Irene Lancaster's Diary

How a ripple can become a seismic shift

Just returned from a meeting with Christians at St. Paul's Church in Salford.

http://www.stpaulsparish.org.uk/about.php

Their vicar is the Revd Lisa Battye, Patron of Anglican Friends of Israel.

http://www.anglicanfriendsofisrael.com/

Lisa visited me last November in Haifa, whilst on a week's holiday with her husband and two of her children in Israel.

At the Church, an appeal was being made for people suffering in Kenya. Congregants heard how the school attended by the brother of their care worker had been burned down, and a request was made for donations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7172103.stm

I was then asked to say a few words about Christian Friends of Magen David Adom, of which I am Patron.

http://www.mdauk.org/events/

Magen David Adom is Israel's only national medical emergency and blood service. It is 'a member of the Red Cross family' and 'is able to use its expertise and experience to assist many countries in crisis', as well as responding in Israel 'to approximately 500,000 calls a year: from accidents, births and everyday emergencies to suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks- at speeds not bettered anywhere in the world'.

This charity was formed during the 2nd Lebanon War of 2006 by Christians in the Greater Manchester area.

http://info.jpost.com/C006/Supplements/Lebanon2/

CFMDA UK have now raised enough money for the dedication of the first ambulance. The dedication will take place in Tiberias, Galilee, on June 2nd 2008, in the presence of the British Ambassador, Tom Phillips.

Lisa has been remarkably supportive of causes in Israel, a country she knows well, as she worked there some 25 years ago.

It was also good to become re-acquainted with people to whom I'd taught Biblical and modern Hebrew before moving to Haifa. Some of these have said they would like to come out and visit and see something of the country about which they've heard so much.

Lisa said that she for one would join and support Christian Friends of Magen David Adom. And this is how a ripple can become a seismic shift, as many of us in Manchester experienced last night.

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/earthquake-in-m.html

Earthquake in Manchester

Ttis happened to us last night:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3442675.ece

Funnily enough, when my daughter called my name, I dreamed I was in Israel and it was a bomb attack. Then it became obvious that it was Manchester and that the house was moving seriously. And then the realisation dawned that wherever you are in the world, earthquakes can happen, both spiritual and physical.  And if you are lucky, your whole way of looking at things can shift in a split second.

Is Jewish life in Britain hunky dory, or is antisemitism a real and present danger?

Two different views of the state of anti-semitism in Britain here:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203847455740&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

and here:

http://www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/article.php?id=1683#

One is from the the President of the Board of Deputies, i.e. a pillar of the Jewish establishment, and the other from a Marxist sociology lecturer. I wonder which one has more truth in it.

Here's a clue:

http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=58231&ATypeId=1

and here:

http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m12s114&SecId=114&AId=58279&ATypeId=1

Friends and colleagues all over the country tell me that they're keeping their heads down, that Britain has now become a 'Muslim' country, and that they are buying a 'bolt-hole' in Israel 'just in case'. Many of them have personal experience of racist abuse, including beatings and muggings in broad daylight. And even those who are not Jewish are now more open about discussing the problems besetting the country.

As for schools and colleges, a friend who goes round lecturing about Israel to school pupils and young adults says it's absolutely dire. Israel is the 'apartheid' country and that's that. Total ignorance, he says. And he's not sure what one can do about it.

So, it seems that the Marxist sociology lecturer may have a point, after all - unfortunately.

Sexy-sounding Tariq Ramadan has made a concession: he would spare 'innocent' Israelis, aged 8

Tariq Ramadan, rated as the Muslim equivalent to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/misc/insearchofgod.shtml

featured on this morning's BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme. It's the last item.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/sunday/index.shtml

It appears that Muslims in Cambridge want to have closer ties with the Jewish community. In order to achieve this, however, 'extremists' on both sides will have to be reined in, 'marginalised' and made to see reason.

Examples of the Jewish equivalents of beheaders and amputators were not given, unfortunately. But Tariq did soothe away the wrinkles with his gorgeous French-accented voice, letting us know that Islam is now prepared to make some concessions over Israel. He did concede that 8-year old Israelis might be considered 'innocent' and thus spared the suicide bombers.

I wonder how they can tell. No doubt all 7-year old Israelis will be able to rejoice up to a point, but as for 9-year olds ....

