From here:
Four North African and Middle Eastern Anglican bishops have written to U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon urging the adoption of an international declaration against religious defamation.
Bishops Mouneer Anis of Egypt, Michael Lewis of Cyprus and the Gulf and assistant Bishops Bill Musk of North Africa and Grant LeMarquand of the Horn of Africa wrote to the U.N. leader on 15 Sept 2012 following the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Cairo and consulate in Benghazi on 11 Sept. In the days that followed mobs demonstrated outside American diplomatic posts across the Middle East and attacked U.S., German and British embassies in Tunis and Khartoum, ostensibly in response to a Youtube video that attacked Mohammad.
The bishops wrote that in “view of the current inflamed situation in several countries in response to the production of a film in the USA which evidently intends to offend our Muslim brothers and sisters by insulting the Prophet Mohammed, and in view of the fact that in recent years similar offensive incidents have occurred in some European countries which evoked massive and violent responses worldwide, we hereby suggest that an international declaration be negotiated that outlaws the intentional and deliberate insulting or defamation of persons (such as prophets), symbols, texts and constructs of belief deemed holy by people of faith.”
They said such a declaration would not be a violation of the right of free speech, but would encourage people to be “responsible and self-restraining in expressing or promoting offensive or malicious opinions with regard to the religions of the world.”
I suppose this just goes to show that even theologically conservative Anglican bishops can do strange things when they stray uninvited into politics.
A few points:
First, if the bishops had appealed to fellow Christians to exercise restraint when tempted to mock Islam and its founder because it is a less than effective way of winning Muslims over to Christ, I would have no objection. That’s not what they have done, though: the letter was addressed to the Secretary of the U. N. – not exactly a Christian organisation.
Second, the bishops are clearly making a political point: make insulting Islam and Mohammed illegal. Why? Not because it would put off potential Muslim converts to Christianity, but because of the massive and violent responses worldwide. In other words it’s political appeasement, a willingness to submit to bullies, an act of poltroonery, a grovelling before the barbarian hordes.
Third, the bishops have said nothing that I know of to condemn – let alone call for the banning of – expressions of hatred for Christianity that are routinely displayed in western art – a crucifix immersed in urine, a Virgin Mary covered in dung, and so on – let alone the anti-Christian diatribes that flow with tedious predictability from the likes of Bill Maher. Nor, in the letter, is there any mention of outlawing the anti-Semitism with which Arab nations gleefully indoctrinate themselves and their children.
Fourth, many Islamic nations outlaw Christian proselytising; presumably this is just fine with the bishops since, after all, Christian evangelism offends Muslims.
The complete letter can be found here – until someone decides to outlaw it.
