Church Leaders Awaken

The awakening of some Church leaders to the threat emanating from some interpretations of the Muslim religion is an important start to recognising the danger not only to their religion but to humanity in general. Today the danger is greater than in the past because the destructiveness  of weaponry is now enormous and rapidly becoming stronger.

Leaders of traditional religions today also seem to have allowed themselves to be fooled by leaders of the Muslim religion who proclaim it as peaceful, who assert that extremists are few and not representative, and who do not acknowledge that it accepts the use of violence. Traditional leaders give the impression too of forgetting that threats in the past have required militant responses.

The comments by such leaders reported in the article below include one who appears to support a militant response and a report in the US has the Pope declaring “it is licit to stop the unjust aggression”. Unfortunately, the leader of the religion I was taught (Anglican) seems unable to say what response should be given to the threat of genocide. Let us hope that a wider awakening will occur.

The attitudes taken in the media are also important. Today’s Age mentions for the first time the Australian Prime Minister’s view on the Islamic State (see below) but the thrust of the article is on an interview with a Muslim leader by ASIO head who claims the proposals for additional powers are not targeting Muslims.

More than 60 Muslim groups/individuals have issued a statement claiming there is no solid evidence to substantiate “the trumped up threat  from radicalised Muslims returning from Iraq or Syria” (see article below). But some Muslim leaders have questioned the statement. It is useful to have a division.

Meantime, while subjected to student protests Abbott gave an oration at Adelaide University focussing on terrorism and warned that a beheading could occur in Australia unless  there is “constant vigilance”. The protests appear to have mainly been on the budget