Well that means that yours truly, as well as her daughter are not to be spared. A pity really. We were both, in our different ways, getting on so well with our Arab neighbours. Just recently, the British Council Director in Nazareth was very keen that I should visit a Druze Arab school, where they desperately need English teachers. I turned up (it's just up the Carmel from where I live) and expected the normal type of disorganized Israeli school - only slightly more chaotic maybe. Wrong! What I found (and my friend from Manchester, who had never visited israel before, and is coming back later this year, she loved it so much, with her daughter-in-law) was a palatial edifice in exquisite grounds, more reminiscent of the best that Cordoba has to offer in medieval mosques and churches than the typical inner city Greater Manchester school, for instance. And how had this come about? Funding from the Israeli Ministry of Education and donations from a Jewish philanthropist. That's how.

So, will these kids in the Druze comprehensive school also be targetted? What about the cafes and restaurants dotted around Haifa, many of them owned, or co-owned by members of the Arab community? What about the head of the blood unit at the local medical centre, also an Arab? Or the many staff and students at Haifa University? Or my daughter's new boss. All Arabs. The list could go on and on.

But what will no doubt come across to the thousands who listen and who learn about religion largely from programmes like these is that Professor Tariq Ramadan has made a considerable concession to the 'apartheid' State of Israel and that now it is time for that State to reciprocate in kind.

Frankly, I can't see what Israel can do more than it's doing, seeing as it's threatened with death from every side. But within its own parameters it has created an oasis of co-existence that could be a paradigm for the rest of the world.

As for Tariq, it's strange that he came across so conciliatory, when only recently he was involved in this escapade at the Turin Book Fair:

http://hereticallibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/02/tariq-ramadan-censor.html

for Tariq Ramadan is the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, a little detail not mentioned by the Sunday Programme. The above blog speaks accurately of Tariq's 'rhetorical doublespeak'.

Yes, boycotting the Fair because of Israel's presence. Considering that Israelis read more books per head per week than practically any other group, as well as being involved in massive translation and editing jobs in and out of every language under the sun, it would surely have been a bit strange for it not to participate in this event. Especially, when you consider that Turin is the home of arguably the greatest Jewish writer of the 20th century, Primo Levi

http://books.guardian.co.uk/authors/author/0,,-104,00.html

Oh, and Tariq has apparently also called for a boycott of the Paris Book Fair as well (March 14th-19th), and for similar reasons!

But, as stated above, it's the voice that does it. That voice could win over nearly everyone, especially on radio, where you can't see the person's eyes. As it says in the good book:

The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

http://bible.cc/genesis/27-22.htm

No wonder, Judaism's greatest prophet, Moses, had a speech impediment. There's a great moral in that.

http://www.askmoses.com/article/241,297/Why-did-G-d-give-Moses-a-speech-impediment.html

For one thing you can definitely say about Moses - he was certainly not guilty of 'rhetorical doublespeak', and maybe that is part of the problem in today's media world.

Why studying the Holocaust is essential

A profound analysis of why studying the Holocaust is essential:

http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2008/02/too-much-holoca.html

and this museum at Yad Vashem should be visited:

http://www1.yadvashem.org/new_museum/overview.html

England's attitude to Jews, israel and Zionism: a Catholic view

Yesterday, I met up with Maria (not her real name), a Catholic from Lancashire, who writes the blog: Christian Attitudes to Jews, Israel and Zionism

http://www.zionismontheweb.org/blogs/index.php?blog=9

She can't be identified in case she loses her job. However, visiting beautiful Slaidburn

http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks/walk_b/2216/

in the Forest of Bowland,

http://www.forestofbowland.com/

'Maria' analysed what she regards as the state of England in the year since we last saw each other.

She mentions Jewish students keeping their heads down at her local university. She also stated that Catholic Bishops are encouraged to use Christian Arab tour companies and guides for Christian pilgrimages to the 'Holy Land'. In case this sounds perfectly reasonable, it should be emphasized that Christian Arabs tend to feel like a beleagured minority under the Muslim Arab majority in the area, and their spiel is therefore tailored to suit! A sigh of relief, therefore, at the retirement of the Head of the Catholic Church in Israel, Michael Sabbagh (a bit of a Bishop Riah figure, really).

According to this blog, our Mike (Latin Patriarch in the Holy Land) used to run arms to the PLO.

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/4165

What a contrast with the Forest of Bowland, last visited just before leaving for Israel:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/07/day_out.html

and before that to attend (by invitation) a lecture on attitudes to Israel. The person who invited us just sat there whilst the crowd of Muslims and Christians let rip in violent fashion at the three Jews in the audience, including myself.

