News and Views September 17th 2025

‘Unite the Kingdom’ March

• Vast gathering of ordinary Brits. Estimates of the number of people, from all over the UK, who attended last Saturday’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march led by Tommy Robinson in central London vary from 500,000 to over two million. The astounding scale of the numbers present can be appreciated by watching this aerial footage (though even this doesn’t include Whitehall, Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge - and further back!).
• Media distorts the truth. Mainstream media, naturally, focused on the negative, noting that 25 arrests were made after ‘unacceptable violence’ by the far-right marchers. Of these, more than half were said to have been from counter-demonstrators, whose numbers were about 5,000. (The 25 figure contrasts, for example, with 423 arrests at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival). Even the right-leaning Telegraph got a lot of stick for its errant and misleading reporting.)
• Geographical, cultural and ethnic diversity. Most of the speeches focused on British identity, Christian heritage, the damaging effects of Islam in Britain and Europe, unassimilated immigration, and the scourge of paedophile rape gangs. Many reported the peacefulness of the event, the friendliness of those attending, and the geographical and ethnic diversity of those present, with British, English, Scots, Welsh, Northern Irish, Israeli, United States and Persian flags being waved -  as well as flags with Bible verses such as ‘Jesus the Way, the Truth, the Life’, or ‘Jesus is Lord’ and ‘Turn back to God’. Some were carrying large crosses. The atmosphere was said to have been joyous and upbeat (hear the marchers in their own words).
• Reaffirming Britain’s Christian foundations. Indeed, some commentators expressed surprise at the repeated emphasis on Christianity. There were multiple calls to reaffirm Britain’s Christian foundations (though one New Zealand preacher seemed to go too far, calling for the banning of non-Christian places of worship).  Even from the stage, there were shouts of “Christ is King”, while a cleric led the crowd in saying the Lord’s Prayer, and a band led singing of worship song, closing with ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Jerusalem’.
• The day the lion roared. The Spectator’s Jonathan Sacredoti called it “a day of pride and dissent, of flags and forthrightness, of people who refuse to be silenced or shamed.” John Wycliffe of The Conservative Woman termed it “The Day the Lion Roared - September 13, 2025, will almost certainly go down as a turning point in the battle for Britain’s soul, and perhaps that of the West in general.”  TCW Editor Kathy Gyngell called it “the day that changed British history.” Premier Christianity magazine said the Christian presence was so strong that he wonders whether a religious revolution is taking place across the British Isles.

The Legacy of Charlie Kirk

• The motives of Kirk’s killer. More details about Tyler Robinson, the murderer of Charlie Kirk, have surfaced in recent days. Brought up in a Mormon and Republican family, he allegedly began having a relationship with his roommate, who is ‘transitioning’ from male to female. He had also begun leaning to the left more politically, becoming "more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.” When his parents asked why he killed Kirk, he reportedly said, "there is too much evil and the guy spreads too much hate." Somewhat tellingly, both Robinson and his partner were said to have hated “conservatives and Christians.”
• Is Charlie Kirk a martyr? Those who knew Kirk said he spread no hatred; rather he was filled with the love of Christ, and had a genuine respect for those with differing beliefs to himself.  Charlie Kirk unashamedly spoke up in defence of traditional Christian values (watch here), and there is an indication that his Christian faith could have been a significant motivating factor in his slaughter. But there remains huge debate as to whether Charlie Kirk can truly be called a ‘martyr’. (Eg, read here, here and here).
• Kirk’s assassination - a turning point. The assassination of Charlie Kirk in an attempt to silence his views has backfired, there having been 18,000 requests to start branches of Turning Point USA – the organisation Kirk founded – at schools and universities in less than 24 hours. The number has since risen to around 40,000, and growing. After turning in his own son, Tyler Robinson’s father says he will donate the entire $1 million plus reward offered to him for such act to Charlie Kirk’s family. Read also here.
• Charlie Kirk’s haters. Countless social media posts have applauded Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Blogs galore denounce his “hateful life”, his “Toxic legacy of hatred and division”, etc. Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan – who recently called for the death of IDF soldiers, called him a “piece of s**t”, and other obscenities at a gig in Amsterdam, to the delight of their fans. A guest on ITV’s Good Morning Britain guest compared Kirk to a former Ku Klux Klan leader. German mainstream media not only suggested, as many others have, that Kirk had brought his death upon himself, but immediately sought to smear him, one leading newspaper (Der Tagesspiegel), running the headline ‘Death of an Arsonist’; another claiming – falsely – that Kirk had called for “stoning homosexuals”.

Israel

• Starmer to recognise Palestine this weekend. Sir Keir Starmer will this weekend formally recognise Palestine as a state once Donald Trump concludes his state visit. The Prime Minister is reported to have delayed the announcement until after the state visit of Donald Trump. The announcement comes before a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York next week where Britain, France, Australia and Canada are among nations anticipated to extend recognition. The Prime Minister announced in July that the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire, committed to a two-state solution and ruled out annexation of the occupied West Bank - conditions that Israel has felt unable to accept, and so recognition is now virtually certain.

