Nigerian Primate urges Anglicans to unite against militants

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=4213

[Religious Intelligence] 10 Apr 2009--The Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, has entered the dispute surrounding critical comments made on an evangelical website of the work and ministry of the Barnabas Fund, urging evangelicals in Britain to put aside their divisions over how best to confront the challenge of militant Islam, and stand together in the face of its advance.

Citing incidents of Muslim persecution of converts from Islam to Christianity in Britain and the death threats received by the Bishop of Rochester, Archbishop Akinola wrote last week that “no longer are the painful experiences of Christians who are suffering at the hands of Islam confined to Africa, Asia and the Middle East, they are increasing and alarmingly occurring in the West.” Many in the West were blind to the real character of militant Islam, he said.

While most took for granted the right of an individual to change his religion, under Sharia law “adult male apostates suffer the death penalty and there are many cases where zealous Islamic leaders take the law into their own hands and carry out execution of apostates.”

Uncertain as to how Western political and church leaders had effectively capitulated to Islam “in an effort to establish man-made peace and cohesion in society,” he cited Dr Rowan Williams’ defence of his comments on Sharia law in a press conference at the close of the February Primates’ Meeting.

Nigerian Christians understood the challenge of Sharia law, where 12 of the country’s 36 states had incorporated its provisions in the civil law code. “In the last 22 years the country has witnessed over 20 religious crises resulting in worshippers being prevented from attending church services, Christian properties and churches have been burnt and destroyed and not a few Christians have been maimed and killed,” he said.