Ruth Gledhill - Times Online - WBLG

Barack Obama wins Strictly Come Dancing

Ok, so he hasn't entered it yet, and the latest contest isn't even over, but that shouldn't stop him winning first prize. And it would neatly solve the race row currently engulfing the programme.

Yes I agree it is a ridiculous headline, but is it any more ridiculous than his winning the Nobel Peace Prize, which has left him as surprised as anyone? Jen Sorensen has uncovered the real reason he won the Nobel.

Robert Runcie's 1982 Falklands sermon in full

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has been receiving praise and criticism in roughly equal measure from Times readers for his sermon at St Paul's today. When writing it up, I was of course reminded of Robert Runcie's 1982 sermon at the Falklands thanksgiving service, also at St Paul's, which provoked Margaret Thatcher to wrathful fury because he dared to preach reconciliation and call for prayers for the relatives of the Argentine dead as well as our own. I was unable to find this sermon online anywhere, so am indebted to Anna James, assistant librarian at Lambeth Palace, who found a copy in an old book of sermons and, for the small fee of £1.75, photocopied it and sent it over. I now have the privilege of reproducing it online, below, for the first time ever, meaning that if you are interested, you can compare and contrast it with that preached by his successor at Lambeth today.

Lessons in Faith part two: Gandhi and the other 9/11

A guest blog for Articles of Faith by Simon Cohen of Global Tolerance.

The world celebrated Mohandas Gandhi’s 140th birthday last week.

Among the special spectacles to mark the landmark day on 2 October, were the weird-but-wonderful mini Gandhi’s in Bhopal, India, and a special Google doodle in honour of The Great Soul.

'A day of tears': Andrew White on the hostage deaths

The first email from Vicar of Baghdad Andrew White came just after midnight yesterday: 'We have just been informed that the two bodies are indeed our hostages. What we do know, I just do not know.'

Twenty-two and a half hours later, he told us the rest:

' My Dear Friends, Well, today has been awful. For two years we have worked every day on getting the two Jasons back. They were my friends; I ate with them and lived with them. One day when I was ill, one of them cared for me in the hospital; he had been an army medic. These people were not just hostages I was working on, they were my friends. Every day I prayed for them and sought their release. '

Read the rest of his incredibly moving testimony below.

Persecution Index 4: South Africa, Pakistan

Muslim parents have taken over the school governing body of a Christian-majority high school in Kwazulu-Natal, SoutMuslimh Africa, the Barnabas Fund reports. By law meetings must be held to elect members of the governing body. 'Apathy among the Christian parents meant that hardly any Christians showed up at an electoral meeting, allowing the Muslim parents to seize control of the governing body by winning six of the seven elected positions. In South Africa the curriculum of the school is set by the government, but almost all other management issues relating to the school are decided upon by the governors. This includes decisions on the headmaster, staff, sport, culture and ethos.

Persecution Index 2: Saudi

The Becket Fund reports today: 'Officials in Saudi Arabia have sentenced a Turkish citizen to death for blasphemy, after the man was accused of using 'obscene language' to refer to God Today's Zaman reported on April 19.  Sabri Boğday, a Turk who has resided in the Saudi Arabian province of Jeddah for the past ten years, allegedly used the offending terms in the course of an argument with his neighbor. Turkish officials fear that Boğday has been falsely accused, according to Today's Zaman, and worry that because he is a foreigner, he will be dealt with in a particularly harsh manner. Immigrants are said to be at greater risk for convictions in Saudi Arabia; in the last year alone, 76 foreigners were executed in the country.'

Persecution Index 1: Zimbabwe

This might not look like the average Mothers' Union meeting as we know them in Britain, but in terms of peacefulness, good works, child-centredness and Christian goodness, the Mothers' Union branch in Harare is no different from its UK counterparts. Having known more hardship, its members are probably even more good than the unsung English stalwarts who keep the churches here upright in every sense. There can be no true explanation then for why, shortly after this photograph was taken, this meeting was broken up by Zimbabwe riot police.

Caterpillar breakthrough in Gaza

Ah, now, what is this? Could it a Caterpillar, creeping up on me? Read our report of who is actually using this fearsome weapon of modern mass destruction in our article on TimesOnline. Actually, today for once it is a case of thank God for these bulldozers. Those poor beleagured occupants of Gaza can now, thanks to the destruction of the wall between Gaza and Egypt, actually get something to eat and drink. Who now remembers the days when juicy, succulent cherry tomotoes grew all over Gaza? Long gone, sadly. Gaza's occupants now have to break down walls to get anything to eat at all, never mind tomatoes, while Sderot suffers bombs raining down upon it daily. Thank heavens the Church of England did not succeed in its attempt to promote disinvestment. The US Methodists are still trying, but once they see how useful these machines are to the Palestinians, I am sure they'll desist. One of my first ever blogs was about the Caterpillar debate. Things have moved on since then, and Muslims are now complaining that we in the media don't give fair coverage to the Palestinians. Read on for their complaint in full.

