Monday, February 11, 2008

The dignity of Rowan Williams

At the risk of sending Alex Wilcock into hypertwitch, I'd like to mention Thought for the day.

Abdal Hakim Murad this morning elegantly summed up the row over Rowan Williams' lecture and interview:

It is now clear to most that Dr Williams, far from recommending some kind of parallel law for Muslims, was pointing out that informal religious tribunals which already adjudicate on a limited number of civil - never criminal - matters, in a way which is entirely legal under arbitration laws, should be more systematically brought under the regulation of the legal system. He was not commending greater separateness, or an expansion of Muslim courts - quite the opposite.

Well summarised that man. And two minutes later came the news that the Archbishop of the Ice-cream cone, Rt Rev Root Vegetables, has had a go at Williams. Par for the course. He was up in arms about the Bishop of Reading to-do as if it had anything to do with him.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's speech to the Synod today was remarkably dignified and clear. In particular, it was good that he said this:

I must of course take responsibility for any unclarity in either that text or in the radio interview, and for any misleading choice of words that has helped to cause distress or misunderstanding among the public at large and especially among my fellow Christians.

I also thought he started with a remarkably apt quote:

The prevailing attitude...was one of heavy disagreement with a number of things which the [speaker] had not said. - Ronald Knox

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