A MAN FOR ALL SEASONINGS
Archbishop faces calls to go over sharia remark
Sat Feb 9, 2008 1:57pm GMT
By Adrian Croft
LONDON (Reuters) - Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, faced calls to resign on Saturday for suggesting that the introduction in Britain of some aspects of Islamic law was unavoidable.
The Archbishop of Canterbury tried to quell the storm by denying he had called for Islamic law, known as sharia, to be introduced alongside British law.
In a BBC interview on Thursday, he referred to the use of sharia in some personal or domestic issues, much like orthodox Jews already have their own courts for some matters.
Asked if sharia needed to be applied in some cases for community cohesion, Williams said: “It seems unavoidable.”
Williams faced a torrent of critical headlines for a second day on Saturday and the Sun launched a campaign to remove him from office.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams speaks during a news conference at Dromantine Conference Centre near Newry in Northern Ireland, February 25, 2005. Williams, spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, faced calls to resign on Saturday for suggesting that the introduction in Britain of some aspects of Islamic law was unavoidable.
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Archbishop Williams is no stranger to controversy. He produced and starred in
a successful Road show which opened and closed in Vegas
after an boffo, 8-month world tour–Cromwellapalooza.
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Images: (VIII) by Hans Holbein via National Maritime Musem, London via portcities.org.uk (Thomas) by Hans Holbein via the Fricl Collection, NY viaen.wikipedia.org; (1950’s Vegas) etymonline.com via vernondent.blogspot.com; (Bally) parked.pcap.com via lasvegas-nv.com