'I hope that the whole of this community in Manchester will unite behind the Hope Not Hate pledge. It is an important campaign that what matters in this life is turning enemies into friends – not friends into enemies.Hope not hate
1 Corinthians 13 tells us we should show faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these things is love. You cannot love through hate, hate is driven by fear. Love banishes all hate. If you do not respect other people, you cannot fully respect yourself. We are made in the image of God, no matter our colour, culture or ethnicity. I hope that the people of this great city will banish hate and embrace hope.'
Showing posts with label John Sentamu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Sentamu. Show all posts
October 09, 2009
The Archbishop of York backs the campaign
The Archbishop of York has thrown his support behind our campaign against the English Defence League in Manchester. His statement backed our Manchester HOPE not hate pledge which we launched in the city on Monday with the backing of faith and community leaders and representatives from all three main political parties.This is his statement: Hope Not Hate, Message from the Archbishop of York.
May 25, 2009
Stop exaggerating the threat of the BNP
A small far-right party is receiving far more publicity than it deserves
The leaders of the Church of England have every right to pronounce on political issues. Like the other great monotheistic faiths, the Christian churches believe that faith must be lived out in the world and cannot be divorced from political debate.
Nevertheless, sincere though their intentions undoubtedly are, the content of the latest statement from the two archbishops of Canterbury and York, warning people not to vote for the far-right British National Party (BNP) in next month's European and local elections, must be counted a mistake.
Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu are playing directly into the hands of the BNP by whipping up yet more brouhaha over what is likely to remain a marginal force in Britain's political life. Quite inadvertently, they are feeding the party with the oxygen of publicity to a degree that must be delighting the party's leader, Nick Griffin.
The two archbishops are not alone in pursuing this unwise, counterproductive course. Representatives of the mainstream political parties have been queuing up recently to urge people not to vote for the BNP, planting in many people's minds a connection between the scandal over MPs expenses and voting for the BNP that probably never existed before they first raised the matter.
It would not have occurred to most of the electorate to register their disapproval of the conduct of certain greedy Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat MPs by switching votes to a party whose only real, substantive issue is an immediate halt to immigration. The argument being put forward in recent days by various MPs – that we must all continue to vote for the traditional parties or risk handing over the country to fascists – comes across as unscrupulous and self-interested.
The fact is that unlike in France, Italy or Austria, the extreme right in Britain has never made a significant breakthrough. The BNP has developed into a significant political force in only a handful of areas, mainly in a few troubled towns in the north-west of England that have experienced prolonged high unemployment as a result of the collapse of traditional industries and which have been under the complacent management of a single political party for decades. Outside these pockets, the BNP has made few inroads. And it showed no sign of becoming the principal beneficiary of public anger against the big parties over the business of expenses until the politicians and archbishops decided to give them a great deal of airtime. If, as this newspaper reports today, the party is now registering an unprecedented number of hits on its website, that is surely, at least in part, the unintended outcome of all this free publicity it has been receiving.
The way to contain the BNP is not to rail in a frantic and exaggerated fashion against the great "threat" that it apparently poses to British democracy but, where and when it is appropriate, to calmly remind people that the arguments it proposes are wrong, illogical and unworkable – as well as obnoxious. Voters should be reminded that we cannot become the insular, isolated state for which the BNP pines, nor should we wish to.
What we should not do is what we are in danger of doing now: grossly exaggerating the BNP's size and importance and so, quite possibly, handing it a great many votes that it would not otherwise have hoped to have gained.
Independent
The leaders of the Church of England have every right to pronounce on political issues. Like the other great monotheistic faiths, the Christian churches believe that faith must be lived out in the world and cannot be divorced from political debate.
Nevertheless, sincere though their intentions undoubtedly are, the content of the latest statement from the two archbishops of Canterbury and York, warning people not to vote for the far-right British National Party (BNP) in next month's European and local elections, must be counted a mistake.
Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu are playing directly into the hands of the BNP by whipping up yet more brouhaha over what is likely to remain a marginal force in Britain's political life. Quite inadvertently, they are feeding the party with the oxygen of publicity to a degree that must be delighting the party's leader, Nick Griffin.
The two archbishops are not alone in pursuing this unwise, counterproductive course. Representatives of the mainstream political parties have been queuing up recently to urge people not to vote for the BNP, planting in many people's minds a connection between the scandal over MPs expenses and voting for the BNP that probably never existed before they first raised the matter.
It would not have occurred to most of the electorate to register their disapproval of the conduct of certain greedy Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat MPs by switching votes to a party whose only real, substantive issue is an immediate halt to immigration. The argument being put forward in recent days by various MPs – that we must all continue to vote for the traditional parties or risk handing over the country to fascists – comes across as unscrupulous and self-interested.
