The naivety of Christian leaders

Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi in February 2019.                                                                            Source: Guardian/Luca Zennaro/EPA

In February 2019 Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, met in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They signed a declaration of fraternity, calling for peace between nations, religions and races. The document pledged that al-Azhar and the Vatican would work together to fight extremism. 

"Violence, extremism or fanaticism could never be justified in the name of religion" said Francis. But what is extremism?

The UAE promoted itself as a "regional leader in religious diversity and tolerance" where Christians were free to worship at churches and wear religious clothing. 

However, Open Doors, which monitors discrimination against and persecution of Christians around the world, said the UAE government does not allow Christians "to evangelise or pray in public. Converts from Islam endure the most persecution as they face pressure from family members and the local community to recant their Christian faith."

A day before three Catholics were slaughtered in Nice's Notre-Dame Basilica, Sheikh el Tayeb demanded an international law banning criticizing or insulting Islam. 

Church Militant's Dr Jules Gomes responded in a tweet: If there were no death penalty in Islam for blasphemy and Islam were as tolerant as Pope Francis insists, there would be no need for a global law forbidding criticism of Islam.

Sheikh el-Tayeb claimed that millions of Muslims had paid the price for the actions of “a handful of criminals” following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Persecution.org recently reported:  Another Pakistani Christian Girl Becomes Victim of Forced Conversion and Forced Marriage.

It is Christians who are paying the price of intolerance while their leaders continue to take part in 'brotherly love' exercises with Muslims whose religious aim is to convert all to Islam while complaining of Islamophobia to conceal the truth.  

Christian leaders would do well to heed the warning of bishop Michael Nazir-Ali who explained back in 2011 how Christianity has become almost extinct in the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity, and Islam, the 'religion of peace', has became dominant in the Arab world.

Essex "Oik" to be Confirmed as Archbishop of York.

BLM supporter Cottrell is also a vocal supporter of same‑sex relationships          Source: The Times

The self proclaimed “Oik from Essex” is to be confirmed as the 98th Archbishop of York at 11am on Thursday 9 July, 2020, in a service broadcast entirely via video conference due to the Coronavirus restrictions.

An apt description for a bishop in favour of same-sex relationships who has come out as a Black Lives Matter (BLM) supporter claiming that Jesus was a black man rather than a Jew.

It is reported in The Press that the new archbishop also claimed "the country's leaders had 'let us down' saying he despaired of a political culture that could not see beyond the five-year term of the next election."

That's rich coming from one of the Church of England bishops who have made the Church of England largely irrelevant in its attempt to become more relevant to society, jettisoning faithful Anglicans in the process with disastrous results as indicated by ever decreasing attendance.

Cottrell also warned of the "dangers of extremism rising up" but he backs the BLM movement, a movement that is about revolution.

According to The Spectator BLM want to ‘dismantle capitalism’, abolish prisons, get rid of borders and the police. They claim climate change is 'racist', unemployment is 'violence', that Churchill was 'staunchly racist' and that the government appointment of a Pakistani heritage woman is 'racist'. They 'condemn stop and search' and the suffragettes while describing big charities as 'colonisers'.

Writing about qualities required of Church leaders Christian Today commented that a Sunday Times interview with the new Archbishop of York was startling, puzzling – offensive?:

"The New Testament is pretty clear that those in leadership should be able to control their tongues better than most.

"It is surprising to read in the Sunday Times  that Cottrell 'peppers his talks to his clergy with phrases such as "what the bloody hell" and "who gives a toss?".'...Why use these words when there are more than 170,000 other ones in English to choose from? Cottrell needs to read Ephesians 4 v29. This is no trivial thing.

"Another quality the Bible tells us to expect from a church leader is that they 'must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine'.  Not for nothing does the Church of England consecration service for Bishops state that they must be 'guardians of the faith of the apostles'.

"But how can Cottrell do that in relation to issues of sexual morality? Far from teaching the doctrine of Christ in this area as the Church of England believes it, and handing it on in its entirety, he only 'understands it and respects it' according to the interview. Indeed, as is well known, he wants to change it."

Asked if there was any room for New Testament teaching on leadership? "On that, Bishop Cottrell, in this interview at least, remains silent."

He has however apologised for not properly reporting allegations of domestic abuse made against a parish priest a decade ago.

There were allegations that Cottrell's predecessor Archbishop John Sentamu failed to respond properly to a report of clerical child abuse to protect bishops from allegations of misconduct but any evidence was, allegedly, washed away in the Yorkshire floods.

In the last century four archbishops were translated from York to Canterbury.

