Interesting to hear our old friend Abdal Hakim Murad, Muslim Chaplain at the University of Cambridge back on again Thought for the Day this morning. He’s never off and yet what % of the UK population is Muslim exactly? I have no problem with TFTD providing platforms for all faiths (and indeed for pathologies such as Islam) but it is the frequency with which the ROP gets to broadcast which is alarming in this nominally Christian country – and that’s BEFORE the recent promotion of a Muslim to head up Religious affairs. Allahu akhbar!
OVER REPRESENTED…
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From the DT in 2008
“The increasing influence of Islam on British culture is disclosed in research today that shows the number of Muslims worshipping at mosques in England and Wales will outstrip the numbers of Roman Catholics going to church in little more than a decade.
Projections to be published next month estimate that, if trends continue, the number of Catholic worshippers at Sunday Mass will fall to 679,000 by 2020.
By that time, statisticians predict, the number of Muslims praying in mosques on Fridays will have increased to 683,000.
The Christian Research figures also suggest that, over the same period, the number of Muslims at mosques will overtake Church of England members at Sunday services.”
If you support TFTD being on the National Broadcaster (and I don’t), then an increase in the number of Muslim thinkers appearing is justified.
agree that the ROP gets to much air time from Al Beeb
there are more Jedi Knights in this country than muslims
may the force be with you
How many muslims are there today in Britain and how many of them attend mosques?
Did the Muslim TFTD guest speak out against anti-Semitism, by any chance? Did he speak about making peace with Jews at all? Is Murad a less-than-orthodox chaplain by any chance?
I’m only wondering because the last time they had a Jew on it was a female rabbi (so against the beliefs of all orthodox Jews in Britain, but they probably don’t listen to Today, so screw ’em), who spoke about making peace with Palestinians, and about how many Jews want that peace. Not about any religious beliefs or thoughts or Jewish philosophy, but about a BBC-favored political issue.
So somebody wake me when they have a similar Mohammedan on.
David P – Opening paragraph here:
“Today the Pope is leaving Jerusalem. Perhaps he will breathe a sigh of relief. Anyone who has visited the city knows that its holiness is weakened and made painful by the rivalries which are visible around every street corner. Ancient buildings stand on all sides, built by men convinced that they possessed a unique or at least a superior rightness over the other people and structures of this competitively-loved tangle of faiths. Jerusalem shows religion at its best and at its worst”
Full text here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/thought/documents/t20090515.shtml
Pretty reconciliatory.
And he seems to be on the moderate wing of his faith:
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/default.htm
Anonymouswineliberal,
That isn’t reconciliatory towards Jews at all. It’s sympathetic to the Pope, but not sympathetic – or even totally honest – towards Jews. It’s sympathetic towards the Pope’s attempts to be bipartisan, but only because Murad is trying to show peaceful relations between Christianity and Islam. There was nothing about any shared beliefs between Jews and Mohammedans, even though there are quite a few more similarities between the two. Did you notice that at all? Probably means nothing to you.
Not only does Murad not mention that the “Noble Sanctuary” is in reality the holiest place in the world for Jews, but he says that the Western Wall is instead. It’s the holiest place they’re allowed to worship, or even visit wearing religious garb, but it’s only what’s left of one retaining wall that surrounded Judaism’s actual holiest site. So a little Islamic propaganda gets through, and a little denigration of Jewish belief goes with it.
Then there’s the bit about the Palestinian refugee camp. Also, the “heavy freight” he spoke of regarding the Holocaust could be taken a number of different ways, if we’re honest.
Murad is showing sympathy and reconciliation towards the Pope, but his words about “healing the present” means, in the context he’s provided here, a divided Jerusalem. A divided Jerusalem is a key demand from the Muslim side, and Murad makes sure to emphasize that his reconciliation is with Christianity on the point that Jerusalem is sacred to both of them. What about the Jews? Why didn’t he say that Jerusalem is sacred to all three religions? We know why, of course, but you’ll deny it, I’m sure.
That’s not a happy gesture towards peace with Israel at all. Unless you share the Palestinain/Muslim vision, that is. In which case, yes, I can see why you think this is reconciliatory.
