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Britain
Senior British cleric calls for formal slavery apology
2007-03-26
The second most senior cleric in the Church of England called on the government to make a formal apology for the slave trade as celebrations take place to mark the anniversary of its abolition in the British Empire. Earlier this month Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was “sorry” for Britain’s role in the trade and expressed “deep sorrow” for slavery which was abolished by parliament exactly 200 years ago on March 25, 1807.

However Archbishop of York John Sentamu said Blair needed to go further. “A nation of this quality should have the sense of saying we are very sorry and we have to put the record straight,” he told the BBC. “This community was involved in a very terrible trade, Africans were involved in a very terrible trade, the Church was involved in a very terrible trade ... it’s important that we all own up to what was collectively done.” Blair will send a recorded message of regret for Britain’s role to celebrations on Sunday in Ghana - a source of many of the slaves - marking the bicentenary of the abolition.
I'd say Britain, which ended the slave trade, deserves a "thank you" for that, not to have its efforts dismissed in some sort of PC ritual of self-flagellation.
Posted by:Fred

#9  "You're" welcome.

Snide works better is spelled correctly.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-03-26 14:03  

#8  On behalf of England, I would like to offer a formal apology for the institutionalized stupidity of the Church of England.

(Your welcome for ending the Atlantic slave-trade too, btw. Seeing as I am being asked to apologize I figure I can also take the credit despite the fact I had yet to be born. I figure some folks probably owe me cash too. Nothing says "cheers for freeing us and all our children and children's children" like cold hard cash.)
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-03-26 14:02  

#7  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sentamu

Don't be too quick to dismiss the enigmatic Archbishop of York. He has one heck of a biography and it would not be entirely off to call him "Britain's equivalent to Condoleeza Rice."

Born in Uganda, he was appointed to their high court by Idi Amin at 24, then had to leave the country after enraging Amin.

First of all, he is opposed to ordaining or marrying homosexuals; he doesn't want the House of Lords to be elected and appointed for fear that it will become a 'packed house' and diminish freedom; he is also very critical of multiculturalism, and says that the English should be proud of their history and culture as well.

He has chastised the BBC for being afraid of criticizing Islam.

He just seems to be all over the map on issues, and at times he has confronted the Archbishop of Canterbury with strong disagreements. He's not someone to take lightly.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-03-26 13:24  

#6  The apology was made when slavery was abolished. This latest episode is an assertion of multi-cult power. If the Brits apologize, minorities will want compensation for something done 2 centuries ago. They appear to forget who enslaved. One estimate holds that Western Civilization enslaved 11 million Africans. However, Muslims enslaved 14 million blacks and 1 million whites.
Posted by: Sneaze   2007-03-26 07:52  

#5  Whew! Well thatÂ’s outta the way, now how bout an apology for Piracy.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2007-03-26 07:45  

#4  Just an idiot with too much time in his hands.

Every civilization has practiced slavery and only one abolished voluntarily: the Western one.

Between the nations who practiced slavery Britain was the first in abolishing it.

Some people will say it was Revolutionary France but in fact most of the more radical revolutionaries were for it becase "otherwise sugar would become too expensive" and the abolition took place at a time where French colonies looked doomed due to the state of derliction the French Navy had fallen after massive emigration of officers and NCOs. Aklso slavery was restablished by Napoleon and teh definitive abolition was much lmater than Britain's.

Finally during XiXth century Britain spent life and treasure fighting slave trade sending its ships to patrol the coasts of Africa.

Also unlike in Western civilizations tyhe owner of a slave is not supposed to rape the slave unlike in say the Muslim ones where sexual use of slaves is explicitly allowed by Coran.

So how about "others" to apologize instead of Britain?
Posted by: JFM   2007-03-26 03:24  

#3  Perhaps he feels Blair should apologize to or in Sudan -- which still practices slavery....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2007-03-26 01:23  

#2  Lest we fergit, Muslim-controlled slavery wasn't limited to only non-Muslims. Milyuhns of Negroid or African Muslims were killed or made slaves by fellow Muslims merely becuz of their skin color or local ethnicity.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-03-26 01:05  

#1  You miss the point Fred. By making, for the first time ever, slavery illegal --- Britain caused a lot of hardship to Arabs in African slave trade. Thereby, violating said Arabs human rights and religious freedom.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-03-26 00:23  

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