One can but speculate on the qualities that will be required for the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

As Cottrell replaces a black man as Archbishop of York he has called for greater equality for black and minority ethnic (BAME) clergy in the upper echelons of the church, and said bishops “must take responsibility” for a lack of diversity.

The bishop of Dover has made similar calls.

You couldn't make it up.

Postscript [09.07.2020]

During Archbishop Welby's confirmation of Stephen Cottrell as Archbishop of York he referred to "the care, government and administration of the spirituals of the Archbigot of York" before hastily correcting himself . [After position 34 in the video.]

Freudian slip?

Difficult questions!

A meat cleaver that the 'Three Musketeers' plotters planned to use in their attack (West Midlands Police). Source: INDEPENDENT

Usman Khan, perpetrator of the latest Islamist terrorist atrocity in London, will have expected to be greeted by 72 virgins as his reward for being 'martyred' for his faith when he was shot dead by police.

The two young people Khan killed were taking part in a prisoner rehabilitation program. Khan had been invited to participate but the hand of friendship was of no consequence. Whatever good work his victims were doing to help Khan and other ex-prisoners, they were still classed as infidels in the  ideology to which Khan subscribed.

He would have regarded himself as a martyr because he, along with many other Muslims, was waging war on the kafir. The fact that his targets were innocent was irrelevant. In their book non-Muslims are regarded as 'unbelievers' deserving punishment, as do erring Muslims who can be sentenced to death for their apostasy .

Khan was sent to prison as a convicted terrorist. He entered a 'breeding ground for Islamist extremism' where he lied about his de-radicalisation as permitted under his ideology thus earning early release from prison.

The Independent reported following an earlier terrorist incident in 2018 that three prisoners, the  'Three Musketeers', mingled with fellow extremists they met in jail. They reinforced their beliefs there before turning their attention to "wreaking bloodshed" in the UK.

The lead commissioner for Countering Extremism told the Independent at the time: “Experts and those working in prisons have raised significant concerns with me about the spread of extremist ideas and behaviours among serving prisoners. This includes the risk that individuals are becoming more extremist in prisons. There are also fears about what happens when prisoners who advocate extremist beliefs and behaviour – whether Islamist or far-right supporters – are released into our communities.”

After the latest killings outraged commentators again demanded answers to some "difficult questions" about early release and de-radicalisation but what drives a desire to kill and maim innocent people who do not share their beliefs?

That is the most difficult question but it will not be addressed for fear of attracting accusations of Islamophobia, a label concocted to ensure that, unlike other faiths, Islam is beyond question.

Postcript [04.12.2019]

Five boys and pastor among 14 Christians shot dead in Burkina Faso church massacre
"An Islamist extremist attack on a church in Komondjari Province, south-east Burkina Faso, during Sunday morning worship on 1 December."  - Barnabasfund

Far away from London and one of many Islamist attacks abroad which are seldom mentioned in the British media.

These are not about historical events. Christians today are being persecuted all around the world.

From the Interim Report of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians:

"Violent persecution exists in many forms. Firstly there is mass violence which regularly expresses itself through the bombing of churches, as has been the case in countries such as Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia, whereby the perpetrators raise levels of fear amongst the Christian community and attempt to suppress the community’s appetite to practice its right to public expression of freedom of religion and belief. State militaries attacking minority communities which practice a different faith to the country’s majority also constitutes a violent threat to Christian communities such as the Kachin and Chin people of Myanmar and the Christians of the Nuba mountains of Sudan. The torture of Christians is widespread in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Eritrean prisons, and beatings in police custody are widely reported in India."

If Islam became dominant in this country why would Christians here be treated differently to Christians abroad?

Postcript [07.12.2019]

Islam has three political strategies; immigration, population and violence. Reflections on Usman Khan...
"There is a precondition for rehabilitation -- you've got to want it ... it doesn't just happen through educational programmes
Facts of 'terrorist' killings are clear but our society is divided by the meaning" - Bishop Gavin Ashenden 

Spot the difference?

Before her success in Strictly Come Dancing, Stacey Dooley was already a successful television presenter and journalist.

In this video filmed in her home town of Luton she questioned why non-Muslims, according to the street preacher and his followers, are "destined to go to hell" along with the UK and British police.

By contrast a Christian street preacher was arrested at Southgate station London N14 for preaching about Jesus, saving people from hell.

The police told him he was breaching the peace because he was being "islamophobic".

Spot the difference?

Postscript [01.03.2019]

From Christian Concern

Ask the Home Secretary to protect street preachers petition

Bishop of St Asaph to extend the hand of friendship

The Rt Rev Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph, possibly the  next Archbishop.      Sourse: ITV

Traditionalists in the Church in Wales should not get too excited. The Bishop of St Asaph was addressing the need not to befriend 'traditionalist' Anglicans left leaderless in the Church in Wales but so-called 'terrorists' in an ITV discussion on "How we can tackle extremism?"

