Bishop’s questions
The destruction of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud by ISIS has shocked the world in a way that the mere massacre of innocents never could. It is shocking that this fanatical group is engaging in acts of ignorant cultural vandalism. Though these acts are reminiscent of periods of early modern European iconoclasm or the Taliban’s destruction of the Bhuddas of Bamiyan in 2001 they are even worse.
ISIS’s desecration is even more thorough and complete through the use of bulldozers and explosives – leaving virtually no stone in place. The leader of The Times points out: “It is hard to know what response, if any, the international community can make to such an assault on the heritage of civilisation itself... Condemnation is of little use. It becomes yet another reason to support the eradication of this vile organisation from Iraq, and from Syria, and from everywhere” (‘Cultural Cleansing, The Times, 13 April 2015).
After the misadventures and dodgy dossiers of the Blair and Bush years there is no chance that western troops will take part in any prolonged campaign against ISIS. Yet something must be done. Military aid is vitally important but we must also starve this group of free- dom of movement, and the ability to recruit from the west.
We need to begin policing our borders and checking on the comings and goings of young Muslims who leave for destinations in the Middle East with the intention of joining ISIS. They must not be free to leave for the purposes of terrorism or to return to the UK if they have aided and abetted groups like ISIS.
However deluded, brainwashed and young they are, the message must be is that if you travel to the Middle East with the intention of taking part in terrorism you may never be able to return. A peculiar Erastianism has taken hold of the Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson. Last week he asked the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, in a question and answer session hosted by Pink News, to provide “protections for the consciences of clergy who want to perform same-sex weddings.”
Disingenuously, he points out that the so-called quadruple lock protected the consciences of those opposed, whereas in fact the quadruple lock merely protected the canonical position of the Church of England and recognised the freedom of religion to dissent from State doctrine.
Bishop Wilson on the contrary wants to impose doctrinal change on the Church through his appeals to politicians. Thankfully, politicians have a little more sense. Nick Clegg pointed out that the Church has its own internal debates and that it is not his “place to tell the Church what they can or cannot do”.