Posted on 02/09/2008 6:35:53 AM PST by COUNTrecount
Under fire: Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams The Archbishop of Canterbury was facing demands to quit last night as the row over sharia law intensified.
Leading bishops publicly contradicted Dr Rowan Williams's call for Islamic law to be brought into the British legal system.
With the Church of England plunged into crisis, senior figures were said to be discussing the archbishop's future.
One member of the church's "Cabinet", the Archbishop's Council, was reported as saying: "There have been a lot of calls for him to resign. I don't suppose he will take any notice, but, yes, he should resign."
Officials at Lambeth Palace told the BBC Dr Williams was in a "state of shock" and "completely overwhelmed" by the scale of the row.
It was said that he could not believe the fury of the reaction. The most damaging attack came from the Pakistan-born Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali.
He said it would be "simply impossible" to bring sharia law into British law "without fundamentally affecting its integrity".
Sharia "would be in tension with the English legal tradition on questions like monogamy, provisions for divorce, the rights of women, custody of children, laws of inheritance and of evidence.
"This is not to mention the relation of freedom of belief and of expression to provisions for blasphemy and apostasy."
The church's second most senior leader, Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, refused to discuss the matter. But he has said sharia law "would never happen" in Britain.
Politicians joined the chorus of condemnation, with Downing Street saying British law should be based on British values. Tory and LibDem leaders also voiced strong criticism.
Even prominent Muslims were rounding on Dr Williams. Shahid Malik, Labour MP for Dewsbury, said: "I haven't experienced any clamour or fervent desire for sharia law in this country.
"If there are people who prefer sharia law there are always countries where they could go and live."
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Bar, rejected the idea that British law forces Muslims to choose between their religion and their society.
He said: "This will alienate people from other communities because they will think it is what Muslims want - and it is not."
The Muslim Council of Britain came to Dr Williams's aid, however, describing his comments in a lecture to lawyers and a BBC interview as "thoughtful".
But Oxford University Islamic scholar Professor Tariq Ramadan admitted: "These kinds of statements just feed the fears of fellow citizens. I really think we, as Muslims, need to come up with something that we abide by the common law and within these latitudes there are possibilities for us to be faithful to Islamic principles."
The archbishop is likely to come under heavy fire next week at a meeting of the Church's General Synod.
Liberal and feminist critics have been appalled by the thought of sharia law while evangelical opponents believe Dr Williams has failed to defend Christianity.
The archbishop was already battling intractable difficulties within the church over gay rights, a row which began nearly five years ago and has brought him criticism from all sides. Later this year he has to face a conference of hundreds of bishops from around the world which threatens further bitter division.
Dr Williams's opponents on the conservative evangelical wing - who resent his liberal beliefs on issues such as gay rights - were suggesting last night that the archbishop is finished.
The Reverend Paul Dawson of the Reform group of around 500 clergy said: "We are very sad that he does not seem to be able to articulate a clear Christian vision for Britain. It is true to say that there is a lot of dissatisfaction."
Dr Williams defended himself in a Lambeth Palace statement saying he had been trying to "tease out" the issue.
The archbishop had said it could help build a better and more cohesive society if Muslims were able to choose to have marital disputes or financial matters, for example, dealt with in a sharia court. The adoption of some elements of sharia law "seems unavoidable".
But the statement insisted: "The archbishop made no proposals for sharia, and certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law."
Even fellow bishops, however, think this is precisely what Dr Williams did say.
Bishop of Southwark Tom Butler, a liberal who would normally be expected to defend Dr Williams, said the archbishop had been entering a minefield and added: "It will take a great deal of thought and work before I think it is a good idea."
He was more blunt in a circular to clergy in his diocese, saying he had yet to be convinced of the feasibility of incorporating any non-Christian religious law into the English legal system.
He’s shocked? What did he expect the reaction to be?
Perhaps if the magisterium were involved. Oh, wait.
In a way, the Archbishop is foreseeing the future of Great Britain. Unfortunately he is embracing it and joining hands with many who, like him, are behaving like the vanquished.
Only the vanquished yield to reparations, subdue their own religion in deference to the minority, and ultimately give in to servitude to their new leaders and their sharia laws.
He went a step to for for his normally placid, liberal followers. His miscalculation was in thinking that they would just blindly accept every moonbat idea he had. Now that he has revealed his true colors, they should throw the good Dr. out on his behind. The man is a disgrace to his faith and England.
He must be as dumb as a box of rocks if he's surprised by the reaction. (Change "Some people are" to "Dr. Williams is" in my tag line.)
And what do the sappy Royals have to say about this? Silence. Truth to tell, they really care little about the Church of England.
So much for the "Defender of the Faith," huh?
ping
Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals ... Now did the Lord say, "First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."
Muslims leave their lands to get away from sharia law, and this imbecile is SHOCKED?
It appears that the Archbishop of "Khan"terbury could use some shock therapy.
hmmmnn...maybe us British aren’t as accommodating of all things muslim as is often made out on this site...
Dr Williams has failed to defend Christianity.
Isn’t the British Monarch the defender of the faith???
What is the position of the Royals???
Wouldn’t incorporating sharia law mean he pretty much can’t practice his religion without giving up some civil rights and/or paying fines/extra taxes?
Williams is an absolute ass and apparently answers to a God different from mine.
If the church has any integrity (and courage) it will oust this loser ASAP.
fifth place in the american league central
The title “Defender of the Faith” was given to Henry VIII by...the then POPE, after Henry wrote a defense of the Papacy against an attack from a fellow monarch. This was before the, uhm, Papal refusal to allow Henry to divorce his first wife, and Henry’s susbsequent schism from the Church.
Always found it amusing that the ruler of Great Britain still uses the title.
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