Observed taking refreshment after the funeral of Bishop David Thomas, the bishop of St Asaph then made time to give his views on matters Muslim rather than attempt with others present to put their own house in order. 

The three current Church in Wales diocesan bishops who attended the funeral ignored the family's invitation to robe in convocation dress and paraded themselves in cope and mitre in a gesture that once again appeared to be progressives thumbing their noses to traditionalists. Bishop David would not have been surprised given his treatment by Barry and his bench sitters during his time as Provincial Assistant Bishop. 

In the ITV discussion, listeners were led to believe that extremism results from Muslims being the victims. No mention of numerous verses in the Koran which command Muslims to kill infidels, Jews and Christians wherever they are found.

True, the hand of friendship should be extended but to draw Muslims to Christ by comparing His message of hope and forgiveness with instructions in the Koran to kill non-believers. However, when he speaks of love and friendship Bishop Gregory should remember that charity begins at home. His message would then carry more force.

"Be joyful and keep the faith!"

Religion and the BBC

From Voice for Justice UK

The Perfidy and Contempt of the BBC

In November last year, following complaints of unacceptable Muslim bias and the deliberate marginalization of Christianity by its Muslim Head of Religion and Ethics, Aaqil Ahmed, the BBC announced that it was axing both the role of Head and the department of religion, bringing all religious programming and coverage under the remit of former Labour MP James Purnell, the head of radio and education.

However, on February 25, the BBC quietly announced that it had appointed another Muslim, Fatima Salaria, as its new Head of Religious Programming.

It would seem therefore that, in clear disregard of their earlier statement, the BBC has not only resurrected this role, but appears to be operating a policy of Islamic prioritization, once again ignoring the pleas of all other religious groups in the UK for proportionate and fair representation.

Ms Salaria’s most notable achievement since joining the BBC in 2015 would appear to have been to commission the TV reality show Muslims like Us, described in the press as ‘Muslim Big Brother’.  It may be remembered that in this programme, among the ten Muslim housemates - chosen to reflect the diverse views of Muslims in the UK - was included Abdul Haqq, a Muslim convert, former boxing champion, convicted fraudster … and member of the inner circle of jailed radical cleric Anjem Choudary.   But it gets worse, because Mr Haqq reportedly not only supported banned terror group Al-Muhajiroun, but was arrested in 2014 in Dover, and later charged with plotting to go to Syria to fight with Islamic State after spreading terrorist material online.

His inclusion, put forward without comment as merely one view among many, can only have served to ‘normalise’ extremism, and is an affront to all - including moderate Muslims honestly striving to integrate into British culture.

Do we really want someone who commissions programmes like this as head of religion for the BBC?   Do we trust her to give proportionate and fair representation to all religious groups?  Do we trust the BBC?  Or do we share the view of Professor Anthony Glees of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, who told The Mail: “If a BBC executive makes a programme that is notorious and then the BBC promotes them, it tells me that the BBC has in that area lost its moral compass.”  (http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/02/25/new-bbc-head-religion-gave-islamist-extremists-platform/).

Ms Salaria is on record as saying the BBC needs to give greater voice to Muslims.  It is a view that seems to have been swallowed hook, line, and sinker by dementedly ‘diverse’ Auntie, who seemingly takes every opportunity to undermine and pour derision on those who espouse the traditional Christian beliefs and values upon which our nation is founded.   But exactly what voice does Ms Salaria class as authentically ‘Muslim’ and wish to be heard?  After all, from the example of Abdul Haqq, she appears to have no problem supporting what the rest of us call extremism,

It goes without saying that there is religious diversity in this country, and all faiths should receive proportionate coverage.   But Christianity remains the established faith of the UK and, despite declining church attendance, according to the 2011 census Christians still make up 59.5% of the population (https://faithsurvey.co.uk/uk-christianity.html): a clear majority.   Given therefore that Christianity is the main faith of this country, surely the head of religious programming should be Christian - or at the very least, as advocated by Conservative MP Bill Cash, the post should be rotated between the different faiths.  Which should include Judaism, Hinduism and Sikkhism … as well as Islam.

As it is, this new appointment seems deliberately insulting both to Christians and to followers of other belief systems, and part of an orchestrated attempt to Islamise the UK.  Such an attitude displays not just contempt, but is a betrayal of the principles and values on which the UK is founded.  For these reasons VfJUK joins those who argue that the BBC is no longer fit for purpose.  We call for urgent investigation into the Corporation’s governance and purpose, and for review of the licence fee.

