Here we have the normally excellent Ruth Gledhill (and a work experience lassie on placement at the Times) acting as an apologist for Rowan "I think Cosmo Gordon Lang's way of handling the Nazi's was quite sensible" Williams. Mercifully, there is a decent bit of sanity in a comment from a Bishop Alan Wilson. Uganda has been independent since 1962: us telling them the Bahati bill is immoral, inhumane, fascist and vile is not colonialism (neo or otherwise). The claim that we ought not to intervene critically in human rights issues in sub-Saharan Africa is an arrogant nonsense. Is fascist and genocidal behaviour OK if you are black and live in Africa, but only wrong if you are, say, Serbian? No, rubbish of the 1st order. It is high time the furry holy one got off the fence and laid into the Ugandan Church. Michael Ramsey hammered the Rhodesians for UDI and it was below the Sahara. Oh, hang on - Ian Smith was a pale ex-Spitfire pilot, not a vicious demagogue who has a lot of melatonin in his skin! Come on Rowan, you're supposed to be left wing!
This is the same twaddle the powers that be hid behind for decades during the time of apartheid in South Africa. Only when the grass roots forced their governments to be more vocal in their condemnation did the regime begin to crumble.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's apparently the same twaddle that our Presiding Bishop has said (fearing that we'd be seen as colonial squatters or some such thing)... although it seems that others of slightly lesser ranking in the Episcopal Church are making the point on our behalf.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, frdougal. One is not a colonial bastard for stating the obvious that this legislation is hateful rubbish and decidedly ANTI-Christian.
Amendment to the above: Our PB Jefferts Schori has finally spoken. I'll remember to visit the OCICBW before I go spouting off here! :)
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