Just met up again with one of my fellow Jewish participants on that occasion, who tells me he's emigrating to the USA in a month. He just can't take living in the Greater Manchester area any more. His uncle was one of the greatest rabbis this country has ever known:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2003/jul/25/guardianobituaries.religion

Don't blame him. I've just learned the name of the rabbi who was beaten up recently in his own home round the corner, and it was someone we knew well. Where's the national media coverage of all this?

Here are some statistics just out:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/510711/violence-against-british-jews-on-the-rise.thtml

It was a glorious day, as 'Maria' pointed out land belonging to the Queen and other land belonging to the Duke of Westminster. There was even a private helicopter in one of the fields. Ducks followed a small girl across a green to the rippling stream, as the trees - stark in their denuded winter beauty - lined the way back to the motorway, with signs saying Blackburn, Burnley, Oldham and Rochdale (where, of course there are no 'no-go' areas) and we took only an hour to get home, via Prestwich to Broughton Park.

And then my daughter rang and said it was snowing in Jerusalem.

http://uk.geocities.com/yosef_fraser/snow/jerusalem_in_the_snow.htm

The BBC's even-handedness over this morning's Lenten Sunday Worship from Glasgow

Sunday mornings in Haifa usually entails downloading BBC's Radio Four Sunday Programme. Sunday Worship, which follows it, is not usually on the agenda.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/sunday_worship/

However, I'd received a tip-off that the Revd Bob Fyffe, General Secretary of Churches Together, was to be the guest preacher on the theme of social justice from a church in Glasgow. I'd met Bob, together with four of his colleagues from Christian Aid (including its Chair, the Bishop of Chelmsford) in Jerusalem last year. It's all in this blog:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/memo-to-christi.html

What the tip-off had told me was to listen out today to Bob Fyffe mentioning the great suffering of Palestinians in Hebron. That was to be it on suffering, apparently. But it would seem that the BBC had got back to Bob and said that he couldn't mention Hebron without mentioning the Kassam rockets on Sderot either.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/951447.html

So, how did it come across? The whole programme could be seen as a typically Christian anti-Jewish trope, done English (or Scottish?) style, understated at all times.  There were New Testament readings about how Jesus berated the Scribes and the Pharisees (read 'Jews') in the Temple; citations from Habakkuk, who was made out to be a Christian, rather than a Jewish prophet

http://www.online-literature.com/bible/Habbakuk/

a mention of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and fascism. Again read anti Israel, rather than anti Nazi, even though Holocaust Memorial Day took place not so long ago.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week923/feature.html

A free ad for Christian Aid. And then the mention of Hebron. Somehow it was uncanny. We've got Tibet and Burma, Darfur, Kenya and Nigeria. The estimable James Hider of The Times wrote about Hezbollah's threat against Israel yesterday, such that there's talk about me not going back to Haifa as planned, because of the alert the country's on, and the sad state of our shelter, which wouldn't be able to protect a mouse at present:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3379157.ece

And the man chooses to talk about Hebron???

And then it came - prompted by the BBC or not - he mentioned Sderot and Jewish children and Kassam rockets and sounded as if he really meant it.

It would need a psychiatrist to work out what is wrong with the British churches at present. My own experience of working at the Church of Scotland school in Jaffa, where over 90% of the teaching staff are Jewish and fully aware of the hatred expressed for Israel by the Church of Scotland itself, leads me to conclude that Judaism is a better religion than the one espoused by the Church.

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/councils/worldmission/wmspotlightmiddleeast.htm

Because, in contrast to what came over from that disgraceful programme, Jews manage to differentiate between adults and children, the guilty and the innocent, and we teach Christian kids, even Arabs, as if they were our own children, irrespective of what the powers-that-be preach and what the kids are taught by their parents to think.

And, judging from the amazing letters I received (how often do kids write letters any more - especially in e-mail loving Israel?) when I left, begging me to come back and demonstrating real appreciation for what I'd taught (actually the Beatles and Christmas carols)it seems that this truly objective approach is capable, sometimes, of setting in motion a very small ripple in a large pond.

So why don't the Bob Fyffes of this world talk about things like that, instead of perpetuating the 2000 year-old Christian anti-Judaism which will only end up by destroying the world. Until told by the BBC of all people to at least provide the sort of balance which won't get them into any more trouble.

Has The Guardian made history? An article sympathetic to Israel on Comment is Free

Has the Guardian made history with this article on Comment is Free?

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/andre_oboler/index.html

The writer explains clearly why Israel is not an apartheid state and why deeming her such is itself racist.

