Protest Feb 6 against church’s “moral cover for mass murder”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby made a strong argument in the House of Lords debate on January 29 on government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, when he accused ministers of outsourcing Britain’s ‘legal and moral responsibilities’ and argued ‘a pick-and-choose approach to international law’ undermined the UK’s global standing.
What a pity the head of the Church of England has not taken an equally robust position on the government’s support for Israel, despite its flagrant contempt for international law. Unlike the Pope, who called for a Gaza ceasefire in his Christmas message, Welby has confined himself to vague expressions of regret about violence, suffering and death in the Holy Land.
Welby stands accused by a multi-faith group planning a protest at Westminster Abbey in central London at 5pm on February 6, of “providing moral cover to mass murder and ethnic cleansing”.
We publish below a statement from CAMPAIN (Campaign against Misrepresentation in Public Affairs, Information and the News) and a call to join the protest from the Lambeth Witness Group.
NWI
Archbishop – Call out Ethnic Cleansing!
The Church of England is turning a blind eye to the causes behind the wholesale slaughter of civilians in Gaza.
That’s the view of the Lambeth Witness Group, a group that includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Humanists and people of no faith who will be demonstrating outside Westminster Abbey next Tuesday (Feb 6).
They speak under the umbrella of CAMPAIN, which opposes biased and inaccurate news in the national conversation.
The Established Church is providing moral cover to mass murder and ethnic cleansing, they say.
Organisers Jonathan Coulter and Sharen Green said: “The victims include hard-pressed Palestinian Christians, along with their Muslim sisters and brothers.
“The Church has been painting the actions of Hamas on Oct 7th 2023 as uniquely evil, as if the problem started on that date. We agree instead with UN chief Antonio Guterres that the attack ‘did not happen in a vacuum’ but in the context of 56 years of an increasingly brutal occupation. Palestinians have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements, most of their water and other resources have been stolen and they’ve been repeatedly displaced and killed. Hopes for a political solution have been crushed.”
Coulter said the root of the problem was the political project of Zionism. Statements by Zionist leaders since 1895 show their intention was always to displace indigenous Palestinians to make way for large-scale Jewish immigration and a Jewish state covering the whole of Palestine, he added.
“The Church has remained silent on all of this,” said Green, adding that there was sympathy for Jews hoping for a better life in Israel, especially after the Holocaust.
“However, there was never any justification for killing and expelling the Palestinians, who bore no responsibility for Europe’s crimes against the Jews,” she added.
“Archbishop Welby should use his influence to speak out against Israeli ethnic cleansing. By shielding Israel from deserved criticism, he has helped to ease its slide towards the present mass killing. He has a moral duty to set the record straight. He should call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and negotiations between all parties.”
Protest location: Outside the entrance to Westminster Abbey, 5 pm on February 6
Campaign against Misrepresentation in Public Affairs, Information and the News (CAMPAIN)
Join the Lambeth Witness Group’s protest on Feb 6th
Dear Friend of Palestine
We are stepping up pressure on the Archbishop of Canterbury, and plan to take our demands to the heart of the Church of England – Westminster Abbey and neighbouring Church House.
Archbishop Welby has shown support for Israel while claiming neutrality. Notably, he has failed to call out the long-term Zionist project that lies behind the mass destruction of Gaza since October 7th. Worse, he has contributed to the misrepresentation of critics of Israel as antisemitic. By so doing, he has provided moral cover to politicians who have given unequivocal support to Israel. This is no way for the head of the established church to behave.
So who are we? We operate under the umbrella of CAMPAIN which strives to counter biased and inaccurate news. The core group includes two retired senior CofE clerics and four former Ecumenical Accompaniers (human rights monitors who worked in Palestine).
The UK branch of the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, the Islamic Human Rights Commission and the Convivencia Alliance are also backing the call.
The chair and the deputy chair of the Jewish Network for Palestine (JNP) and the chair of the East London Humanist Group are supporting the campaign, all three acting in an individual capacity.
