Pobl Dewi Menter Esgobaeth Tyddewi . An initiative of the Diocese of St Davids Mawrth/March 2006 ChurChurChurchesches givegive ColdCold ShoulderShoulder toto HomeHome OfficeOffice “Extremist”“Extremist” PlansPlans HE CHURCHES have given a thumbs down to Home other parts of the world where places Office plans to root out “extremism” in places of worship. of worship can be closed by T government decree. “The possibility The Churches Main Committee, which acts as an interface of closing whole buildings used for between the Christian churches and government has sent a worship. preaching and prayer has robust reply to Home Secretary Charles Clarke, in response echoes of the long struggle fought to the Home Office document “Preventing Extremism over centuries to protect churches from state interference.” Together.” Commenting today, John Shirley, This discussion document, published in October 2005, recognizes Provincial Secretary said: “As the that “places of worship in all faiths are dedicated to devotion and Church in Wales’ representative on reflection,” but expresses concern about “a number of high profile the Churches Main Committee – a group concerned with the scrutiny of cases where extremist preachers, clerics or teachers have taken over, forthcoming legislation which might or have encouraged supporters to take over, places of worship and impact on the churches of the UK – I use them to disseminate extremist views and practices.” The have been involved with the Government solution would be a legal process whereby those discussion within the group on the controlling a place of worship could be held to account for extremist Government’s proposed legislation to behaviour occurring on their premises. tackle extremism in places of worship. The Churches’ response believes controls are thought to be adequate. “I would endorse the conclusions that a legislative proposal is a remedy The response goes on to say that if that the proposal presently being out of all proportion to the need, and the British government enacted mooted is a disproportionate is very anxious about any limitation legislation, it would make it very response, and I hope that the Home on freedom of speech in places of difficult for the government to speak Secretary will think again.” worship, and more generally. Internal out against human rights abuses in Charles Clarke Islamoffobia yng Nghaerfyrddin? A conference on ‘Responses to a Post 9/11 World’ was held recently in Trinity College, Carmarthen. The question of Islamophobia and Christian/ Muslim relations is considered more fully on page 2 U’R ESGOB CARL yn Roedd yr Esgob yn feirniadol gyfeirio hefyd at y cartwnau a Bannerch cynhadledd undydd o’r rhethreg filwrol a glywir mor ymddangosodd yn y wasg arbennig yn ddiweddar. ‘Crefydd aml wrth son am yr ymgyrch yn Ewropeaidd yn ddiweddar, ac a a Rhyfel: Ymateb i’r sefyllfa wedi erbyn terfysgaeth. Nid trwy drais gododd wrychyn y byd 9/11’ oedd thema’r gynhadledd a dulliau rhyfel roedd ennill y Moslemaidd, gresynnodd at pan ddaeth rhagor na 200 o bobl frwydr yn erbyn terfysgaeth, ddiffyg sensitifrwydd y rhai oedd ynghyd i Goleg y Drindod, meddai. Troi cenedl yn erbyn yn gyfrifol. Wrth gwrs bod ddechrau mis Chwefror. Gyda’r cenedl a ddigwydd os mynnwn rhyddid mynegiant yn rhywbeth i Esgob roedd Anjad Hussain, adfer ysbryd y croesgadau. Yn ddal gafael ynddo, meddai’r darlithydd yn Adran Astudiaethau hytrach, dylid ceisio ennill Esgob, ond os ydym wir am gael Crefyddol y Coleg yn trafod meddylfryd y 1.3 biliwn o gwared ar derfysgaeth, mae i Islamaffobia. Hefyd cyflwynodd Fwslemiaid sydd yn y byd, gan sensitifrwydd, dealltwriaeth a Greg Barker, pennaeth yr Adran, taw nhw, yn y pendraw, fydd yn pharch hefyd eu lle. Yn yr ffilm o’i waith ei hun am penderfynnu ai fel merthyron awyrgylch oedd ohoni, diwylliant ddelwedd gyhoeddus Osama Bin yntau fel llofruddion y gwelir ofn oedd yn llywio meddyliau, a Laden. gweithredwyr terfysgaeth. Gan phobl o’r herwydd yn barotach ildio eu hawliau dinesig dipyn wrth dipyn. Yn y sesiwn prynhawn, nid darlith a gafwyd gan Anjad The National Museum of Wales has announced its Hussain, ond sesiwn cwestiwn ac participation in the UK-wide Festival of Muslim Cultures. ateb. Dangosodd fel roedd ofn The year-long programme will include a photographic Islam – Islamoffobia – yn ddwfn exhibition entitled “Somali Elders” by Glenn Jordan. yn is-ymwybod meddwl Gwenllian Carr, Head of Press and Public Relations for the Cristnogion y Gorllewin. Ceir National Museum of Wales, elaborates on page 2. trafodaeth bellach ar y thema hon yn ein tudalennau mewnol. – Hywel Davies Special Health feature pages 4, 5, 6 Am ddim Free 2 Pobl Dewi, March 2006 Christian theology, was never with- what is right are acceptable to him”.’ out the writings of the great Islamic Even in modern times, he points philosophers on his desk. out, Pope John-Paul II was clear that Brothers or Enemies? ‘every human being without any ex- High Regard Terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and London by people claiming to ception whatever has been redeemed The Roman Catholic Church’s po- act in the name of Islam evoke memories of the bitter feud which raged between by Christ; and it has long been ac- sition is summed up in the decree of the two religions for centuries. Can these competing world faiths ever coexist cepted that a real belief in the father- the Second Vatican Council: ‘The peacefully? asks Jonathan Copus hood of God must entail belief in the Church has a high regard for the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of all Muslims. They worship God, who humanity.’ 9/11 and 7/7 – two shorthand dates permanently etched on the world’s history, when first is one living and subsistent, merci- Paul Badham’s colleague Dr New York and Washington DC and then central London bore the brunt of terrorist atrocities. ful and almighty, the Creator of Mawil Izzidien gives the Muslim heaven and earth, who has also spo- What they had in common was that in both cases the perpetrators claimed a religious basis view on the question of these appar- ken to men.’ And regarding the fric- ently conflicting claims: ‘Many for their actions: a defence of the core values of Islam. tion between the two faiths, it issues Muslims believe today that there is Immediately after the London bombings, and fearing an anti-Muslim backlash, UK religious this appeal: ‘This sacred Council no need to reconcile such a claim and leaders on both sides hastened to reaffirm their determination to continue peaceful coexistence. On a now pleads with all to forget the past ask: “Could we not just accept that practical and social level, this path is obviously the only one open to a tolerant society. But what of and urges that a sincere effort be God has many paths that lead to him, made to achieve mutual understand- which are seen to be of different the fundamental principles of the two faiths? How far do they each claim to give exclusive access to ing.’ the Deity? And in the light of any such claims, is acceptance of each other’s validity an exercise in lengths from different perspec- Mutual understanding, though, tives?”’ brotherly love, or fraternising with the enemy? doesn’t necessarily imply mutual Can we go further? Monotheism The term ‘enemy’ may seem Carolina in December, 2001 – goes on to explain the concept of acceptance. And for all their respect – belief in a single, all-powerful de- strong in today’s climate; but it’s his- shortly after the attacks on the World Jihad or ’struggling in the cause of for Jesus, Muslims still claim prec- ity – is common to both faiths, and torically accurate. Trade Centre and the Pentagon – the Allah’ as a justifiable form of self- edence for Muhammad and his fol- that has led many Christians to con- Islam is based on the teachings Revd Patrick Sookhdeo reported that defence, defence of religion, or pro- lowers: ‘If anyone desires a religion clude that we both worship the same of the prophet Muhammad. Born in in Indonesia 30,000 Christians had tecting the right of an individual to other than Islam, never will it be ac- God by different names. How true is Mecca in AD 570, he is said to have been killed in recent years, with an- choose his religion – though it cepted of him; and in the Hereafter this – and how acceptable to the been a descendant of Abraham other half million made homeless, in stresses that restraint is necessary, he will be in the ranks of those who mainstream theologies of either through his son Ishmael. His main conflicts with the growing Muslim and the killing of civilians, for ex- have lost.’ (The Holy Qur’an, Soorah faith? message was the need for complete population. At the same conference, ample, is prohibited. Aal’imraan 3:85). ‘This depends on how God is surrender (‘islam’) to God, and his Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon of the Christianity, too, claims to guard perceived in this word,’ says Mawil Conflict followers became known as Muslim Diocese of Kaduna painted a grim the gates of access to God: ‘I am the Izzidien. ‘If he is seen as the only, (‘those who have surrendered’). picture of escalating violence in The conflict between Islam and Way, the Truth and the Life,’ says ultimate, eternal creator (to be safe But in the centuries that followed Muslim-dominated northern Ni- Judaism traces its roots to Biblical Jesus in John 14:6; ‘No-one comes those words also need to be un- there was to be no surrender on ei- geria. ‘There is deep hatred between times, when Ishmael ‘mocked’ his to the Father except by me.’ packed) who has no equal, then God ther side, as Christian and Muslim Christians and Muslims in my coun- half-brother Isaac and was banished One way of reconciling these Is Allah.