Thanks again to Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, for defending his remarks about the inclusion of some Sharia laws into British legal system, though the leader of the Church of England has all the right to be shocked about the reaction to his remarks.
In fact the reaction of media, politicians and some Muslim leaders and some of the clergy is understandable and its reasons go far beyond the Archbishop's Sharia remarks. First, the great man said that British Muslims should not face the choice between loyalty to state and allegiance to religion.
What he was talking about, in a lecture to lawyers in London, is not a parallel law to the British law - as some are deceiving the public in the media - but an inclusive approach noting that "sensational reporting of opinion polls" clouds the issue.
Reading coverage, reports and editorials, in British press - particularly Robert Murdoch ones - you think that the Archbishop committed the "mother of all sins" by calling for applying Sharia law in UK. The man was talking about a valid point, even less than what Judaism has got as legal status here. Orthodox Jewish courts, mainly one in north London, oversees a wide range of cases including divorce settlements, contractual rows between traders and tenancy disputes.
Moreover, Financial Service Authority (FSA) has been working, successfully, over about two decades to incorporate Islamic finance into mainstream regulations and now Muslims have all sorts of Islamic financial dealings available through UK banks.
The law was even changed to accommodate the provision of Islamic mortgage - abolishing the duplication of Stamp Duty payments. It is, then, political sensationalism and hypocrisy from both government and opposition politicians to take arms in defence of "British" law - the law that was modified to include gay and lesbians rights and to appease animal rights groups by banning fox hunting.
Let alone the continuing alteration of the law persecute any demonstration of "Islamisation" in the Muslim community - from stop-and-search targeting Asian community to using wiretap evidence in courts.
Outbidding
The hyped reaction to Williams' remarks turned into a show of outbidding among those trying to feed the media and political Islamophobia. Two of Church of England clerics joined sensational media and politicians to call for the Archbishop's resignation from the leadership of the Anglican Church.
I think the problem with Williams is mainly that he is a genuine Christian at a time full of superficial, sensational and opportunistic hypocrites. Even though he might be the best one to "fit" the job he is leading, most likely he might not "fit" in the hysteric world of British media and politics of today. The Bishop of Hulme, the Rt. Rev Stephen Lowe, said on BBC about the Archbishop: "We have probably one of the greatest and the brightest Archbishops of Canterbury we have had for many a long day. He is undoubtedly one of the finest minds of this nation. The way he has been ridiculed, lampooned and treated by some people and indeed some of the media within this process, is quite disgraceful."
Sharia remarks were actually an opportunity to stir the nation against the man, who believes that serving God and people is not a celebrity affair - like the Bishop of Rochester, who dies to get into spotlight by fishing for controversy. He is an intellect at a time of a postmodernist sound-bite culture. Above all that, he is a man of integrity and straightforwardness that is becoming "old-fashion" in today's public life.
Williams never condoned gay priests, though he approved controversial appointments in the Church - explaining it according to the Scripture. He believes in family values, with marriage as the right social bond. He is not pro-abortion, and was reluctant to condone human cloning. He was against war in Iraq, and never blessed the Bush-Blair axis of war and blood. He is outspokenly critical of America and what the Americans are doing around the world. He does not agree with the "superiority complex" notion that Western values are the best for all mankind and should therefore be imposed on them.
That is why media and politicians are hyping what they want us to believe is the sin of the Archbishop. This time he became a soft target, he talked positively about Islam - and Islam is the scarecrow with nothing easier than defaming somebody mentions it in good terms.
Dr Ahmad Mustafa is London-based Arab writer.
In fact the reaction of media, politicians and some Muslim leaders and some of the clergy is understandable and its reasons go far beyond the Archbishop's Sharia remarks. First, the great man said that British Muslims should not face the choice between loyalty to state and allegiance to religion.
What he was talking about, in a lecture to lawyers in London, is not a parallel law to the British law - as some are deceiving the public in the media - but an inclusive approach noting that "sensational reporting of opinion polls" clouds the issue.
Reading coverage, reports and editorials, in British press - particularly Robert Murdoch ones - you think that the Archbishop committed the "mother of all sins" by calling for applying Sharia law in UK. The man was talking about a valid point, even less than what Judaism has got as legal status here. Orthodox Jewish courts, mainly one in north London, oversees a wide range of cases including divorce settlements, contractual rows between traders and tenancy disputes.
Moreover, Financial Service Authority (FSA) has been working, successfully, over about two decades to incorporate Islamic finance into mainstream regulations and now Muslims have all sorts of Islamic financial dealings available through UK banks.
The law was even changed to accommodate the provision of Islamic mortgage - abolishing the duplication of Stamp Duty payments. It is, then, political sensationalism and hypocrisy from both government and opposition politicians to take arms in defence of "British" law - the law that was modified to include gay and lesbians rights and to appease animal rights groups by banning fox hunting.
Let alone the continuing alteration of the law persecute any demonstration of "Islamisation" in the Muslim community - from stop-and-search targeting Asian community to using wiretap evidence in courts.
Outbidding
The hyped reaction to Williams' remarks turned into a show of outbidding among those trying to feed the media and political Islamophobia. Two of Church of England clerics joined sensational media and politicians to call for the Archbishop's resignation from the leadership of the Anglican Church.
I think the problem with Williams is mainly that he is a genuine Christian at a time full of superficial, sensational and opportunistic hypocrites. Even though he might be the best one to "fit" the job he is leading, most likely he might not "fit" in the hysteric world of British media and politics of today. The Bishop of Hulme, the Rt. Rev Stephen Lowe, said on BBC about the Archbishop: "We have probably one of the greatest and the brightest Archbishops of Canterbury we have had for many a long day. He is undoubtedly one of the finest minds of this nation. The way he has been ridiculed, lampooned and treated by some people and indeed some of the media within this process, is quite disgraceful."
Sharia remarks were actually an opportunity to stir the nation against the man, who believes that serving God and people is not a celebrity affair - like the Bishop of Rochester, who dies to get into spotlight by fishing for controversy. He is an intellect at a time of a postmodernist sound-bite culture. Above all that, he is a man of integrity and straightforwardness that is becoming "old-fashion" in today's public life.
Williams never condoned gay priests, though he approved controversial appointments in the Church - explaining it according to the Scripture. He believes in family values, with marriage as the right social bond. He is not pro-abortion, and was reluctant to condone human cloning. He was against war in Iraq, and never blessed the Bush-Blair axis of war and blood. He is outspokenly critical of America and what the Americans are doing around the world. He does not agree with the "superiority complex" notion that Western values are the best for all mankind and should therefore be imposed on them.
That is why media and politicians are hyping what they want us to believe is the sin of the Archbishop. This time he became a soft target, he talked positively about Islam - and Islam is the scarecrow with nothing easier than defaming somebody mentions it in good terms.
Dr Ahmad Mustafa is London-based Arab writer.
No comments:
Post a Comment