Benazir: 'I am not afraid of death'

'I am not afraid of death,' Benazir Bhutto told me when I interviewed her for the Daily Mail in November 1985. She was just 31 at the time. 'My religion teaches that I will rejoin my father and my brother when I die. It is the living who have to suffer the grief and the pain,' she said. In an attempt to pay tribute, although nothing I can say will ever be enough, I've reproduced the full interview below.

UK Imam's daughter gets death threats for apostasy

An imam's daughter who converted to Christianity after fleeing an arranged marriage is under police protection after receiving death threats from her family. Read our exclusive report on this at Times Online. The story of Hannah, aged 32, will be unveiled tomorrow at the launch of a new charity, Lapido Media, in London. The aim of the charity is to promote religious literacy in world affairs. I spoke to Hannah, who uses a pseudonym, earlier today. Her story is chilling, and provides a sobering reflection on what it is to be Muslim, or a Muslim convert to Christianity, in Britain today. Also today, as we report, Saga have released a poll showing how many over-50s are worried about the downgrading of Christianity in society, and MPs at Parliament have debated whether there is Christianophobia in the UK.

Army Chief Sir Richard Dannatt in full

A few weeks ago we carried a story and I did a blog on Sir Richard Dannatt's comments to a Christian conference on leadership that there is life after death. Our reports were taken from a press release approved by the MoD. So anxious to see his comments in full, I ordered the CD from Aiming for Excellence and an excellent Times work experience person, Richard Oxley, kindly transcribed it for me. If you have a few minutes to spare, read for yourself exactly what our Army chief has to say on leadership. From his definition of God to his story of the Army in Northern Ireland, I found it profoundly moving. I rest in awe of the rigour with which this man's great mind is organised, and of the compassion with which he does his job. There are or two church leaders out there who could benefit from Sir Richard Dannatt's lessons on leadership.

Troops in Iraq need more support, says Vicar of Baghdad

You might recognise John Major in the middle of this pic. This was the dinner at Middle Temple last night where Canon Andrew White, who I interviewed earlier this week, was awarded the Pursuer of Peace prize by the Woolf Institute. Canon White talked to me both about the fatwa against violence he is helping negotiate between the two leading Sunni and Shia. Reflecting some of what RC bishop Tom Burns says in a pastoral letter for Remembrance Sunday, he also spoke passionately about the need for more support for British troops in Iraq. We gave extensive coverage in The Times to Dr Denis MacEoin's carefully researched and authoritative report into the 'hijacking of British Islam'. See below for details of another new research project by the Woolf Institute that will explore some similar ground when published in the New Year.

Army Chief says, 'There is life after death'

This is Chief of General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, at this week's Spring Harvest Aiming 4 Excellence Conference in Swanwick, Derbyshire, where he spoke on, 'Leaders need a spiritual dimension.' I understand the Ministry of Defence was not too impressed by Sir Richard's unabashed evangelical take on the eschatological aspect of the job he does. It took us ages yesterday to get them to comment on our story. And yet, after all, someone's got to be head of the Army. Surely, given the close daily contact with death and destruction that Army service entails as Iraq is all to sad a witness to, it's better that the person responsible for all this is someone with strong religious beliefs. Or maybe there are some who think not, Islam, Christianity and the state of the world in general. And Sir Richard has after all been pretty frank in the past in his views on Muslims.

War Horse: God's own creatures and our humanity

Just back from a National first night, where I cried and cried. If you see anything this year, you must make it War Horse, adapted by Nick Stafford from the novel by Michael Morpurgo. A tenuous link with my brief comes in the shape of one of the directors, Tom Morris. He is the man who brought us Jerry Springer: the Opera. If any of you still haven't found it in your hearts to forgive him for that, now is the time to do so.

In the name of love

You think I've got problems? My colleagues at The Times have been cheering me up with this 'Russian wedding' video. I offer it to you as something for the weekend. Read on for some more serious news.

Manchester Cathedral Sony game nominated for 'Bafta'

Incredibly, 'Resistance: Fall of Man' has been nominated for a Bafta gamers' award. The award, the PC World Gamers's Award, is the only one in the Bafta's that will be voted on by the public. As we report today, the winner will not receive the iconic mask but a special gamers' award. Still, the Dean of Manchester has condemned it as a 'disgrace' and called on the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to withdraw the game from the nomination. Some of our previous coverage can be found via an earlier post. Read on for the Dean's statement in full.

Call for St Paul's boycott

Trouble brewing at St Paul's, where the founder of an organisation that lobbies for Anglican support of Israel is calling for a mass boycott of all future services. (Trouble also for poor Tom Ambrose at a tribunal just near St Paul's, as we report.) Simon McIlwaine is calling on worshippers to leave Wren's great cathedral and attend the Prayer Book church round the corner instead, St Michael's Cornhill, whose rector Peter Mullen is a patron of Anglican Friends of Israel. The new Dean of St Paul's is due to be installed on 1 October. I liked Graeme Knowles when I interviewed him a while back, and don't envy him this one. So what is it that has upset Simon so much that he's penned a formal letter of protest to the Dean and Chapter? (Update: Stephen Farrington has picked up on this post in an interesting way that links it to Andrew Norfolk's in-depth analyses in our paper this week of the abuse of Islam by extremists in Britain.)

