A sweeping review of the relationship between religion and state by Colin Bloom, will make recommendations urging action on issues ranging from unregulated faith schools to forced marriage and religious nationalism.
It is due to be unveiled by Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities within weeks.
Some of the recommendations, including a call to monitor unregistered and part-time schools, threaten to trigger a row with faith leaders, who have previously resisted such attempts by ministers to intervene in religious affairs.
The recommendations are also likely to bolster Gove’s calls for stricter oversight of Islamic groups in particular, which have sparked anger among British Muslims in the past.
One person familiar with large parts of the report said: “I have never seen a report on religion and the state which is this comprehensive. Colin [Bloom] has gone in depth into many areas of public and religious life from which ministers normally stay well away.”
In one part of the report, Bloom will urge ministers to tackle the problems caused by unregistered faith schools. Read more: Ministers urged to be more aggressive in tackling issues within religious groups | The Guardian Related…
