It was reported in ipaper today that Canon Andrew White (known as the Vicar of Baghdad), whom I heard at the Deo Gloria lecture recently, said that the future of Christianity looks bleak and no Christians will be left in Iraq.
This statement seems at odds with his views expressed at the Deo Gloria lecture when Canon White talked about his school in Baghdad where he was a surrogate father to children now lovingly brought according to Christian principles. He seemed to be appealing for funds to run this Christian school and to engage in constructive conversations with radical Muslims who respected his uncompromising and overtly Christian position, far from the usual wishy-washy liberalism of inter-faith dialogue.
Some views on religion, culture and faith in the Islamic world are frankly confusing. It is often said that terrorism and radical extremism have no place in any religion. Yet it seems quite clear that jihadists believe and hold religious opinions which are based on Quranic texts, the Hadith and the example of Muhammad. These jihadists would claim to be sincere followers of Islam, inspired by Muslim clerics and scholars versed in traditional Islamic schools of jurisprudence. It is hard to separate the jihadist ideology and political philosophy from their religion, their deeply held views and theology.
People in the West have been accused of islamophobia when they express concerns about female genital mutilation, the imposition of sharia law, and the subjugation and iniquitous treatment of women in various ways in Islamic states and by Muslim men.
This statement seems at odds with his views expressed at the Deo Gloria lecture when Canon White talked about his school in Baghdad where he was a surrogate father to children now lovingly brought according to Christian principles. He seemed to be appealing for funds to run this Christian school and to engage in constructive conversations with radical Muslims who respected his uncompromising and overtly Christian position, far from the usual wishy-washy liberalism of inter-faith dialogue.
Some views on religion, culture and faith in the Islamic world are frankly confusing. It is often said that terrorism and radical extremism have no place in any religion. Yet it seems quite clear that jihadists believe and hold religious opinions which are based on Quranic texts, the Hadith and the example of Muhammad. These jihadists would claim to be sincere followers of Islam, inspired by Muslim clerics and scholars versed in traditional Islamic schools of jurisprudence. It is hard to separate the jihadist ideology and political philosophy from their religion, their deeply held views and theology.
People in the West have been accused of islamophobia when they express concerns about female genital mutilation, the imposition of sharia law, and the subjugation and iniquitous treatment of women in various ways in Islamic states and by Muslim men.
3 comments:
Sometimes we are expected to swallow multi-cultural and multi-faith garbage. All religions and all cultures should be equally respected and valued, we are told. Tolerance is everything, even if that means tolerating the intolerable, evil and vile practices. Who in their right mind would advocate respect for Nazi culture, black magic, slavery, piracy, corruption and religions that carry out human sacrifice? And yet we are turning a blind eye to child marriage, which involves exploitation, under age sexual offences and abuse.
Good call, John. In the wake of islamofascism there is what is called islamopandering. Any criticism of Islam must be islamophobia. We should be afraid of the religion of peace. Religion is man talking about God. Christianity is God talking to us about and through Jesus Christ.
How many people have been killed by islamophobia? Far fewer than those killed by islamofascism!
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