Government slaps down Anglican leader for Middle East outburst

Yahoo ^

[Sub-Driver]

Government slaps down Anglican leader for Middle East outburst

18 minutes ago

The Government rebuked the leader of the world's Anglicans for saying Christians in the Middle East are being put at risk by a "short-sighted" and "ignorant" policy on Iraq.

Doctor Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, warned that Christians could be chased out of the region due the hostility created by the invasion of Iraq, in an article for The Times newspaper.

The Church of England leader accused coalition countries of endangering the lives and futures of thousands of Christians in the Middle East, who were now being viewed by their countrymen as "supporters of the crusading West."

The Muslim Council of Britain backed the archbishop's outburst, but the Foreign Office issued a rebuke, insisting that Christian suffering in the Middle East was due to intolerant extremists opposed to democracy.

"It is not our policies, it is those who decide to pursue violence and inflict suffering," a Foreign Office spokesman said.

Referring to Iraq he said: "We think it is intolerant extremism of people who want to cause pain and suffering and chaos in order to promulgate the societies in which they can impose the way of life they want on people who have clearly voted for democracy and democratic government.

"The only way out of this is for us to work closely with the democratically elected government in Iraq in order to create a society in which the rights of Christians and all are protected."

Williams said that despite concerns being voiced in the build-up to the March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, there was plainly no strategy for handling the risk that Middle Eastern Christians would be put under.

[kalee]

I'm Anglican, but +Rowan Cantuar doesn't speak for me on this one...I agree with the Foreign Office.
Christian suffering in the Middle East is due to intolerant extremists opposed to democracy.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Correction:

Rowan Williams, the Imam of Canterbury

[BW2221]

You're forgetting about the angry, crazed imam Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia. If this nut assumes power after the U.S. leaves Irag, Saddam's reign will be like the "good old days for Christians.

[MikeA]

But not a word of condemnation for the Islamist beasts who are engaging in the religious cleansing, cleansing that began long before the invasion of Iraq by the way. Typical of the anti-American clergy. All the world's problems are because of the US and the West. Screw off you fence post digger wearing fool.

[steel_resolve]

Right on. Like your tag, BTW.

[Gorzaloon]

Typical of the anti-American clergy. All the world's problems are because of the US and the West. Screw off you fence post digger wearing fool.

I second that, and as an Anglican, add a hearty "Stuff It, you leftist (deleted) imposter".

I am still an Anglican- I have no idea who these people are or where they came from. Some screwball Wahabbi Looney wing has infected the church, I guess.

This is what happens when a church, intending to be "inclusive", trolls for new bishops in truck stop mens' rooms.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

So who is mad at the Christians.....jihaddis or freedom fighters?

[Kolokotronis]

The ArchDruid speaks!

[Cicero]

There were more Christian martyrs in the 20th century than in all the preceding centuries put together. The perpetrators were, almost without exception, Communists and Muslims.

What is striking about these hundreds of millions of Christian martyrdoms is the silence of most governments in predominantly Christian countries of the west. Indeed, the National Council of Churches is famous for defending the perpetrators.

[neodad]

Ping

[Nathan Zachary]

"Correction: Rowan Williams, the Imam of Canterbury

That's better. Where is this idiots big mouth during the slaughters of Christians that occur from time to time, such as the Slaughter during the Cater administration, and the slaughters all through history by this "religion of Peace".

Rowan Williams should just shut up and worry about the blastphemy of the Lords Word going on in his own Church.

[musician]

Here's a link to an article that discusses, among other things, the difficulties faced by Christians living in Arab-ruled areas of Israel, including Bethlehem.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=26147

Violence against Christian Arabs in the Arab-ruled areas has increased since Hamas took the "National Assembly" and the "Prime Ministry" in last February's elections. Hamas has declared that Jews and Christians will not be permitted to live in their dreamed-of future Palestinian Arab and Islamic state, except as dhimis (second-class citizens with limited rights and protections).

Egypt's minority Coptic Christian community has also had many difficulties. Over 200 Coptic Christians have been killed in the past two years and an unknown number wounded by attacks by illegal Islamic militias. It is illegal for the Coptics to build a new church or make any repairs to an existing church without a government permit, which can be very difficult to obtain.

All of the above are the continuation of trends that existed way before the latest U.S. intervention in Iraq. Difficulties faced by non-Muslims in the Middle East are part and parcel of historical Islam, not a new phenomena that suddenly sprung up with the downfall of Saddam Hussein.

As long has he continues to ignore these facts, I'm sure Archbishop Williams will be given VIP treatment on his next fact-finding mission to the Arab-occupied Israeli territories.

[Nuc1]

"This is what happens when a church, intending to be "inclusive", trolls for new bishops in truck stop mens' rooms."

That's gonna leave a mark.

[Gorzaloon]

That's gonna leave a mark.

..Only if His Enemance reads FR! :-)

[BW2221]

Anglicans throughout the world are embarrassed bu u.S. Episcopalians.

[Alia]

Ping!

[Huber]

Thanks to neodad and alia for the ping.

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

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[Cacique]

btt

[PAR35]

Saddam's reign will be like the "good old days for Christians.

Saddam actually was better for Christians than were most leaders in the region. He treated Christians no worse than he did Muslims, and a good bit better than he treated Kurds.