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UK News

Islam is 'election elephant in the room,' says Church leader

Revd David Robertson said "the real danger to our freedoms come not from Christian but from Islamic political theology" and added the issue was more important than the economy or the future of the NHS.

Islam is the "one subject which is vital to the whole future of Britain, and yet it is hardly mentioned, other than in vague soundbites or pious platitudes," he claimed.

The Dundee minister said that fear of being associated with the racism of fascist groups like the EDL and BNP, as well as the "softer racism of nicer parties" meant that most politicians were reluctant to discuss the issue.

Young Muslim Praying

He added the main issue was "not the economy, nor the question of Scottish independence, nor the future of the National Health Service, vital as each of these are."

He continued: "No, the subject that dare not speak its name, that politicians avoid like the plague, is Islam.

"The narrative is that Islam is the same as Christianity, that ISIS and others are just fundamentalists who are not really part of the 'religion of peace', and that Christians have their own ISIS equivalents. All untrue.

"However the main point is that mainstream Islam does not, and cannot, fit in with the worldview and doctrines of our liberal secularists. There is no such thing as secular Islam"

"Our politicians are too short-term. The retreat from ideology means that many politicians have little to be concerned about only other than winning the next election and furthering their own careers.

"Is it inevitable that Britain and the West will descend into either some kind of secular totalitarian State, or an Islamic one? It should go without saying that we are not looking for the 21st century equivalent of the crusades.

"I am not about the defence of a long gone Christendom. Nor am I encouraging the fear of Muslims. Instead I will respond biblically.

"The kingdom of God does not come by the power of the sword. Salvation does not come from submission to a capricious Allah, but rather from forgiveness received from a God who so loved that he gave his son.

"Jesus makes the absolute difference, because Christianity is not a political, social or even just a religious system. It is following the One who is Love.

"At the political level we just simply ask that our politicians wake up to what is happening and do what they can to preserve hard-won cherished freedoms."

REX/Sipa Press

Anjum Anwar is a Muslim interfaith worker for the Church of England and told Premier: "We need to stand up together, we need to make our country better where people of different faiths can live together.

"These kind of statements go against the grain, these kind of statements don't go out to help community cohesion, if anything they create friction.

"I agree with certain parts of his statements and I find some parts quite offensive too.

"The part that I really found offensive is where he describes Allah as capricious.

"It's unnecessary, why would a Christian man talk about God, if we believe in the same God, why would he call God capricious?

"I find that rather disconcerting."

But Revd Robertson later told Premier: "I am sorry that she was offended by my statement that Allah is capricious.

"I think that that is the case. According to Islamic theology Allah can do as he pleases - so that if you are a devout Muslim all your life, Allah can decide on your death bed that you will go to hell.

"Furthermore she presumes too much in saying we worship the one God. According to the Koran - those who worship Jesus as God (ie. as part of the Trinity), are cursed.

"If I worship Jesus as God, would she agree that we are worshipping the same God?

"I agree that people of different faiths need to live together. My argument is that in a Christian society that can happen. In an Islamic society it does not happen.

"I am sorry that this inevitably gets portrayed as Christians v.s Muslims. I think that is wrong. We should be free to think, critique and reason without being accused of Islamophobia."

Listen to Rev David Robertson speaking to Premier's Antony Bushfield.

Listen to Anjum Anwar MBE speaking to Premier's Antony Bushfield:

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