Just before travelling back to England for a month's holiday, it is sad to see what has happened to the Church of England. Rowan Williams came in with such promise. The Times practically hailed him as the new Messiah at least. But although he's only been in office 5 years, it's been disastrous for the Jewish community.
Either by omission or commission, nearly everything he's done as far as we're concerned has been the opposite of the Midas Touch. Either we've been ignored, when other, more visible, groups have been mentioned positively by him; or boycott measures against us have been approved by him; or our own tragic history has been used against us to promote the welfare of extreme groups, with whom we have absolutely nothing in common.
And every time, he has been given the benefit of the doubt. I was asked to provide Lambeth Palace with information on Hamas. I wrote to them about why divestment was wrong. I told them that their desire to meet Israeli rabbis in Cyprus rather than Jerusalem was catastrophic for PR, as well as offensive. And I gave the ABC the benefit of the doubt over Holocaust Memorial Day, even though he used the occasion to promote the well-being of the Muslim community.
I warned Lambeth Palace specifically regarding this latest venture at SOAS of all places, where Jewish students and staff are not exactly made to feel welcome
http://education.guardian.co.uk/racism/story/0,,1481647,00.html
that they were stepping into a minefield. But did they listen ... ?
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/1575
The worst is the comparison with the Jewish Bet Din. When will people realise that, according to Judaism, the law of the land is the law.
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1889978
And if this weren't enough, I've received apologies from two prominent Catholics (including the editor of a leading Catholic newspaper) regarding the Pope's revised prayer for the conversion of Jews. And also a posting from a group called 'Muslims Against Sharia', apologizing for the suicide bombing at Dimona.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/951028.html
Now security really is tight in Haifa, at the other end of the country.
But my friend has loved staying here. And wants to come out again with her children and grandchildren from Manchester as soon as possible:
http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/
Today we watched as Jewish and Arab children played together in the park across the road, dressed identically in jeans and sweaters. That would be almost impossible in today's Britain - whether it caves in to sharia law, or not.
And the Bishop of Rochester, who intends to visit here in June
http://www.gafcon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=1
and has received death threats for his pains:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3292032.ece
appears to have taken the bull by the horns. After all, he actually comes from a country governed by sharia law:
http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2008/02/english-law-and-sharia.html
and should rightfully have been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in the first place, except that - guess what - at the time, Muslim groups objected!
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