Please sign our new petition to the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, calling for urgent investigation into the BBC's governance and leadership.
Sign here.

The kafir

"The Koran says that the Kafir may be deceived, plotted against, hated, enslaved, mocked, tortured and worse. The word is usually translated as “unbeliever” but this translation is wrong. The word “unbeliever” is logically and emotionally neutral, whereas, Kafir is the most abusive, prejudiced and hateful word in any language." - Bill Warner, Political Islam

There have been widely differing reactions to the recent BBC2 two-part documentary Muslims Like Us from "genuinely excellent" to "a wake-up call for Islamophobes everywhere". As the BBC put it, the BBC documentary gets "mixed reviews". For me the program was irritating. It should be a wake-up call, not for 'Islamophobes' but for a reality that was presented only to be written off as extremism

This is how a Telegraph reporter put it:
...what made Muslims Like Us so compelling was that Haqq [the so-called 'extremist'] was an oddball sideshow. What this programme did was shed light on a section of society systematically vilified for the actions of its Haqq-like loony fringe. Far more interesting were the doubts and dilemmas that faced the other housemates.

This is a typical misconception which is explained in this US video:

For readers who did not see the documentary the most relevant part can be seen starting at about 27.00 mins in on the BBC iPlayer. Haqq, the so-called 'extremist', says it as it is according to the book. He was aghast on learning that a housemate with whom he was in conversation was a Shia.

Pushed into saying what the problem was he defined his fellow housemate as a "five star, Grade A, 'Kuffar'." His response explains many of the problems witnessed on the world stage with Muslims attacking other Muslims when they are not attacking other religions.

They justify their jihad by portraying Christians as aggressors. Islamists claim that they are fighting to regain lands which they say are legitimately theirs. In the process they are wiping out Christianity in the Middle East and obliterating remnants of ancient civilizations, anything that fails to support their spurious claims.

The Crusades are used as examples of aggression despite the fact that they were fought to liberate Holy sites from the aggressors. This second video graphically illustrates the true extent of Jihad versus the Crusades:

There was a turning point in 1683 when "the Ottoman Turks ceased to be a menace to the Christian world". What was not accomplished by military means then is now being accomplished by masquerading as the 'Religion of Peace' despite all the evidence to the contrary. Any perceived criticism or questioning of Islam is immediately attacked as Islamophobic. The headline in the Mail Online is a good example: 'My religion isn't something for you to watch for banter': Controversial BBC documentary Muslims Like Us is slammed by viewers on Twitter for reducing Islam to a 'reality show'.

According to the Mail Online report the Muslim Council of Britain praised the show, saying that 'it goes some way to dispel the myth that Muslims are any different to everyday people'. True, the group was diverse but that should not be used to conceal the fact that the so-called extremist Haqq follows the book. As such, in Islam he is the good Muslim.

The West's laissez-faire attitude has resulted in the uncontrolled spread of Islam. In the UK the number of Muslims has doubled in just over a decade as a result of soaring immigration and high birth rates. It is not surprising then that the most common baby boys' name in England and Wales today is Muhammad or one of its variants.

Muslims are being welcomed in the West. Polygamy added to high birth rates is expanding their numbers. In some parts of London almost half the population is now Islamic. If current trends continue the areas could become majority Muslim areas within ten years. Meanwhile there have been recent reports of Christians being killed and Christian churches attacked in Egypt (here and here). Islamic persecution continues around the globe.

In terms of their mixed views, the housemates may appear 'no different to everyday people' but as a survey here indicates, most Muslims in the UK have radically different attitudes to the rest of us:

 Many British Muslims do not share the values of their non-Muslim compatriots and say they want to lead separate lives under Islamic Sharia law. 

More than 100,000 British Muslims sympathize with suicide bombers and people who commit other terrorist acts. Moreover, only one in three British Muslims (34%) would contact the police if they believed that somebody close to them had become involved with jihadists.

To Haqq and the 'Religion of Peace' we are simply the kafir.

Something to hide?

Picture Credit: Express/REUTERS•GETTY•AP

Hat tip to Anglican Ink via Anglican Mainstream for this report:

On 5 November in the House of Lords Lord Pearson (UKIP) called for a national debate on the nature of Islam. He asked the government whether, as part of their counter-extremism strategy, they will encourage a national debate about the nature of Islam, including whether the Muslim tenet of abrogation remains valid today.

The response from a number of members of the House was that discussing Islam would be counter productive and therefore that we should stay silent on radical Islam. Full report here.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport and Home Office (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con) said: My Lords, the Government’s approach and strategy to countering extremism is firmly based on further strengthening our relationships and work with the communities and organisations across the United Kingdom and together confronting, challenging and disrupting extremism in all its ugly guises.