Quotes from the article that follow seem to call for reconciliation between all faiths, particualrly given the city in question between Judaism and Islam. I’d hope we could all support that.
“Ancient buildings stand on all sides, built by men convinced that they possessed a unique or at least a superior rightness over the other people and structures of this competitively-loved tangle of faiths. Jerusalem shows religion at its best and at its worst. “
“There is the Holocaust Museum, with the heavy freight that it carries for all of us”
“The city will not be at peace until its sects are at peace.”
“we need to spend less time revisiting old disputes, and concentrate on healing the present.”
“We have all made slips in the past; to make them permanent barriers to acceptance and reconciliation surely frustrates the purposes of God”
“More than 100 complaints over BBC religion hiring.”
‘broadcastnow’ (15 May.)
Beeboid reporting of the Popes visit over the past days has consistently attempted to airbrush out the Jewish religions’ rights to the holy places in Jerusalem, and indeed its place as the founding and guiding force in Jerusalems’ very existence.
This is I find a new and deeply worrying development in the ongoing campaign of B.B.C anti – semetism.
I hope it will be recognised and forcefully countered by commentators.
Anonyomouswineliberal @4:32 PM
Quotes from the article that follow seem to call for reconciliation between all faiths, particualrly given the city in question between Judaism and Islam. I’d hope we could all support that.
Being disingenuous as usual, I see.
“Ancient buildings stand on all sides, built by men convinced that they possessed a unique or at least a superior rightness over the other people and structures of this
Guess which religions built the structures he’s talking about. Hint: not his.
“There is the Holocaust Museum, with the heavy freight that it carries for all of us”
I knew you’d lie about this. The “freight” he’s talking about could just as easily be the fact that Palestinians and most Muslims see Israel’s existence as something forced on them because of the Holocaust. If you were an honest person, you wouldn’t have even brought this up, because you know perfectly well what the Muslim World thinks about the Holocaust, and who they think suffers more now because of it.
“The city will not be at peace until its sects are at peace.”
Yes, with a divided Jerusalem. Not very reconciliatory at all.
“we need to spend less time revisiting old disputes, and concentrate on healing the present.”
The present = Occupation, the “refugee camps”, that other Wall, etc.
“We have all made slips in the past; to make them permanent barriers to acceptance and reconciliation surely frustrates the purposes of God”
Okay, one out five, barely. I don’t suppose you’d care to address the other points I raised?
I left the comprehensive demolition – job of those risible points to you, David. You are far more patient and logical than I.
Sorry, I judge contemporary Islam by its deeds, not just words.
But if you just look at the words – I cannot think of a single ranting Christian preacher in Britain. Any Christian preacher here would report to the police any young people with terrorist inclinations.
But there are clearly plenty of jihadist preachers in the Muslim community, and precious few who condemn outright the jihadism that leads to terrorism. One mild voice on the BBC should not blind us to that.
What about homosexual overrepresentation in the BBC News output? All you need to do, anywhere in the world, is put on a gay march-cum-festival and it’ll rate a mention.
Except in Tehran. Not. Unless you want to see some public hangings.
Some of the beeboid homosexualists (peace be upon them) who are also closet jihadists must be in regular existential crisis about that little abiding contradiction in their worldview.
Not really a contradiction because there’s no religion or ideology that liberalism doesn’t believe it’s the cure for.
Meanwhile there’s more pressing news:
Greater Manchester Police is flying the flag for an international event to raise awareness of prejudice against gay and transgender people.
The force is flying a rainbow flag above its Chester House headquarters.
It was raised by the Chief Constable Peter Fahy ahead of Sunday’s International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8053449.stm
This in a week where the ancient town of Canterbury has been deemed as unfriendly to gays and two fans were fined for shouting anti-gay insults at a football match.
Well its murder in the cathedral duckie.
That was me. Thats quite a good line actually.
Red Lepond
Goof post – but did you really mean to hide that phrase in there? 🙂
If TFTD were allocated on a strictly proportional basis, Muslims would get 6 broadcasts per annum.
Has anyone been counting how many they actually get?
2:48 PM, May 16, 2009: Murder in The Mosque is rather a good title. Someone should run with it.