LONDON, 28 March 2004 — Muslim groups Friday reacted with dismay to a speech in Rome by George Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury, in which he attacked Islamic culture, criticized the religion’s leaders for not speaking out strongly enough about terrorism, and said it was a faith associated with violence around the world.
The words of the former archbishop, who retired 18 months ago, also appeared to exasperate Lambeth Palace officials, as they came a few days before the latest round of Christian and Islamic dialogue led by his successor, Rowan Williams, in Washington next week — discussions which Carey helped to inaugurate.
Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “Frankly, one is dismayed by the comments. One is surprised to find Lord Carey recycling the same old religious prejudice in the 21st century.
“Rather than hectoring Muslims, Lord Carey’s skills would be more usefully employed in halting the drift away from Christianity in Europe.”
The current archbishop’s office was caught by surprise by the unusually blunt remarks. It is not clear whether Carey, not always acute in handling publicity, was aware that his lecture as visiting professor at the Gregorian University in Rome would become public. There were half-hearted attempts to suggest he had been misquoted.
But echoing what some church leaders have been saying privately — and some American evangelicals and former political leaders such as Margaret Thatcher have remarked more openly —Carey attacked authoritarian and inflexible Middle Eastern regimes, and added: “It is sad to relate no great invention has come for many hundred years from Muslim countries.”
He called for more outspoken condemnation of terrorism. “Sadly, apart from a few courageous examples, very few Muslim leaders condemn clearly and unconditionally the evil of suicide bombers who kill innocent people.
“We need to hear outright condemnation of theologies that state suicide bombers are martyrs.” He also criticized Islamic countries for being much less open to allowing Christian worship than Western societies have been to Muslims — another common theme, particularly among evangelicals.
But potentially more offensive were his remarks about the religion’s failure to subject its theology to critical scholarship.
The remarks effectively upstaged Carey’s successor. Dr Williams, who was making his first speech in a debate he had inaugurated in the Lords on criminal sentencing policy, declined to comment on the Rome speech. He has included Muslim leaders in discussions at Lambeth Palace and endorsed interfaith dialogue.
Ahmed Versi, editor of Muslim News, said: “The Church of England will lose credibility — on the one hand they are saying they respect Islam, and on the other, the former archbishop is saying the opposite. We hope that Rowan Williams will condemn these views.”
Manzoor Moghal, chairman of the Federation of Muslim Organizations in Leicester, said: “This is a disastrous statement ...he has fallen prey to the campaign tactics of racists in this country.
“This is nonsense — we condemn suicide bombers, we go on radio and television, we make statements. What more can we do? We cannot be responsible for the criminal actions of others — they are not under our control. The archbishop has got it wrong.”
Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, said: “We have made a great deal of progress in recent years, building up relationships of trust and openness.
“Sometimes opinions will be expressed robustly in either direction. If this can be handled with maturity and mutual respect, understanding can be deepened.”
