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Church sidelined 'by Government favouritism to Muslims'
Last updated at 20:52pm on 08.10.06
The memo was written by Guy Wilkinson, interfaith advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams
The Church of England has privately blamed the Government for favouring Islam over other religions, it was revealed today.
A document prepared by the Archbishop of Canterbury's adviser on other faiths accused ministers of showing political preference to Muslims and using taxpayers' money to promote Islam.
But, it said, the result has only been to deepen the divisions in society.
And the report questioned why Britain is regarded as a 'multi-faith' society when more than seven out of ten people say they are Christians and only one in 20 follow another faith.
The protests within the Church of England are a further blow to the left-wing doctrine of multiculturalism that denigrates British history and tradition while insisting on the right of every minority group to develop its own culture.
The criticism of Labour's attitude to Muslims was presented to the CofE's bishops last week and is said to have been 'well received.'
In it, Dr Rowan Williams' advisor Canon Guy Wilkinson said that the Church of England had been 'sidelined' while 'preferential' treatment was accorded to Muslims.
The report cited a series of instances of bias in favour of Islam. These included public funding to fly Islamic scholars to Britain to preach, the abandonment of laws that would have made forced marriage a crime, and official encouragement for the development non-interest mortgage and loans that obey the letter of Islamic law.
But Canon Wilkinson, who made a reputation as an outspoken cleric in the 1990s while trying to maintain congregations at his inner city Birmingham church in the face of growing Muslim influence in his local area, said all of this had not helped to heal the gulf between some groups of Muslims and the rest of society.
His report said: 'One might argue that disaffection and separation is now greater than ever, with Muslim communities withdrawing further into a sense of victimhood, and other faith communities seriously concerned that the Government has given signals that appear to encourage the notion of a privileged relationship with sections of the Muslim community.'
It added: 'In relation to faith, there has been a divided, almost schizophrenic approach.'
The document said that the 'contribution of the Church of England in particular and Christianity in general to the underlying culture remains very substantial.
'It could certainly be argued that there is an agenda behind a claim that a five per cent adherence to other faiths makes for a multi-faith society.'
Canon Wilkinson, who was an archdeacon in Bradford during the 2001 riots, said that Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly's Commission on Cohesion and Integration that is designed to help bring Muslims into the mainstream is doomed to fail.
His report adds to the sense of frustration with multiculturalism within the CofE that was expressed last year by Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu. Dr Sentamu said the doctrine tended to suppress the benefits of majority culture.
A spokesman for the Church of England said: 'This internal briefing note, produced by a Church official, is not designed as an attack on the Government but as a contribution to debate.'
Reader views (6)
It is interesting the the concepts of "majority rule/minority right" have modified into the governmental practices that are expressed as "minority rights/minority rule". Also the reading of freedom of religion is creating, in the US at least, a society that is trying to mirror "freedom FROM religion". Where will the slide lead if those entities that have historically protected the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden, are themselves demolished (as entities, not individuals)? Preference by governmental bodies in the face of fear of political incorrectness is a universal characteristic, it would seem.
- Sylvia Klokkenga, New Braunfels, TX
The Anglican Church and mainline Protestant denominations, especially in the U.S. (and Europe), have been sending mixed messages to the faithful that reflect internal divisions and moral confusion on some of the most crucial issues of the day. They have become so secularized that they risk becoming irrelevant. People look to religion for guidance in troubled times, not for politically correct sensitivities.
- J. Alejandro, Grand Rapids, USA
The Church of England needs to stand up and retake its turf in the United Kingdom.
Here in the United States, the Church of England (American Protestant Episcopal Church) is truly a minority, with further fracturing due to disagreement about the appointment of homosexual Bishops. However, the USA is still, thankfully, a Christian country, with our Jewish minority firmly united with us, in full support of the concept of "a Christian country". The UK is in terrible danger of losing its heritage. British and American laws are founded on British Church Law, which is part of the basis of democracy. The Archbishop of Canterbury should use his position to help his Christian nation maintain its majority.
- Carla Price, Hempstead, New York, United States
We really do have to stand up and be counted. The Bible tells us we must 'Contend Ernestly for the faith'. We have been known in the past as a Christian country, it seem far from that today day and all we are doing with the help of the government is getting further ande further from what for many of us is the guide for living namely the Bible. There may be many faiths coming into this country today, but why should be change to suit them, why should they not change to suit us?
- Alan Wright, Worksop, Nottinghamshire
I'm totally agnostic, but even from my limited experience of the Church it's obvious that for the past 9 years they've been playing second fiddle to the Muslim's at every turn. We have a Government obsessed with trying to integrate a faith which, for the most part, is entirely against any integration into the British way; instead continuing to call for more bends in our way of life to suit them, going as far in some corners as to be calling for anything from Sharia law across the board to the Killing of innocent Britons (as seen on 7/7).
A huge percentage of Muslims are peace loving happily integrated Britons, but they have a duty to stand up to the powers that represent them on a national scale to say that what is being said and preached in their name is not what they want.
- Neil, Notting Hill
Not sure how right this is but it's certainly looking like the government is doing exactly what has been stated here... hence more problems for the future.
- Sarah, London
