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Monday, July 26, 2004
Stockholm Syndrome By Proxy
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, supports a variety of right on, socially progressive causes many of which I would broadly agree with. Yet the Archbishop has chosen to speak at Al-Azhar University, Cairo on the anniversary of September 11 (via Daimnation!). It is reported the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi condemned those attacks but I find little comfort in his words given his contradictory views on suicide bombing and "jihad" against Coalition forces in Iraq. His views on Israel are entirely predictable. Perhaps Archbishop Williams hopes for a similar breakthrough for ecumenism such as followed the Sheikh's meeting with the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Israel Lau in 1997. An interview with al Jazeera clarifies the Sheikh's views of the encounter.
Question: "What is your reply to the Israeli journalist, Shahar Ilan, who wrote in the Ha-Aretz newspaper about this meeting? He claims that the rabbi won the important battle over the heart of Islam, when he met with the Sheik of Al-Azhar?"
Tantawi: "Reality refutes it. I did not ask to meet with the rabbi; he was the one who asked to meet me and when he left the meeting, his face looked like his behind… This journalist did not attend the meeting and, therefore, he is a liar."
Leaving any potential remarks about the Archbishop's face, I find it difficult to believe he could agree with the faculty of Al-Azhar in their support for, to cite only one example, wife beating despite any common Abrahamic tradition. I can only credit an hallucinatory stupidity that would choose to legitimate the views of those people who would put your own to the sword. I can empathize, if not sympathize, with the people of the Philipines who should choose to knuckle under to the religious war of their captors lest they find their heads on the block. Archbishop Williams has no such excuse. He finds himself in a country where his liberties have the protection of law and his personal views have constitutional and historical leverage. That he should choose to exercise his power in this way is a direct betrayal of every value it is his duty to protect.
Cross-posted to Ghost of a flea
Posted by Ghost of a flea on July 26, 2004 | Permalink
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Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, supports a variety of right on, socially progressive causes many of which I would broadly agree with. Yet the Archbishop has chosen to speak at Al-Azhar University, Cairo on the anniversary of September 11... [Read More]
Tracked on 2004-07-26 9:59:54 AM
Comments
Is it so wrong to talk and argue with those who violently disagree?
From the webpage http://prayerfoundation.org/favoritemonks/favorite_monks_francis_of_assisi.htm regarding St. Francis:
At a time when Europeans were fighting the Crusades, Francis wanted to (and did) preach the Gospel to the world of Islam. [...] Wanting to take the Gospel to the world, Francis preached the Gospel to the Saracens (Moslems) in Egypt, and attempted to take the Gospel to Morocco, but was stopped in Spain by sickness. Nine of his followers took up his mission and preached the Good News in Morocco. They were executed by be-heading; becoming the first Franciscan martyrs.
Given the timing of the Archbishop's visit, I expect that he will denounce the 9/11 attacks. It will be interesting to see what sort of reaction he gets. Probably he'll return to England with his head still on his shoulders.
Posted by: Marc | 2004-07-26 11:14:13 AM
Let us hope you are right. Though I suspect a denunciation of American foreign policy and Israel's self-defence is rather more likely than an attempt to preach the Gospel to the students and faculty of Al-Azhar University.
Posted by: Ghost of a flea | 2004-07-26 11:57:16 AM
As usual, Nick speaks the truth.
Whether you agree with his views or not, you have to admire Pope JPII for his unquestionable personal courage. Rowan Williams is no Karol Wojtyla.
I fear this speech will spout appeasement on a Chamberlainian scale.
Posted by: Damian | 2004-07-27 3:19:55 PM
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