In reply to Lord Pearson's claim that some noble Lords may not be aware that "abrogation means that where there is contradiction in the Koran, its later and more violent verses outweigh its admirably peaceful early texts" Lord Ahmad said "...with the exception of one verse in the holy Koran, every verse starts with the words: "In the name of God, the gracious, most merciful", which underlines the true sentiments and principle of that religion". Lord Ahmad needs to look around more and consider what is happening "in the name of God" in the Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Eritrea and Syria for a start.

There is more evidence in this Christian Post article which doubters may wish to read if they are not convinced: 'Unimaginable Horrors' Detailed in US Report on ISIS' Persecution of Christians.

Back in 2008 The Spectator reported on No-go Britain: "One of Britain’s best and most courageous men, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, said that there were parts of Britain which had become no-go areas for non-Muslims. For these comments he was met with widespread scorn and denial."

"Nick Clegg – then merely leader of the Liberal Democrat party – said the Bishop’s comments were ‘a gross caricature of reality.’ William Hague said that the Bishop had ‘probably put it too strongly’, while the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) accused him of ‘frantic scaremongering.’ Unfortunately for Bishop Nazir-Ali's critics the offenders made videos of themselves proving Bishop Nazir-Ali correct.

In February 2015 the Gatestone Institute think tank published a fuller report  "European 'No-Go' Zones: Fact or Fiction? Part 2: Britain". Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality said "We are sleepwalking our way to segregation. We are becoming strangers to each other and leaving communities to be marooned outside the mainstream."

Meanwhile, Christians in Middle East 'are facing genocide'. Also, from The Express, "Migrants flee incomprehensible violence but are they all victims?"

Are our politicians so desperate for votes that anything goes? If not a conspiracy of silence, perhaps there is something to hide that we should know about.

Radicalisation - Cameron's Conference Speech October 2015

Prime Minister David Cameron at the Conservative Party Conference                       Picture: Getty

The following extract from David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party conference as reported in the Mirror (here) touches on National security, extremism, radicalisation, terrorism, oppression and integration. Fine words but spoken from a Western, Judeo-Christian perspective with no apparent understanding of the threat posed by Islam.

"My first duty as Prime Minister is to keep people safe. Some of the loneliest moments in this job are when you are reading intelligence reports about plots being planned against the British people.

This summer I was told that Reyaad Khan and Junaid Hussain were in Syria planning terrorist attacks on UK soil. Of course, I asked all the proper questions. How do we stop them? Is there another way? Do we have that capability? Is it legal?

I knew that whatever action I took would provoke a big debate. But my job as Prime Minister is quite simple, really: ultimately, it’s not to debate; it’s to decide. And the choice I faced was this: Act – and we could stop them carrying out their plans. Stall – and we could see innocent people murdered on our streets. So I took decisive action to keep Britain safe – and that’s what I will always do...

"We need to confront – and I mean really confront – extremism. When I read what some young people born and brought up in this country are doing, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Girls not much older than my eldest daughter, swapping loving family homes and straight-A futures for a life of servitude under ISIL, in a land of violence and oppression.

Boys who could do anything they wanted in Britain – who have benefitted from all this country stands for – instead ending up in the desert wielding a knife. This ideology, this diseased view of the world, has become an epidemic – infecting minds from the mosques of Mogadishu to the bedrooms of Birmingham. And here’s what we need to do.

One: tear up the narrative that says Muslims are persecuted and the West deserves what it gets. 
Never mind that it’s Britain and America behind the biggest effort to help the victims of Syria. 
Who is ISIL murdering more than anyone else? Muslims. No-one should get away with this politics of grievance anymore.

Two: take on extremism in all its forms, the violent and non-violent. People don’t become terrorists from a standing start. It begins with preachers telling them that Christians and Muslims can’t live together. It moves to people in their community saying the security services were responsible for 7/7. It progresses to a website telling them how to wage jihad, fight in Syria, and defeat the West. And before you know it, a young British boy, barely 17, is strapping bombs to his body and blowing himself up in Iraq. We have to stop it at the start – stop this seed of hatred even being planted in people’s minds, let alone allowing it to grow.

Three: we need to tackle segregation. There are parts of Britain today where you can get by without ever speaking English or meeting anyone from another culture. Zoom in and you’ll see some institutions that actually help incubate these divisions. Did you know, in our country, there are some children who spend several hours each day at a Madrassa? Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with children learning about their faith, whether it’s at Madrassas, Sunday Schools or Jewish Yeshivas. But in some Madrassas we’ve got children being taught that they shouldn’t mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people.

These children should be having their minds opened, their horizons broadened not having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate. So I can announce this today:

If an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected. And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down.

