By Maggie Hall In this article Maggie questions the government’s decision to designate Palestine Action a terrorist organisation. Reflecting on the case of an 83-year-old retired vicar arrested for holding a placard, she explores how the definition of terrorism is being stretched to include non-violent protest. Maggie is a retired teacher of speech and drama, a former Chair of Brighton Humanists, a member of the Humanists UK Dialogue Network, and a Humanists UK School Speaker. "Action is the...

Book review by Maggie Hall Maggie reflects on Jonathon Porritt’s passionate new book about the young activists behind Britain’s climate protest movement – the same generation that threw soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers . Porritt’s interviews reveal the love, fear and moral conviction driving their actions, and his fierce criticism of the harsh new laws that criminalise peaceful protest. Maggie finds the book both moving and unsettling, challenging readers to rethink their own views on civil...

Inside the BBC’s New Series Prayer and Reflection : Orthodox Judaism There's a new addition to the already generous religious output on the BBC, a TV programme called Prayer and Reflection , which is being broadcast on Sunday mornings on BBC1. According to the programme’s website it is ‘ an invite into sacred spaces across all four nations, from six of the UK's major faiths, during personal moments of spiritual and religious connection ’ . The first episode appeared, to my surprise, at...