We shall hold short weekly events, starting on Tuesday, February 6th, and lasting from 5 pm to 6 pm or thereabouts. Do get in touch if you would like to join us or to hear more.
Thank you for publishig this. It makes me ashamed to be English that the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Anglican Church throughout the world, has not condemned unequivocally the mass murder being perpetuated in Gaza.
One needs to remember people like the archbishop are part of the problem, being as they are chosen for their safe handling capabilities, dressed up as moderation.
I am a practicing Anglican and solidarity member of JVL.
The suffering in Gaza is so enormous that I can only make sense of it by picking out small events. There were the two Christian women inside a Church compound shot dead by snipers. And then the doctor forced to amputate his own daughter’s leg on their kitchen table because it wasn’t safe to leave their house.
Have we learnt absolutely nothing from the Holocaust ?
What can we make of an Archbishop who is silent in the face of pure evil ?
An election approaches and all of us have a moral duty to find out if our MP is a member of Labour Friends of Israel and vote accordingly.
Unless there are consequences for complicity in genocide our political and religious establishment will continue to make the wrong moral choices.
Sadly they will continue to make the wrong choices, because it is them who have the power to make decisions in the first place. Their priorities are money, control and oppression. They abuse religions by their actions. Because their actions are against the values and principles of most religions. Hence they are hypocrites into the bargain.
The first four comments above all show outrage about the position of Archbishop. If you can make it, please attend the first of the Lambeth Witness Group’s protests, in front of Westminster Abbey at 5 pm, Tuesday 6 Feb. Try to get there before 5 pm. If you need information, please email [email protected].
This is a much needed initiative. I hope that CAMPAIGN can continue its work long into the future.
Like others, my observation of the Arch-hypocrite of Canterbury is that he is principally a Conservative & Zionist leaning establishment politician.
He interfered with the voting shortly before the 2019 general election with his endorsement of the vile big lie of substantial antisemitism under Jeremy.
The Arch-hypocrite has endorsed the vile big lie of brutal vengeance and genocide inflicted on women and children being justifiable self-defence.
I have even witnessed the Arch-hypocrite of Cant openly reject the teachings of Jesus about the fundamental need to avoid retaliation.
A really helpful and informative article
If only we had had Desmond Tutu as our archbishop, we would have been in a very different world now.
As JVL reported, 9 Sept 2023, https://jewishvoiceforliberation.org.uk/article/icahd-uks-director-confronts-archbishop-of-canterbury/
‘[D]uring the reception which followed, Linda [Ramsden, ICAHD director] spoke to the Archbishop and asked if he would meet with Jeff Halper when he is in London this autumn because as an Israeli Jew, he has spent nearly 30 years specifically working in support of Palestinians. She was shocked and embarrassed by his discourteous response. The Archbishop drew near to her face, looked her directly her eyes and said, “No. I have no time in my diary.” He then turned away.’
I do so agree with this. As a teenager I had HUGE sympathy for Jews trying to establish a Home Country. But not as it has turned out. Of course I understand that today settlers fear attacks by militant Palestines. But they have been led by Zealots to feel they are entitled to take over Palestine-owned towns and land. The Hamas attack was shocking. I do not excuse it. The resulting backlash, is totally disproportionate and cruel. It must be condemned.
The photograph of the archbishop shows him wearing a mitre decorated with fishes. Presumably this is a metaphor for the Church of England …….. rotting from the head down.
What, I wonder, would the Jewish carpenter from Galilee have thought of him? Perhaps a deep sense of sadness, that after 2,000 years our national church is still – by its silence – supporting the powerful against the weak; the rich rather than the poor; the oppressor rather than the oppressed and lies rather than the truth.
Humanity inches forward in spite of the Church of England rather than because of it.
Justin Welby, in my humble opinion I think your attitude, and lack of compassion is truly appalling! You have lost my trust and respect. Your unawareness is quite shocking!!