Sunday

Emily Buchanan hears from John Ponitfex from the charity Aid to the Church in Need. He's just returned from Nineveh Plains where he says thousands of Christians to are returning home now that Daesh have been forced out of the area. What is the future they are facing? What impact has the recent Referendum on Kurdish independence had on them?The Tohono O'odham are a federally recognised American Indian Nation in South Western Arizona. The word Tohono O'odham means 'desert people.' Prior to the mid 19th century their lands stretched right across the Sonoran desert into Mexico. Since then, a 62 mile border has divided the community in two, but this border has been semi-permeable with tribal members continuing to travel to their ancestral lands. President Trump's plan for a fortified wall threatens that. Penny Boreham reports.The leaders of the Provinces within the Anglican Communion meet in Canterbury on Monday. Three of them will stay away because they believe they can no longer remain in fellowship with the Anglican church in USA and the Scottish Episcopal church who have approved gay marriage, and with Canada which looks set to do so. Sanctions against the SEC are likely to be announced on Tuesday. The BBC's Religious correspondent Martin Bashir is following the conference.Helen Grady reports from Italy where Muslims are struggling to find places to pray together, and Trevor Barnes reports on the impact of the Balfour Declaration on religious communities in the Middle East. Producers Rosie Dawson and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Series Producer: Amanda HancoxPhotograph by Phia Saban.

An estimated 40.3 million people were victims of modern slavery in 2016, according to new global statistics. David Westlake, CEO of International Justice Mission UK explains the aims of this weekend's 'Freedom Sunday' church campaign.A mum has accused a school of religious discrimination after teachers ordered her son to cut his dreadlocks. Theologian, Prof Robert Beckford, explores the significance of hair for the Rastafari faith, to which the family belongs. Shadow Schools Minister Mike Kane will be launching 'Catholics for Labour' at the Labour Party conference in Brighton. He reveals his hopes for the new group. Yollande Knell reports on how minority groups in Iraq - in particular, followers of the ancient Yazidi faith - have been leading the calls for an international investigation into crimes committed by so-called Islamic State.A senior Anglican academic is calling on the Church of England not to appoint any 'traditionalists' - those opposed to women priests - as bishops, until a third of all bishops are women. Edward Stourton puts Very Rev Prof Martyn Percy's comments to the prominent Anglo-Catholic Bishop of Wakefield, Rt Rev Tony Robison.A Sikh organisation has successfully lobbied for their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, to be returned from a magistrates court in Cardiff, arguing that the court was not equipped to handle the scriptures appropriately. Dr Jasjit Singh, an expert on Sikh affairs, explains the issues. Willesden Cemetery in North West London, nicknamed the "Rolls-Royce of Jewish cemeteries", has just been given a Grade II listing status. Trevor Barnes has been to visit it.Producers: Dan Tierney and Carmel Lonergan Series Producer: Amanda Hancox Photo: Jewan Abdi.

New research suggests that a quarter of England's secondary schools are not offering Religious Education, despite the fact that it is a legal obligation to do so. Alex Strangways-Booth reports.This week, Israel's Supreme Court decided that ultra-Orthodox Jews are no longer exempt from military service. Edward explores the importance of this decision.Bob Walker has been to meet monks from Tibet currently touring the UK.It has been reported this week that 80% of calls to the police are not crime related. They are often from people with problems who simply have nowhere else to turn. Police Forces have been paying charities to run programmes to help these callers. Edward talks to Mike Royal, Church Engagement Team Leader at the Cinnamon Network, which runs projects funded by the Police.Fergus Butler-Gallie, a Church of England ordinand, has put together a 'Glossary of commonly-misunderstood words from the Book of Common Prayer'. He'll be shedding light on the meaning of words from the 16th century that are still spoken in churches today.Professor Ronald Hutton talks to William Crawley about his latest book on witches.Over 100 MPs have signed a letter to The National Statistics Authority calling for British Sikhs to be classified as an ethnic group on the next census form. Jas Singh, from the Sikh Network, is in favour but journalist Sunny Hundal, who writes on issues affecting the Sikh community, does not agree.In 2014, the Taliban attacked a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, and killed 150 children and staff. Anwar Nawaz was 14 at the time and survived by playing dead. He talks to Edward about that day and why he is encouraging British children make the most of their education. Producers: Helen Lee Rajeev GuptaEditor: Amanda Hancox.