The fact is that unlike in France, Italy or Austria, the extreme right in Britain has never made a significant breakthrough. The BNP has developed into a significant political force in only a handful of areas, mainly in a few troubled towns in the north-west of England that have experienced prolonged high unemployment as a result of the collapse of traditional industries and which have been under the complacent management of a single political party for decades. Outside these pockets, the BNP has made few inroads. And it showed no sign of becoming the principal beneficiary of public anger against the big parties over the business of expenses until the politicians and archbishops decided to give them a great deal of airtime. If, as this newspaper reports today, the party is now registering an unprecedented number of hits on its website, that is surely, at least in part, the unintended outcome of all this free publicity it has been receiving.
The way to contain the BNP is not to rail in a frantic and exaggerated fashion against the great "threat" that it apparently poses to British democracy but, where and when it is appropriate, to calmly remind people that the arguments it proposes are wrong, illogical and unworkable – as well as obnoxious. Voters should be reminded that we cannot become the insular, isolated state for which the BNP pines, nor should we wish to.
What we should not do is what we are in danger of doing now: grossly exaggerating the BNP's size and importance and so, quite possibly, handing it a great many votes that it would not otherwise have hoped to have gained.
Independent
Labels:
BNP,
fascist BNP,
John Sentamu,
nazi BNP,
Nick Griffin,
Rowan Williams
May 03, 2009
BNP race row with Dr John Sentamu over 'spear-thrower' comments
The deputy leader of the British National Party has made an astonishing attack on Dr John Sentamu, the former Bishop of Birmingham, describing his Ugandan countrymen as SPEAR-THROWERS.
Simon Darby blasted Dr Sentamu, now Archbishop of York, after the cleric criticised the BNP’s controversial call for black and Asian Britons to be described as “racial foreigners” in future.Darby, who is bidding to become a Midlands Euro MP, said: “Dr Sentamu should not interfere in the political process. He’s not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn’t, English. If I went to Uganda and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I’d still be picking spears out of myself now.”
He also described Dr Sentamu as an “anti-British zealot” and an “ambitious African” – warning that he should “have thought about the consequences” of speaking out against the BNP.
The war of words broke out after last week’s statement by BNP Leader Nick Griffin that black and Asian Britons should be described as “racial foreigners”, and “no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese”. He was defending a BNP election leaflet which stated that black and Asian Britons “do not exist”, adding that the use of the terms denied “the English their own identity”. It was leading to a “bloodless genocide” in the UK, Griffin added.
Outraged by the suggestion, Uganda-born Dr Sentamu said it was not up to the BNP to define Englishness.
“You don’t have to be a member of the BNP to be clearly English,” he said. “It is quite a mistake to suggest that everybody who wants to affirm Englishness affirms that narrow thinking. This ‘bloodless genocide’? I think that is just language which is beyond belief.”
Writing on the internet, BNP spokesman Simon Darby then made the savage attack on the Archbishop.
Under the headline ‘And the Lord said, arise though art all English’ Darby stated: “Our old friend John Sentamu, or to give him his full name John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, has been up to his old tricks once again. As if the responsibilities of being the Archbishop of York were not enough, the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English.”
Adding criticism of Labour MP Shahid Malik, Darby wrote: “I somewhat doubt whether or not this collection of professional anti-British zealots, who try oh so very hard to disguise their true motivations, have thought about the consequences of BNP success in spite of their very public interference. However, what is certain is that should the BNP triumph in Yorkshire or elsewhere, the likes of Malik and Sentamu will be able to wallow in their newly acclaimed marginalisation, obscurity and irrelevance for years.”
Yesterday anti-fascist campaigners Searchlight condemned Mr Darby’s comments.
“Simon Darby’s threats and thinly veiled racism expose the true face of the BNP,” they said. “Dr Sentamu is internationally respected, but even he is not immune from the smears and hate being peddled by Darby and his colleagues. It’s a measure of Darby’s desperation that he is resorting to these vicious attacks on a man of Faith.”
But last night, Darby was unmoved.
“As soon as anyone speaks out defending the English they are branded racist,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. This is all part of a smear campaign by Labour in the run-up to the European elections. I have no criminal convictions so so they are trying to insinuate I’m racist.”
The attack on Dr Sentamu follows the revelation that the BNP has been producing posters claiming Jesus Christ would support the BNP and their policies.
Sunday Mercury
Simon Darby blasted Dr Sentamu, now Archbishop of York, after the cleric criticised the BNP’s controversial call for black and Asian Britons to be described as “racial foreigners” in future.Darby, who is bidding to become a Midlands Euro MP, said: “Dr Sentamu should not interfere in the political process. He’s not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn’t, English. If I went to Uganda and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I’d still be picking spears out of myself now.”
