Right Cross [++Sentamu lays into the BBC]

Midwest Conservative Journal ^ | 11/14/2006 | Christopher Johnson

[sionnsar]

Every now and then, the Church of England still displays a little fight.  The Archbishop of York lays into the BBC:

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has accused the BBC of bias against Christianity and says the broadcaster fears a terrorist backlash if it is critical of Islam.

The archbishop, the second most senior figure in the Church of England’s hierarchy, said Christians took "more knocks" than other faiths at the hands of the BBC.

They take those knocks for a very simple reason.  Christians aren't given over to strapping on the Semtex and blowing themselves and others into pieces.

"They can do to us what they dare not do to the Muslims," he said. "We are fair game because they can get away with it. We don’t go down there and say, ’We are going to bomb your place.’ That is not in our nature."

The Ugandan-born archbishop nevertheless said Christians must be more forceful in promoting their beliefs.

Sentamu thinks that British Muslims ought to remember where they live.

Dr Sentamu also questioned whether Muslim women were required to wear the veil by the Koran, and argued that those who did should not expect British society to be reordered to accommodate them.

He said Muslim scholars would say three things about the veil. "First, does it conform to norms of decency? Secondly, does it render you more secure? And thirdly, what kind of Islam are you projecting by wearing it?

"I think in the British context it renders you less secure because you stick out and it brings unwelcome attention.

"On the first question (of whether the veil conforms to norms of decency) I don’t think it does conform."

The archbishop said he never wore a cross when visiting a synagogue or mosque, explaining: "Because I am going into someone else’s home. And I can’t simply say, ’Take me as I am, whether you like it or not.’

"I think the thing is in British society you can wear what you want, but you can’t expect British society to be reconfigured around you. No minority can expect to impose this on the public or civic life."

The BBC offered this lame reply.

A BBC spokesman declined to comment but referred to a newspaper article by Mark Thompson, the director general, which denied that the BBC was systematically biased against Christianity and in favour of Islam, saying that it did not square with the facts.

Encouraging words.  What's sad is that I can't imagine Rowan Williams ever saying anything remotely like them.