“Was”? It isn’t any more, Justin?
Anyway, as we have noted many times, “Islamophobia” is used to refer both to vigilante attacks against innocent Muslims, which are never justified, and honest analysis of the motivating ideology behind jihad violence, which is always necessary. Welby doesn’t know to or care to make the distinction, and so his words will certainly be used to inhibit and silence discussion of how jihadis justify their actions by reference to the texts and teachings of Islam.
Welby makes matters even worse by basing his argument against Pakistan’s blasphemy law on the fact that it is used against Muslims as well as non-Muslims. In arguing in this way, he accepts the Islamic premise that Muslim lives are more valuable than those of non-Muslims.
“Muslims are victims of blasphemy law as well: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby,” by Jamal Shahid, Dawn, March 1, 2022:
ISLAMABAD: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Monday said though there was a clear commitment by the Pakistani government to religious freedom and belief, minorities of all sorts, and also the Muslim majority, remained suppressed in their daily lived experience.
“There are very clear misuses, as is recognised, of the blasphemy law against minorities; however most of the misuses — well over 50pc — are Muslims misusing it against Muslims,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said during an interview with Dawn….
“The law clearly prevents racism but lived experience of many minorities in the UK is of racism. There remains a deep commitment from many religious leaders, to peace and harmony, to building good communication and making it work. There is a long way to go,” he said.
In his impression of the blasphemy law, Justin Welby argued: “If you are going to have blasphemy law, it is so important that it cannot be misused. One of the things that many religious leaders, including Muslims, are saying is there needs to be a balance between the blasphemy law and its misuse. If one person accuses someone of blasphemy falsely and with malicious intent, they should have a criminal penalty, in the same way as when there has been blasphemy, and the blasphemer should have criminal penalty.”
In response to a question, Justin Welby shared concerns of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was worried about Islamophobia in the West.
“As in all communities there are religious leaders who are Islamophobic. They are not major religious leaders and not well known, but it exists. There is also racism and the two were often interlinked in a really bad way but there was genuine Islamophobia,” he said, explaining how it had now gotten worse in recent years along with anti-Semitism and racism.
“One of the roles of the Church of England was to combat Islamophobia, which the Queen and I often speak about following her example, is that the church exists to protect minority faith. Our job is to speak up for the minority faith,” he said.
The archbishop said he and his wife joined the Muslim community in Central London to reject the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“When people express Islamophobic views in the church they are told how wrong they are in no uncertain terms,” he added….
Michael Copeland says
Welby says: “the church exists to protect minority faith”.
This is called mission creep.
Infidel says
This would be like Coca Cola announcing that their mission is to protect Pepsi sales. Imagine how the company would do if that were to happen!
gravenimage says
And Islam is far more a threat to the Church of England and her parishioners than Pepsi is to Coke.
bill says
Every time he opens his mouth something silly comes out. That he has risen to the premiere position in the C of E indicates the general lack of intelligence in the priesthood.
Has he even listened to the anti semitism of Khan?
mortimer says
Welby speaks as a government employee who to some extent is required to repeat government propaganda.
What Welby fails to understand is that with the ‘Islamophobia’ censorship campaign, the mullahs are ultimately demanding for themselves only a MONOPOLY TO SPEAK ABOUT ISLAM.
It is sad Welby has not been savvy enough to discern that the very use of the propaganda term ‘Islamophobia’ lends support for the Muslim Brotherhood’s subterfuge to impose discriminatory Sharia blasphemy law upon Western societies using secular means.
In fact, the so-called blasphemy law in Sharia is MUCH more inclusive, since it censors EVERYTHING that mullahs do not want people to say or know about Islam … fgm, jihadic terrorism, hatred directed from Muslims against kafirs (Al Walaa wal Baraa), child marriage, sex slavery, mutilation and other cruel punishments, Islamic political supremacism.
Islam is an HONOR/SHAME culture, so anything which lessens the PRESTIGE, IMAGE or ‘HONOR’ of Islam is censored by the mullahs.
The mullahs are ultimately demanding a MONOPOLY TO SPEAK ABOUT ISLAM. The church’s role should be to DEFEND our God-given freedom of expression, rather than to encourage censorship.
tgusa says
The Arch Knucklehead of Dinglebury says what? One of the roles of Christians today is to combat the foolishness of todays Catholic hierarchy. The man is propping up the mullahs, the true believers, the fanatics, and at his age he should know better. When considering people in islamic countries Nazi Germany is a good comparison. You either are a true believer or a person that goes along to get along but you are never in opposition unless you don’t want to live very long. Any muslim that wishes to become an ex-muslim doesn’t have a friend within the Catholic hierarchy. Not helpful is a huge understatement.
gravenimage says
tgusa, the Church of England is not the Catholic Church–but they are often just as foolish when it comes to Islam.
tgusa says
Well my bad. Sadly, I just cant tell them apart any more. With these large organized religions I think its prudent to go forward with, one man one Bible, ignoring the big wigs.
somehistory says
+100%. One God, One Christ to Whom we should listen. Not some quackery from an imperfect person spouting such garbage as he and others do in order to make mozlums appear as Christians, while intimating that the Real Christians are the big problem.
gravenimage says
OK, tgusa.