He also described Dr Sentamu as an “anti-British zealot” and an “ambitious African” – warning that he should “have thought about the consequences” of speaking out against the BNP.
The war of words broke out after last week’s statement by BNP Leader Nick Griffin that black and Asian Britons should be described as “racial foreigners”, and “no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese”. He was defending a BNP election leaflet which stated that black and Asian Britons “do not exist”, adding that the use of the terms denied “the English their own identity”. It was leading to a “bloodless genocide” in the UK, Griffin added.
Outraged by the suggestion, Uganda-born Dr Sentamu said it was not up to the BNP to define Englishness.
“You don’t have to be a member of the BNP to be clearly English,” he said. “It is quite a mistake to suggest that everybody who wants to affirm Englishness affirms that narrow thinking. This ‘bloodless genocide’? I think that is just language which is beyond belief.”
Writing on the internet, BNP spokesman Simon Darby then made the savage attack on the Archbishop.
Under the headline ‘And the Lord said, arise though art all English’ Darby stated: “Our old friend John Sentamu, or to give him his full name John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, has been up to his old tricks once again. As if the responsibilities of being the Archbishop of York were not enough, the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English.”
Adding criticism of Labour MP Shahid Malik, Darby wrote: “I somewhat doubt whether or not this collection of professional anti-British zealots, who try oh so very hard to disguise their true motivations, have thought about the consequences of BNP success in spite of their very public interference. However, what is certain is that should the BNP triumph in Yorkshire or elsewhere, the likes of Malik and Sentamu will be able to wallow in their newly acclaimed marginalisation, obscurity and irrelevance for years.”
Yesterday anti-fascist campaigners Searchlight condemned Mr Darby’s comments.
“Simon Darby’s threats and thinly veiled racism expose the true face of the BNP,” they said. “Dr Sentamu is internationally respected, but even he is not immune from the smears and hate being peddled by Darby and his colleagues. It’s a measure of Darby’s desperation that he is resorting to these vicious attacks on a man of Faith.”
But last night, Darby was unmoved.
“As soon as anyone speaks out defending the English they are branded racist,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. This is all part of a smear campaign by Labour in the run-up to the European elections. I have no criminal convictions so so they are trying to insinuate I’m racist.”
The attack on Dr Sentamu follows the revelation that the BNP has been producing posters claiming Jesus Christ would support the BNP and their policies.
Sunday Mercury
Labels:
BNP,
fascism,
John Sentamu,
racism,
Simon Darby
February 10, 2009
Clergy banned from BNP membership
"Dammit, now I'll never be the Bishop of Welshpool..."Members of the General Synod voted to back a motion brought by Metropolitan Police civilian worker Vasantha Gnanadoss calling on bishops to formulate a comparable policy to the Association of Chief Police Officers' ban on police membership of the BNP.
Miss Gnanadoss, who received support at the General Synod from former Met Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair, said passing the motion would make it "much more difficult" for the BNP or other similar organisations to exploit the claim that they had support within the Church of England.
She said: "If supporting organisations like the BNP is inconsistent with Christian discipleship, it seems obvious that clergy and others who speak for the Church should not be members."
Acpo policy states that that no member of the police service may be a member of an organisation whose constitution, aims, objectives or pronouncements contradict the "general duty" to promote race equality. This specifically includes the BNP, the policy states.
The motion backed today by the General Synod called for the Church of England bishops to draw up a similar policy to apply to all clergy, ordinands and employed lay persons who speak on behalf of the Church of England. The motion received support from the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu and the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams.
Dr Sentamu told the Synod he was a member of the Baganda tribe. But he said: "As a Christian, I joined another tribe, it is the tribe of Jesus Christ, and in that tribe all are welcome."
The vote from the General Synod comes in spite of a warning in a background paper prepared by William Fittall, secretary general of the General Synod, warning of possible legal difficulties. He said clergy could not currently be disciplined for lawful political activity and the BNP was not a proscribed political party. He also warned that the Church could be open to discrimination claims under such a policy.
Those backing the motion included the Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn. He said it was "timely" in view of the recession.
He said: "In these difficult economic times there are those who could be tempted to look for solutions among extreme political parties and we need to underline that the politics of hatred can never come up with a solution to our problems."
He added: "The religion of the incarnation cannot support in any shape or form racist policies and those who exercise the representative ministry cannot be members of racist parties or organisations for it is just not possible to be racist and speak in the name of Jesus Christ."
Independent
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
