanctuary to her and the United Kingdom did not offer sanctuary in the United Kingdom, and that future such cases of religious freedom will be looked at differently by the United Kingdom?”

Theresa May replied to the House: “Can I join my own honourable friend in welcoming the reports that Asia Bibi has been able to travel freely and is now able to make decisions about her own future. Our concern was always the safety and security of Asia Bibi.

“We were in close contact with the Government of Pakistan but a range of international partners who were…

According to religious freedom charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), believers at Praise the Lord Church in the Tamil Nadu region were praying together last weekend when six men aged between 21 and 38 disrupted their meeting and threatened the church pastor.

The men who have been identified as part of the Nationalist group Hindu Munanni, assaulted members of the congregation after threatening to kill them if they continued to pray.

One churchgoer’s hand was fractured and an elderly woman sustained head injuries in the incident and Bibles from the church were also destroyed by the attackers.

The church’s lead pastor, Philip Rangasamy has claimed this is the second violent intrusion they have had from the Hindu extremist group in the past three months.

Nehemiah Christie, Director of Legislation & Regulations of the Synod of Pentecostal Churches in Tamil Nadu, said: “It is heart-rending to see that the government has ignored repeated calls from human rights activists about the rising religious intolerance in the state.

“The church has been conducting prayer services for the last 13 years.”

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said “We urge the state and central governments to prosecute those who incite hatred and perpetrate violence against religious minorities.

“The freedom to assemble and pray is a fundamental right of every Indian citizen, which is…

Azeem Wazir is due to be sent back to his homeland on Friday and is currently being held at Colnbrook detention centre.

He attends a Catholic church in Bristol and works as a caretaker at Woodlands Church in the city – where he also lives in a community house with the pastor.

Mr Wazir came to the UK in 2015, leaving behind his family in Lahore because he had been targeted by Islamic extremists and feared for his life.

Dave Mitchell, senior pastor at Woodlands church told Premier that Azeem is a “kind” and “warm” man who was kept in detention when he went to a regular signing on at a police station and wasn’t allowed to leave.

Mr Mitchell told Premier Christian Radio’s News Hour: “He’s been part of a wonderful Catholic Church in Bristol, but then he’s come to live with me in my community house and we’ve become really close. And so, you know, every day someone’s gone up from Bristol to the detention centre to see him since he was arrested last week.

“Like anybody who’s got a pending appeal for right of asylum, he was signing on the police station and showed up to sign and was just not allowed to leave and later that evening whisked up to Heathrow, so didn’t have any clothes or made any preparations and then there’s just kind of a week’s notice – ‘You’re going to be on a plane back to Pakistan'”.

To listen to the full interview with Dave Mitchell, who Azeem Wazir lives with, click here:

When non UK-citizens are seeking asylum or appealing an asylum…

The US based musician, who won two Grammy Awards back in 2013, explained what we can expect from his new music.

“I’m always in pursuit of reverence,” he said. “I never feel like I quite get there but I do keep trying because I think it’s so important.

“When you’re writing a song, recording an album, leading worship, you have to think about Revelation chapter four and five, the throne room.

“Am I aiming as much as I can to match this up with that? There’s a God who’s in the centre of everything he’s as holy his you could ever fathom. Let’s try and aim high with our songs.”

Redman’s last album, Glory Days, was released in 2017.

His new album will his 16th.

Redman was speaking to Premier ahead of the Thy Kingdom Come Trafalgar Square prayer and worship event for Pentecost.

Thousands are expected to gather at the London landmark on June 9.