This goes to a wider truth. For too long, we’ve been so frightened of causing offence that we haven’t looked hard enough at what is going on in our communities. This is passive tolerance. And I’ll tell you where it leads: To children, British children, going to Pakistan in the summer holidays, before they’ve even started their GCSEs, and forced to marry a man they’ve never met…children, British children, having their genitals mutilated, not just in a clinic in Lagos but the backstreets in Britain.

This passive tolerance has turned us into a less integrated country; it’s put our children in danger. It is unforgiveable. So let me say it right here: no more passive tolerance in Britain. We’ve passed the laws – now I want them enforced. People who organise forced marriages – I want them prosecuted.

Parents who take their children for FGM – I want them arrested. And as we do that, we shouldn’t just be saying what’s wrong with these practices; we should be saying what’s right with Britain.

Freedom. Democracy. Equality. These are precious. People fought for them – many died for them…
…in the trenches, a century ago; on the beaches, 30 years later…in the Suffragettes; in Gay Pride.

Half the world is crying out for these freedoms – they see what we’ve achieved with them. Free speech – and the best literature in the world. Freedom of religion – and many faiths living side by side, peacefully."

If Mr Cameron genuinely wants to "confront extremism" he needs to develop a strategy which recognises Islam as the supremacist ideology it is, believing that everyone and everything belongs to Allah who demands to be worshiped and rewards believers for their good works which includes killing non-believers. If not willfully blind, talking with 'friendly'  Muslims and their sympathizers is pointless. They will explain that Islam is a religion of peace despite all the evidence to the contrary.

From WikiIslam: "According to Islamic laws, non-Muslims in Islamic lands should be subdued and be treated as dhimmis (second class citizens). They should be coerced and intimidated to convert to Islam, through special humiliating taxes like Jizyah imposed on them. Following Prophet Muhammad's example, this has been taking place throughout Islam's history. While Muslims demand for concessions in non-Muslim countries, non-Muslims are systematically persecuted, terrorized and ethnically cleansed from Islamic lands".

Islam is spreading through Europe. Immigration on a colossal scale and a much higher birthrate have led to estimates that Muslims to will outnumber Christians worldwide by 2070 while in 10 years Islam could be the dominant religion in the United Kingdom.

Mr Cameron expressed surprise at girls not much older than his eldest daughter "swapping loving family homes and straight-A futures for a life of servitude under ISIL, in a land of violence and oppression". - It's the ideology, stupid! - "The root of the problem lies in a radical ideology that drives individuals to join the jihadists...The minds of Islamic State group militants and those who are recruited have a deep and twisted ideology where absolute power in the name of Allah and the elimination of infidels are their main drivers". Grasp this and we can make some progress.

Double jeopardy?

Credit: Wales Online

Same sex marriage in the Church in Wales (CinW) will be the last straw for many worshipers if approved by the Governing Body. And for what? Forget the false propaganda about equal rights and talk of love which can be expressed in many forms. That led the new Presiding Bishop of the US Episcopal Church to declare that the Supreme Court "affirmed the authenticity of love" by legalizing gay marriage as if marriage were the only manifestation of love. The plain fact is that marriage is between a man and a woman. It cannot be redefined. If 'love' were all there would be all manner of odd unions.

There is nothing to stop same sex couples loving each other, living together and entering into civil partnerships to obtain the same benefits as heterosexual couples. They do not have to be "married" to demonstrate their commitment to each other.

When drafting legislation HM Government ensured that the Church of England and the Church in Wales would be banned by law from offering same sex marriages with a "quadruple lock" to protect religious freedom. But advancing his personal agenda the Archbishop of Wales has claimed that making it illegal for the Church in Wales to offer same-sex marriages would be a "step too far". He said "In my personal opinion it's a great pity it's illegal for us not to even have the possibility to do it. It should be left for us to opt in or opt out".

Following the example of the US Episcopal Church which has adopted new marriage rites with language which allows them to be used by same sex or opposite sex couples replacing the terms "man and woman" with "couple", Dr Morgan is attempting to force his personal opinion on the Church in Wales using typically devious tactics to get his own way regardless of the possible consequences for fellow priests and laity.

Clergy and laity should be protected from being compelled to take part in same sex marriage ceremonies under the same sex marriage legislation but history shows that it will not stop determined people from trying to get around the law by any available means. The CinW had no regard for conscience following the decision to ordain women with many faithful worshipers becoming marginalised while in the Church of England WATCH has been picking away at the agreement which permitted women to become bishops. But there is a more serious danger, the Extremism Bill.

From Coalition for Marriage:

"Last month we uncovered a letter from MP Mark Spencer to a constituent calling for Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs) to be used against teachers who teach that gay marriage is wrong.

