Week commencing 2nd January 2023

The BBC reports that tourism has been banned at a holy Jain site in India. Sammed Shikharji is located in an environmentally sensitive area in Jharkhand. The Indian government has asked the state to ban activities that “defile the site”, like consumption of alcohol and non-vegetarian food.

The BBC also reports that the Anglican Church has expressed dismay over vandalised graves in Jerusalem. More than 30 graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion were desecrated on Sunday. Crosses were broken and headstones toppled and smashed. Jewish extremists have been blamed for the vandalism.