After 9 staff have been suspended following an edition of Panorama this week on the Immigration Removal Centre, Brook House, William talks to Rev Nathan Ward about his experience of working at this and another detention centre.The American Catholic Church hits back at Steve Bannon after he questioned their motives for defending DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, which President Trump has announced he is closing.Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell tells William about her trip to Qaraqosh, the biggest Christian town in Iraq, which has been retaken from so-called Islamic State.Following the publication of the National Social Attitudes Survey which reported only 15% of the population are affiliated to the Church of England, Trevor Barnes asks how much longer can the Church remain the established Church of England.And why are Cathedrals and in particular Choral Evensong increasing in popularity?Producers: Amanda Hancox Rajeev Gupta.

Edward Stourton looks back on the life of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and speaks to his successor as Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.Following the row about the reporting of a fostering case involving Muslim carers this week, Kevin Bocquet explores the issues surrounding religious fostering and adoption.Father David Bergeron from the Catholic Charismatic Centre in Houston explains the impact of the floods on the lives of his community in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The number of Muslims from Myanmar's minority Rohingya community fleeing across the border into Bangladesh is now in the tens of thousands, following violent clashes with security forces this week. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder has been speaking to refugees at the border crossing.Pope Francis travels to Colombia to promote reconciliation following a peace deal last November which brought 52 years of civil war to an end. The controversial Indian guru, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted of rape last week, claimed to have 60 million devotees. Rahul Tandon profiles his life and the influence of guru culture in India.Producers: Dan Tierney and Rosie Dawson Series producer: Amanda Hancox.

This week more than 100 of the world's top robotics experts wrote to the UN calling for a ban on the development of "killer robots" and the tech entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted that artificial intelligence safety was 'vastly more a risk than North Korea'. AI already changing our lives; from driver-less cars to caring for the elderly. Should the technology that drives AI be designed with a set of moral and ethical codes and how should it be regulated? Bob Walker reports from the Sheffield Robotics Centre.The theologian Andrew Graystone is joined by the AI assistant Alexa as he ponders the possibility that one day we might be able to create a robot with human qualities.The Bishop of Oxford Stephen Croft, Rabbi Moshi Freedman, anthropologist Beth Singler from the Faraday Institute and Kriti Sharma, VP of AI at Sage debate and discuss the application of AI and why its development needs to be considered within a moral and ethical framework. Edward Stourton also asks the Bishop of Oxford why he believes faith leaders should have a say in the development and legislation of artificial intelligence.Last week, a Russian court banned translations of the Jehovah's Witness bible. It's the latest in a string of rulings against the religious group, which the Russian courts have declared to be extremist. Anastasia Golubeva reports from Moscow. A recently discovered manuscript gives us a glimpse into how fourth century churchgoers would have heard the gospels. The Latin interpretation was discovered in the library of Cologne Cathedral. Dr Hugh Houghton from the Dept of Theology and Religion at Birmingham University has been collaborating on the translation and tells Edward what they have found.Producers: David Cook Carmel LonerganEditor: Christine Morgan.

Professor John Butt tells William Crawley about the three concerts he has curated for 'Reformation Day' at The Proms.One of the chaplains at Hospital Del Mar in Barcelona, describes the mood in the city following this week's terrorist attack.John Rutter explains why he is unhappy that the church of St Sepulchre's in London, the resting place of The Proms founder Sir Henry Moor, has announced a ban on bookings from classical musicians.In the context of Donald Trump's remarks about the events in Charlottesville, Melanie Phillips and Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin discuss Moral Equivalence.The Australian Royal Commission has proposed that priests should face criminal charges for failing to report information (about criminal activities) heard during confession. ABC's Andrew West explains the implications.Trevor Barnes reports on the work of the non-religious pastoral carers who work as members of the chaplaincy teams in hospitals and prisons.Gideon Falter reveals some interesting results from the Antisemitism Barometer research.A senior Imam has announced that he is planning to set up a national council to issue edicts on Islamic doctrine for British Muslims. Qari Asim is the Chief Iman of the Makkah Mosque in Leeds. Producers: Helen Lee Peter EverettEditor: Amanda Hancox.

