Archbishop faces church leaders for first time since Sharia controversy

Published on Sunday 10 February 2008 21:37

THE Archbishop of Canterbury will today face his church's ruling body for the first time since finding himself at the centre of a furious debate over his comments about Sharia law.

Dr Rowan Williams will address the Anglican Church's ruling body at a meeting in London.

He has been embroiled in controversy since Thursday for claiming the adoption of elements of Islamic legal codes in the UK "seems unavoidable".

At least two Synod members have called for Dr Williams to go and he has faced criticism from leading bishops, secular groups and government figures.

The Synod has powers to hold emergency debates over matters of concern within the Church, but sources have said these are rare and there was no indication the Archbishop's position would be discussed.

Dr Williams will decide the agenda for today's scheduled meeting but if he allows debate he can expect strong criticism about his remarks. If he refuses he will be condemned for shutting down the discussion on the issue he claims he had tried to start.

His predecessor Lord (George) Carey wrote in one newspaper yesterday: "He has in my opinion overstated the case for accommodating Islamic legal codes.

"His conclusion that Britain will eventually have to concede some place in law for aspects of Sharia is a view I cannot share."

But Lord Carey also defended the Archbishop saying: "This is not a matter upon which Dr Williams should resign. He is a great leader in the Anglican tradition and he has a very important role to play in the Church.

"He has my full support. I telephoned him to say this to him and to tell him he is in my prayers. I understand he is horrified by what has happened."

Supporters have described the reaction to his comments as "hysterical". But two General Synod members have urged him to quit.

Colonel Edward Armitstead, a Synod member from the diocese of Bath and Wells, said: "I think that Rowan Williams is a godly, gracious and clearly very able person in many ways, but I don't think he's got the gift of leadership that the church needs at this present time."

Alison Ruoff, a Synod member from London, said: "He is a disaster for the Church of England. He vacillates, he is a weak leader and he does not stand up for the church. I would like to see him resign and go back to academia."

Dr Williams sparked a major row after saying, in a speech to lawyers in London last week that the adoption of parts of the law was "unavoidable" in Britain.

He is said to be shocked by the reaction and said on his website he "certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law".

Senior politicians defended the use of religious courts to arbitrate in disputes such as marital issues but said they could never challenge civil law.

Geoff Hoon, the government's chief whip, said Dr Williams should be able to stimulate debate but questioned the wisdom of him commenting on "complicated legal matters".

Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke said Dr Williams was an "unworldly man" who had got himself into "an absolutely classic British row".

He said: "He has angered a lot of people because they have all been persuaded that he has been talking about bringing back the stoning of women for various moral offences and so on, which plainly he is just about the last person on earth to contemplate."

Catholic leader Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said he was "saddened" by the way the archbishop had been misunderstood: "I think he did raise a point of considerable interest and concern at the moment, namely, the rights of a religious group within secular state.

"Everyone in Britain must obey the law and therefore the question of how one can be a loyal British citizen and a faithful member of a religious group is a very pertinent question."

The Rev Giles Fraser, the vicar of Putney, said the media had descended on Dr Williams like a "pack of dogs".

"I think the big issue here is the way the press has treated the Archbishop of Canterbury for raising a legitimate issue for him to raise. That is the big moral picture here. They have been a pack of dogs having a go at him without even trying to understand what he said. There is something sinister about a culture that judges first and tries to understand later."

Dr Williams was offered support by the Right Reverend George Cassidy, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, who branded the reaction "hysterical" and said the archbishop was simply trying to take forward a serious public debate.