 The Archbishop of Canterbury is said to be overwhelmed by the "hostility of the response" after his call for parts of Sharia law to be recognised in the UK. Friends of Dr Rowan Williams say he is in a state of shock and dismayed by the criticism from his own Church.
| He expected polite silence in the face of his suggestion to negate every gain the English have made since the Magna Charta. |
All the main political parties, secular groups and some senior Muslims have expressed dismay at his comments. However, the Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, criticised the "disgraceful" treatment of Dr Williams.
| Ahah. A bird of similar plumage. |
The BBC understands from sources who work on Christian-Muslim interfaith issues that Dr Williams has faced a barrage of criticism from within the Church and has been genuinely taken aback by how his words were received. My Gracious Lord of Canterbury has been wrapped up in his own thoughts, utterly disconnected from spirituality and the Christian tradition, for a long time now. Must be the herbs in that Druid ceremonial cup he imbibed when being invested in the Order of the Magical Oak a while back.
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| Perhaps he should consider another line of work. Maybe a rewarding career in the food service industry? |
| The bowling industry is hiring ... |
BBC News religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says both traditionalists and liberals in the Church have their own reasons for criticising Dr Williams. Traditionalists maintain that English law is based on Biblical values and that no parallel system could be tolerated in the UK.
| That part of the argument's pretty fallacious. English law remained separate from canon law for a thousand years or so. It's based on Biblical values to the extent Britain is a Christian country, but it's also quite fluid -- too fluid in the opinion of some, since many principles today have drifted from the way they worked a hundred or two hundred years ago. Shariah, however, being rooted in the Koran and Mohammed's utterances and habits, can't change. Even if it does change in the face of some sort of transient humanitarian impulse, it's likely to change back as soon as the Salafists take over. |
Liberal Anglicans believe giving Sharia legal status would be to the detriment of women and gay people.
| Yeah, yeah. Those are the only issues of any import in the entire world. |
| Nah ... but they are indicative .... |
| Isn't it great how the Archbishop has united traditionalists and liberals? |
Resignation call
Among those critical of the archbishop is the chairman of evangelical Church group Reform, the Reverend Rod Thomas. "The Church at the moment, and the country, needs a clear lead. The country is itself in a debate about its own sense of identity," he said. "The moral values that we pursue are ones that we need to know are clearly grounded, and it would be most helpful for the leader of the Church to be able to explain to people how the values we cherish stem from our Christian tradition."
| The Archdruid's not real big on Christian tradition. |
UKIP MEP Gerard Batten said it would be the "thin end of the wedge" and called on the archbishop to resign.
| Good idea. Trade in the mitre for a paper hat. |
He said: "I think he's shown he is totally unfit for the role he undertakes. He's not fit to be Archbishop of Canterbury, he doesn't seem to know what his own business is, and he's not fit to sit in the House of Lords. I think he should go." |