In a back alley of Jerusalem, pilgrims can find what's believed to be the world's oldest tattoo parlour. Yolande Knell meets Anton and Wassim who are continuing a family business that's been passed from one generation to the next.When schools close for holidays a million children stop receiving free school meals. Kevin Bocquet reports from a faith based project in Middlesborough that provides food for dozens of children over the summer. William Crawley hears from Frank Field MP who plans to present a bill to Parliament calling on local authorities to provide free meals for children during the holidays.As the 70th anniversary of the partition of India approaches Rahul Tandon reports on comments from the out-going Vice President that there is a feeling of unease among the country's Muslims as a result of growing incidents of intolerance. To mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Europe, A.N Wilson argues that Martin Luther would have hated the iconoclasm of the English Reformation but what would he have made of it in hindsight? The Met Gala in New York is a fundraiser for the Costume Institute of the celebrated art museum. It attracts an exclusive guest list and an array of outrageous costumes which tie in with a theme. It is rumoured the theme for 2018 is 'Fashion and Religion'. Professor Reina Lewis from London College of Fashion tells William why she fears the event might cause serious offence.Research out this week shows that people living in the north of England are much more likely to die younger than those in the south. William asks the Bishop of Liverpool what he thinks should be done to address what he calls the 'systemic inequality in our nation'.Producers: David Cook Peter EverettSeries Producer: Amanda Hancox.

The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith, and Farming Minister George Eustice discuss food safety in the light of the Brexit negotiations.Martin Bashir talks to the Archbishop of Canterbury and his Ugandan counterpart - Stanley Ntagali - about the refugee crisis in Uganda caused by people fleeing from the fighting in South Sudan. The Ugandan Archbishop also explains his opposition to same-sex relationships.An order of American nuns (the Adorers of the Blood of Christ) are in a furious legal battle with a gas transmission company. Transco wants to bury a major new pipeline under what the nuns describe as sacred land. Sister Janet McCann explains to William Crawley why she believes the project is a violation of their religious beliefs.The Rt Rev James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester and the Church of England's spokesman on criminal justice, comments on the state of British prisons today. Bob Walker reports from West Yorkshire on forced marriage. This summer, the Bradford Council of Mosques is advising Asian parents to discuss their holiday plans with their daughters to stop them worrying that they might be heading to their own wedding day with a complete stranger.The Rev Rachel Mann talks about her book 'Fierce Imaginings' - a tribute to the lost and never-heard voices of the Great War.The Rev Lucy Winkett recalls the trip to Germany that inspired an American pastor to add 'Luther' not just to his name, but to that of his five year old son Martin King Jnr.The actor Robert Hardy, who died this week, talks about JRR Tolkien who was his tutor at Oxford in the 1940s.Producers: Helen Lee Peter EverettEditor: Amanda Hancox.

Trevor Barnes finishes his short series on stained glass by talking to Peter Cormack on how glass artists transformed the aesthetics and production of stained glass in Britain and America during the Arts and Crafts period.The Charity Commission have published a critical report into how the Jehovah's Witnesses managed allegations of child sex abuse at the Manchester New Moston congregation. Kathleen Hallisey a lawyer for survivors and Harvey Grenville, Head of Investigations and Enforcement at the Charity Commission discuss the issues with Edward.Whether we worry about what to eat, how to love, or simply how to be happy, we are worrying about how to lead a good life. Philosophy Professor and author of "How To Be a Stoic" Massimo Pigliucci talks to Edward about why Stoicism as the best way to embrace life.Kevin Bocquet reports on the organisation Hope for Justice which helps rescue the victims of people traffickers and discovers the scale of the problem here in the UK.Catherine Bott's guide to Monteverdi's Vespers which is being performed at the BBC Proms on Monday 31st July 2017 to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the composer's birth.Producers: Carmel Lonergan and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Editor: Amanda Hancox.