This comes after a polite and respectful reception for Melanie Phillips on Thursday's popular BBC discussion programme Question Time:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/melanie-phillip.html

Then, today's Times had an excellent travel piece on why Tel Aviv is where it's at, with the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy and exceptionally cheap airfares from England:

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/holiday_type/breaks/article3370349.ece

I flew back to England on Sunday with Thomsonfly at a very reasonable price. The service was great. And it was marvellous having five hours of journey rather than stopping off in Frankfurt or Amsterdam and spending the whole day in travel.

And although it's now raining in Israel, it hasn't rained here once in Manchester since I've been back.

The gardener asked if Israel was really like it's portrayed on the BBC. And I said 'No'. And he said, 'It couldn't be like that, otherwise you wouldn't be staying there and looking so well.'

And he said he might come on a visit himself.

Melanie Phillips for Chief Rabbi?

As you can see from this blog, a great deal of time was devoted on last night's Question Time, to the Archbishop's speech, and also to the release of students originally found guilty of downloading jihadi material:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/506336/broadcasting-spots.thtml

Steven Lowe, Bishop of Hulme defended the Archbishop of Canterbury, but seemed out of his depths, as well as incredibly concerned about the wellbeing of Britain's Muslims. I've blogged on him here:

http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/the-dignified-b.html

Then there was Baroness Varsi, herself a Muslim, Shadow Minister for Commnity Cohesion. Goodness knows why how she's been appointed a Baroness. Totally lacking in gravitas.

Melanie Phillips and Clive James were terrific. And the phenomenon of chairman, David Dimbleby, politely asking Melanie to explain the role and function of the Bet Din, when in the past, he's been happy to assist the audience in slagging her off, was totally eye-popping! What on earth has happened to Britain in the last year?

Then, we went shopping at Tescos and Farouk on check-out was kindness itself. Behind us in the queue was a member of the Haredi community, who told me proudly that he'd taken over my job. What? Teaching Biblical and modern Hebrew to Christian clergy in Manchester? No! 'Interfaith Advisor to the Greater Manchester Diocese'. Oy vey! He sometimes features on radio chat shows, happily predicting the demise of all sections of the Jewish community except the haredim. Many would hope not!

Then to buy challahs and quick look at the Jewish Press. The Jewish Chronicle had a headline about a leading Dayan backing the Archbishop of Canterbury on his sharia speech, as well as a leading barrister, who used to be my neighbour:

http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11&SecId=11&AId=58044&ATypeId=1

The Chief Rabbi has declined to comment:

http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m12s29&SecId=29&AId=58121&ATypeId=1

The Jewish Telegraph had an article by Rabbi Jeremy Rosen, strongly disagreeing with the ABC. But also, many many articles about the escalation in violence against the Jewish community of Manchester, including the beating up of a local rabbi.

Then, a walk in the nearby country park, and I bumped into one of the teenagers who had been mugged on Sunday in the centre of Manchester. I asked if it was true that his head had been bashed in, and he said 'Yes'. And stoically went on his way as if these events were every-day occurrences.

I forgot to say that the JT also contained a full-page ad from Nefesh be-Nefesh, the organisation which encourages people to make aliyah.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1143498799846

 

The Times' choice of best 10 articles on the Archbishop of Canterbury's sharia speech

The Times' Faith Central blog has just sent me this:

http://timesonline.typepad.com/faith/2008/02/top-ten-comment.html

their choice of the 10 best articles on the Archbishop of Canterbury's sharia speech. It's interesting that those commentators who discussed parallels with the Jewish Bet Din don't seem to understand how the Bet Din operates. In addition, Paul Vallely of the Independent (and the Church Times) has written an article quite different in both tone and content to the way he discussed the matter on last week's Radio 4 Sunday Programme:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/paul-vallely-williams-is-snared-in-a-trap-of-his-own-making-779799.html

and

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/sunday/index.shtml

And this is perhaps the most worrying thing of all - that people chop and change their views according to context. 'Secular law' in Britain is not completely anti religious in any case, but it soon will be if people keep saying that it is.

This is a Christian country, based on Jewish, Christian and Enlightenment norms. To act (as the religious establishment does) as if Christianity is only one tiny sect, is bound to lead to disaster, because, in the market place of ideas, the school bully is bound to win in the end.

I was discussing this today with Jewish and Christian friends, and they all agreed that this was the case. They couldn't understand why the country is scared stiff of stating the obvious.

Let's hope the Bet Din will be allowed to continue the way it is and that the backlash against Sharia, as a result of the Archbishop's talk, will not result in all minority religions being penalised. This is the concern of many I encountered around Manchester today.