Sack arts chief over call for female preachers, demand faith leaders

The head of Scotland’s national art agency has been condemned after saying the law should require there to be female Catholic and Muslim preachers.

Religious leaders have called for Ben Thomson, chair of Creative Scotland, to be sacked after he urged politicians to address “sexual discrimination in religion”.

Mr Thomson stated in a submission to the Scottish Government: “We would not tolerate murder... or sexual abuse in any religious organisation, so why do we not only tolerate, but legislate for, gender discrimination?”

A spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church said Mr Thomson’s comments were “offensive and absurd”, adding: “Religious life is not a ‘workplace’.

And Omar Afzal, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Scotland, said he was “disgusted” by the “derogatory, out of date and unfounded” remarks.