But neither the Chuch of England nor the Caholic Church used to be so clueless about Islam.
bill says
Welby is not a Catholic
mortimer says
Partial agreement with tgusa. Welby is ‘propping up the mullahs’ in their demand for a monopoly to speak about Islam. When the mullahs achieve a monopoly to speak about Islam, then ALL their lies will go unchallenged.
THAT is what the mullahs ultimately want: the right to tell lies about Islam without being exposed as liars.
gravenimage says
Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘One of the roles of the Church of England was to combat Islamophobia’
……………
*Really*? Where is it listed that one of the main purposes of the Church of England is to protect the horrors of Islam?
More:
In his impression of the blasphemy law, Justin Welby argued: “If you are going to have blasphemy law, it is so important that it cannot be misused. One of the things that many religious leaders, including Muslims, are saying is there needs to be a balance between the blasphemy law and its misuse.
……………
So what is the “proper” use of “blasphemy law”? Is it OK to murder freethinkers–any critics of Islam–so long as they are not just faslely accused? Is it one of the roles of the Church of England to champion this barbarism? *Ugh*.
And here I thought that Welby was rather saner than his predecessor Rowan Williams.
tgusa says
The “proper” use of “blasphemy law is not to use it at all. I wonder if Welby dreams about burning witches and conducting inquisitions as well.
gravenimage says
Agree, tgusa–there is no “proper” used of “blasphemy” laws at all.
mortimer says
Obviously, Welby is discussing the PAKISTAN blasphemy law. He is pleading with Muslim fanatics in PAKISTAN who are blindly and fiercely adamant about it.
Pakistan’s blasphemy law IS BEING ABUSED. Plugging those holes that allow abuse is a reasonable request and many Pakistani lawmakers agree. The fanatics (in Pakistan) do not tolerate any suggestion that the law should be modified and are prepared to defend the blasphemy law with vigilantism.
tim gallagher says
I think that the main task of the leaders of any Christian church is to call out evil for what it is. Such leaders, whether the Pope or this leader of the Church of England, should say that islam is evil, point out those evil aspects of Islam, such as its calls to kill non-believers, such as Christians are to Muslims, its marrying off very young girls, etc. Opposing Islamophobia, which seems to me to mean protecting evil islam from being deservedly criticised, is definitely not a thing that any Christian leaders should be involved in doing. Protecting evil is the opposite of what they should be doing.
PRCS says
Such leaders………should say that islam is evil
But, labeled as such by another poster, the Arch Knucklehead stated, “If one person accuses someone of blasphemy falsely and with malicious intent, they should have a criminal penalty, in the same way as when there has been blasphemy, and the blasphemer should have criminal penalty.”
Yo, Mr. AK, as “blasphemy” is not a crime in the UK, though much of her Muslim population would like to change that, one can neither be legally punished for a ‘false’ accusation nor for actually speaking irreverently about God or sacred things.
Not just a problem in the UK, of course.
tim gallagher says
PRCS, they seem, at least these days, to be such a gutless and dishonest bunch of people, our current church leaders. I wonder if they think that, if they are very nice towards the Muslims, then the Muslims will turn into far more pleasant people, by some miraculous process, and won’t hate and murder and persecute Christians as they always do when they have power. Of course, it’ll never happen. I preferred some of those Popes from ages ago, who are mentioned in Robert Spencer’s “History of Jihad”, who very honestly called Islam evil and didn’t carry on with this rubbish we get these days.
gravenimage says
Spot on, PRCS and Tim.
Jim says
The Christian church hierarchies should be protecting and defending Christians and Jews. The Muslims have their own defenders. Communists, far leftists and others who want to destroy Christianity are not friends and should not be appeased. Likewise Islamists who want to destroy Christianity and Judaism.
James Lincoln says
So, according to the feature article:
Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘One of the roles of the Church of England was to combat Islamophobia’
Anybody who uses the muslim brotherhood term “islamophobia” – in a serious way – is not a serious person.
OLD GUY says
OH yes the Christians are the problem. If only we would stop terrorizing the poor muslims, raping and killing them for their islamic belief everything would be wonderful. Why doesn’t Archbishop Welby hop on a plane with his bible and fly off to Saudi Arabia and preach christianity on the street corners or build a Christian church there or in any other Muslim country? He’s tolerating the intolerable for what? Islam will destroy him and his church if they get the opportunity to do so.
somehistory says
““The law clearly prevents racism ”
Oh, yeah? If so, then there is no “racism” because the “law prevents” it.
That comment alone, shows what an idiot he is. One cannot legislate another’s inner feelings.
And the “job” of anyone who claims to represent Christ is to follow His teachings, His commands and to Preach the Word…the same and only Word that Christ preached. It is not part of the job of one such to protect the feelings of those who would gladly murder Christ.