Mr Spencer’s letter followed suggestions from Education Secretary Nicky Morgan that if a pupil believes that 'homosexuality is wrong', it could raise extremism concerns.

Now the independent watchdog for terrorism laws has cautioned that proposed Extremism Disruption Orders (EDOs) would put “all sorts of people under suspicion”. Unless the Government performs a dramatic U-turn this could well include supporters of traditional marriage.

Speaking on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, David Anderson QC said that if current laws are extended then controversial views could trigger “the whole apparatus of the surveillance state”.

He acknowledged that it was important to be able to challenge different views but warned: “I don’t always think the State is the right body to be doing that”.

If we look across the Atlantic we can see how the law of the land can be used to criminalise those who hold the sincere view that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Kim Davies, a Kentucky marriage registrar was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples on religious grounds. She was released on Tuesday.

And in the UK last week, the Times Educational Supplement revealed that police told more than 100 teachers that environmentalists, including Green MP Caroline Lucas, would be regarded as potential extremists under the Government’s Prevent counter-terrorism strategy.

It seems environmentalists, like traditional marriage supporters, are being equated with violent extremists in the eyes of the authorities."

With so many gay clergy around him the Archbishop seems to have lost all sense of proportion putting clergy and laity in jeopardy instead of the "quadruple lock" intended to protect religious freedom.

Footprints

The God of Abraham, ... Christian and Muslim!

Deluded or devious? 

The beheading of 21 Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya - for being Coptic Christians - has "brought ISIS to the doorstep of Europe". Italy has been warned that Libyan jihadists are ‘just south of Rome’. We are assured by all and sundry that these people are not Muslims, they are terrorists, but has no-one in authority noticed that there is an elephant in the room?

Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain says that he has “no idea” why some young people become radicalised. Really? He should watch this video. He says "many British Muslims feel very disillusioned that the government is not treating us as equal." Really? Read here and about discrimination against Christians in British Society here.

"All we are looking for as British citizens is to be treated as British citizens. Anything that is done with a community identified as having the potential for extremism or terrorism is not going to make you feel comfortable" said Dr Shafi. "That is one of the problems: there is a trust deficit.... The Muslim community as a whole is being "treated with suspicion" pointing to instances such as counter-terrorism officers visiting nursery schools.

To avoid charges of Islamophobia we are expected to show tolerance and understanding of everything Muslim regardless of the circumstances while Islamic states see no problem suppressing Christianity and exporting Islamic extremism around the world. Saudi Arabia has being identified as "a cash machine for terrorists". The French government has announced a series of measures to clamp down on radical Islam being spread in mosques and wants to cut financial support from countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. We should do the same.

According to a  report in The Spectator, "British mosques aren't that moderate after all" and "only two out of 1,700 mosques in Britain follow modernist interpretations of the Koran". Hard line Sharia Islam has no place in Britain. If British Muslims are genuine in wanting to live as British citizens they should be demanding change holding up their faith to the same scrutiny as others. Excuses are wearing thin.

No doubt the majority of Muslims in this country want to live their lives peacefully as British citizens but being a British citizen requires more than being "treated as such", there are obligations. One is to be honest about the problems facing us all, Muslims included. It is no good pretending that the footsteps on the Libyan beach have nothing to do with Islam when the perpetrators are following verses in the Koran. The facts are here.

These facts must be faced. If a religious ideology can be used to justify barbaric executions of believers and non-believers, followers are either deluded or devious in denying that it has anything to do with their religious faith when the evidence to the contrary is freely available. Here is the important test:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance". The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18).

Every British citizen must be able to subscribe to that. If not there are serious questions to be answered.

Further reading:

Beheading of Christians is clearest indication yet of religious cleansing. Evangelical Alliance

If ISIS could kill us all, they would. Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith, Catholic Herald

What will it take to stop Isis using rape as a weapon of war? The Guardian

The True History of Christendom and Islam Raymond Ibrahim, FrontPage Magazine

Time to move on - but is it possible?

The Crusades - history

The Inquisition - history

President Obama's reference to the Crusades and the Inquisition in the same breath as IS atrocities was unfortunate. No doubt he meant well but listening to what he actually said (here), he left himself open to misunderstanding: "People committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ", he said. So they did.
Nobody can excuse that. But the Crusades and the Inquisition are history. The world has moved on but Islam has not.