World Events

• Russia’s persecution of  Ukrainian Jews. Jewish life in Ukraine, as for Christians, is under siege it is claimed. Families are forced to flee, houses of worship are being destroyed, and faith communities are scattered because of Russia's invasion. In the occupied territories of mainly eastern Ukraine, Jewish leaders live under threat, while worship is being driven underground — as it was in the Soviet era. More than an estimated 30,000 Jews have fled Ukraine since the war began — 15,000 to Israel, and at least 15,000 more to other countries. Thousands of others had to leave their homes for safer locations in Ukraine. Jewish communities that spent decades rebuilding after some of the most horrific events of the 20th century are now being driven out by Russian aggression in 2025. 

Church Issues

• Campus revivals continue across the USA. A wave of campus revival is continuing at several universities and colleges across the United States. One night last week nearly 9,000 students packed a Centre at the University of Oklahoma for a UniteUS gathering marked by passionate worship, prayer and evangelistic preaching. The movement has spread across the country, leading to hundreds of baptisms and thousands of public commitments to Christ. Meanwhile, at Ohio State University, hundreds of students recently gathered in a powerful display of worship, repentance, and surrender to Jesus. A separate movement in Columbus, Ohio called ‘An Invitation to Jesus’ attracted over a thousand students.
• Did Elon Musk risk it all to follow Jesus? Nearly half a million people have already watched a 16-minute video clip on YouTube in which Elon Musk purports to have “made the biggest decision of my life”, by putting his full trust in Jesus Christ following a direct revelation by the Spirit of God. Literally thousands of Christian viewers express their utter joy and delight that Musk has become more than a cultural Christian – but a true follower of Christ. The narrative is engaging, and appears to have a semi ring-of-truth to it. But the video itself comes with a Disclaimer stating that “This is a fan-made channel, and its content is not affiliated with Elon Musk”, and it confesses to using AI (artificial intelligence) in the process. The ‘fake’ video is a salutary reminder of the importance of not instantly believing everything we see on our screens, as well as what we read or hear.
• Is Tommy Robinson a Christian? Rikki Doolan, a British gospel-rock musician and pastor, formerly UKIP's spokesman on Culture and Arts and a close ally of Tommy Robinson, has claimed that while Tommy was incarcerated for seven months in prison in 2024-25, he visited him.  “I know he took a Bible into prison, and he was also being visited by the prison chaplain three times a week”, Doolan shared. “I had a two-hour visit, we spoke about the gospel, and he received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, right there in the prison.” Doolan says that since gaining release, Tommy was seen wearing a cross and has since spoken openly about his faith. While Robinson has long been a cultural Christian, questions remain about how this new profession of faith translates into his public life.

Persecution of Christians

• Over 100 Christians killed in Islamic Congo slaughter. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has once again become the stage of unspeakable horror as Islamic terrorists wage open war on Christians. Dozens of Christians were killed on Monday, 8 September, while attending a funeral in North Kivu, in the east of the country. Dozens more believers were killed in the same way over the course of the following two days. Altogether, at least a hundred Christians have been killed, with hundreds more kidnapped.

Islam

• Surge in Muslim dis-honour offences in the UK. A shocking 2,755 instances of the tragically misnamed “honour” offences were recorded in Britain in the last year – cases of Muslim forced marriage, coercive control of women and girls by family members, and even horrific murder. Of these instances, 111 concerned female genital mutilation (FGM), while 201 related to forced marriage. So far, there have only ever been two prosecutions for FGM. Britain is reported to be the "western capital" for sharia courts, with 85 Islamic councils now operating across the country since the first was established in 1982.
• UK mosque teaches how to bury and stone women alive. Disturbing footage dating to 2023 has emerged from Green Lane Mosque, Birmingham, showing the mosque’s Head Imam and Head of Education, Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem, describing in chilling detail how to carry out stoning and public flogging under his reading of Sharia law: stoning married adulterers to death; meting out 100 lashes to unmarried offenders “in front of large gatherings” with “no mercy”; and even instructing that women be buried up to the waist before being pelted with stones. As of 2025, this Iman is still listed on the mosque’s official “Meet the team” page, and Green Lane operates as a tax-exempt registered charity. Read also.

Antisemitism

• Ireland becomes more anti-Israel than ever. Hot on the heels of a team of ‘independent experts’ commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council concluding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Ireland’s President Michael Higgins has stated that Israel and countries that supply it with weapons should be excluded from the United Nations. It is the latest in a string of anti-Israel comments by the Irish President.
• The politics of Eurovision. What The Telegraph’s Michael Murphy terms “Ireland’s obsession with boycotting Israel” is also apparent in the country’s national broadcaster, RTE, announcing Ireland’s withdrawal from the Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation. Numerous other broadcasters have said they will pull out if Israel participates, including the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland. The BBC is set to make a decision soon. Read also here.

Other stories of antisemitism or staunch anti Israel expression include:

• Israelis have been banned from one of Britain’s most prestigious defence academies - The Royal College of Defence Studies - over the war in Gaza. A former UK attorney general warns that the move could be illegal. Read also here.
• A group of approximately 20 pro-Palestinian protesters attacked a man speaking Hebrew at Santa Monica Pier earlier this month.
• A Jewish couple were beaten up by ten migrants who chanted 'Free Palestine' before setting a rottweiler on them during an anti-Semitic attack in Venice.
• Spanish police have cancelled a presentation by the head of Israel’s embassy in Spain, scheduled for later this week in Bilbao, due to threats.