Islam makes much of the Crusades in their propaganda war to justify their aggression. Apologists fall for it every time with no apparent knowledge of what actually took place. As  Prof. Thomas F. Madden put it in The Real History of the Crusades:

Regarding the modern day reference to the crusades as a supposed grievance by Islamic militants still upset over them..."if the Muslims won the crusades (and they did), why the anger now?  Shouldn't they celebrate the crusades as a great victory? Until the nineteenth century that is precisely what they did. It was the West that taught the Middle East to hate the crusades. During the peak of European colonialism, historians began extolling the medieval crusades as Europe's first colonial venture. By the 20th century, when imperialism was discredited, so too were the crusades. They haven't been the same since." He adds, "The truth is that the crusades had nothing to do with colonialism or unprovoked aggression. They were a desperate and largely unsuccessful attempt to defend against a powerful enemy. The entire history of the crusades is one of Western reaction to Muslim advances." [My emphasis - Ed.]

Muslim jihad continues to this day acting on a 7th C. instruction manual which forbids changes to its instructions and imposes ancient punishments such as stoning, amputation and crucifixion plus the death penalty for apostasy. 'Their' (Muslim) lands are lands held as a result of conquest, a process still going on, most noticeably in the Middle East and in Africa. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Hagia Sophia in what was Constantinople are obvious examples of mosques replacing Holy sites after Islamic victories. Mosques continue to be built in increasing numbers in the West through cultural jihad while Christian churches are being destroyed in what used to be Christian countries abroad. Do Muslims not understand this or are they merely being devious when they deny the truth of what is mandated in their religion?

Excuses are fruitless. Islam should be held up to the same scrutiny as other religions and ideologies if any progress is to be made in the fight against so-called extremism.

The present. (Actual graphics are too gruesome for illustrative purposes)

Islamist extremism in Birmingham and Mosul

Today, the government defines extremism as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs." - Source here.

From the Government Report "Tackling extremism in the UK": 

"There is a range of extremist individuals and organisations, including Islamists, the far right and others. As the greatest risk to our security comes from Al Qa’ida and like-minded groups, and terrorist ideologies draw on and make use of extremist ideas, we believe it is also necessary to define the ideology of Islamist extremism. [1.4] This is a distinct ideology which should not be confused with traditional religious practice. It is an ideology which is based on a distorted interpretation of Islam, which betrays Islam’s peaceful principles, and draws on the teachings of the likes of Sayyid Qutb."

Either with an eye on voting intentions or with its head buried deep in the oil bearing sand Her Majesty's Government continues to perpetuate the myth that Islam is a religion of peace. But that is not peace as we understand the word. In Islamic terms there will be peace when all have been converted to Islam. Before Cameron, Blair, Bush and Clinton all had the same message of 'peace' in the video "Islam - What The West Needs To Know":

Clinton says in the introduction, "No religion condones the murder of innocent men, women and children". Try telling that now to Mosul's last Christians as they flee Iraq after a weekend ultimatum left Mosul residents with three choices: convert to Islam, pay jizya (a poll tax levied on non-Muslims), or die at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), see here. 

As Serge Trifkovic says in response [move forward to position 3.30], "The tendency of Western political leaders to deny the connection between orthodox Islamic mainstream and terrorist violence is replicated in the Universities and the media, wherever you look both in Western Europe and  in North America. The members of the elite class have this tendency to proclaim Islam, some mysterious authentic Islam, to be peaceful and to be tolerant and those Muslims prone to violence are proclaimed to be non-representative. Well I would really appreciate if people who make such claims could then explain the continuity of violence from the earliest day of Islam, from the earliest days of the prophet and his immediate successors throughout the thirteen centuries of recorded history".

As if to prove the point, the above mentioned Government Report from the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Tackling Radicalisation and Extremism refers to "a distorted interpretation of Islam, which betrays Islam’s peaceful principles". So when will there be a peaceful end to the Islamic persecution of Christian minorities around the world? When they are dead or fled?

Less extreme but with the same motives Islamist activists have been at work in Birmingham schools (here). In his investigations, Peter Clarke the former head of counter-terrorism found evidence of a "sustained" attempt to impose hard line Muslim views (interview here). He found an "intolerant and aggressive" Islamist ethos in some Birmingham schools brought about by governors intent on promoting an ultra-conservative version of their faith. That ethos included homophobia, sexism, antipathy to other forms of Islam and in one case denial that Private Lee Rigby had been killed by Islamic extremists (here).

"Islam is on track to become the dominant religion in Britain within the next generation, according to new census data published by the British government" (here). Unless members of the "elite class" take the trouble to understand the true nature of the religious ideology which results in submission wherever Islam dominates it will not be long before we in Britain will be invited to "convert to Islam, pay jizya (a poll tax levied on non-Muslims), or die".

The Rorate Caeli blog is carrying the story from Le Figaro, "Why the Global Conspiracy of Silence on Persecution of Christians in Iraq?" Why indeed? Who next?