Reaganisms

A friend has sent me these. I've posted them because they seem so relevant  to Anglican wars.

"Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose."  - Ronald Reagan

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." - Ronald Reagan

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that  they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan

Read on for more.

Amnesty's abortive move

From one perspective, the bold step taken by Amnesty International earlier this month in supporting abortion in particular circumstances, such as where a woman caught up in a war is pregnant through rape, is to be admired. From another, perhaps more serious point of view, it could be regretted. As we report on our faith page online, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the most senior Catholic bishop in Scotland, is the latest to resign from Amnesty after more than 40 years as a member. The Bishop of East Anglia went a few days ago.

Boycott 'threat to liberal democracy'

In the US, the White House has expressed understandably deep concern about Gaza. It has accused Hamas of committing 'acts of terror' against the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, in Britain, our own University and College Union brings shame upon this country with the indefensible academic boycott currently under consideration. At the same time, it has refused Government requests to combat extremism on campus by monitoring potential terrorists. This YouTube clip shows Benjamin Netenyahu, putting it better than I ever could.

Manchester Cathedral returns fire on Sony

(Update 15/6: Sony have responded by offering to demonstrate game to Manchester clergy. See end for details.) Since we broke this story in The Times on Friday night, never mind Manchester Cathedral, the world has become a battlefield for Sony. (Update: Tony Blair has now joined in the row.) I understand there have been hundreds of protests direct to Sony HQ in Japan, a place where temple desecration, and the implied insult to ancestors, is a calumny of the highest order. A source tells me that already, shareholders are planning to punish the company by dumping stock. There is no sign of this yet on the markets though, where the latest is the Sony share price is actually up. Sony chiefs in the UK have been discussing the affair all morning, and are to have a definitive meeting at 3pm today, Monday. Read on for the letter the Dean and Chapter have sent. See also our latest update compiled by Joanna Sugden. Also below I've done a round-up of what the blogs are saying. Two of the best are Bryan Appelyard and an interesting techie one on The Guardian for the comments in particular. Matt Wardman has the best analysis I've seen so far of the legal implications, and has excelled on the background and links with his second post. Meanwhile, Pigeon Campaigns UK have written in protest to all English cathedrals about the shooting with a real gun of a real live pigeon in full view of diners in the refectory of Norwich cathedral. Hilarious, except I guess for the pigeon. See end of this post for details.

Gun battle in Manchester cathedral

Watch this gun fight in Manchester cathedral, in a city where the clergy are among those battling an escalation of gun violence, then read on for the background. For the Dean's letter threatening legal action against Sony, see here.

Christians' throats slit in Turkey

Middle East Concern has sent me this report of an horrific story, also covered in today's Times. Three Christians have been killed by five young attackers on Wednesday early afternoon. The three victims, two Turks and a German, were discovered at the Zirve publishing house in the eastern city of Malatya. They were bound to a chair and their throats had been slit. This picture of police wrestling an unidentified man after the attacks comes from Christianity Today.

An 8-yr-old speaks: religion causes genocide of millions

Watch this eight-year-old girl fulminate against religion. Has she been watching Richard Dawkins? He certainly rails against the religious indoctrination of children in his recent book, but doesn't mention the opposite. Thanks to Tom for this.

Feeling Left Behind. But are we all doomed?

Left behind. That's pretty much the story of my life. Scooped by the Daily Telegraph yesterday, the Daily Mail tomorrow, I live a Micawberish existence mortgaged virtually into the Millennium (yes that Millennium) to stay in my garage in Kew. I am propelled into the red-eyed misery of the halfpenny deficit each month by my addiction to Guylian chocolates and Starbucks coffee. The churchschool run each morning is a political obstacle course unequalled by any shenanigans at The Times, as my irrepressible son aims his scooter unerringly and with hilarious effect at all the puddles closest to the sedate little boys and girls walking with their beautifully-turned-out mummies towards the private preps in the opposite direction. Never mind whether the Rapture is coming soon to a town or village near you or not. I'm telling you, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, it's already happened.  We're all feeling Left Behind down here.

Caterpillar crisis continues

On the Church Times website, you can see last week's Question of the Week. Nearly twice as many people voted in favour of divesting from Caterpilliar as against. But against this depressing result, editor Paul Handley has written: 'We are aware that voting on this question is being manipulated and no conclusions can be safely drawn.' In our online business section today, there is an excellent article by Anglican priest Gill Jackson, explaining why this vote was essentially futile because the bulldozers are 'ethically neutral'. We've been running a lot of letters on this debate but one of the best so far has also gone in today.

Caterpillar blog: Apologia Pro Ecclesia Sua

Some of those who have taken the trouble to comment on my previous blog have questioned whether my objectivity as a news journalist has been compromised by my taking Israel’s side against the action of the Church of England General Synod in backing disinvestment from Caterpillar. I would argue not. I have always been strongly pro-Israeli but as a news reporter it is easy* to leave those views “outside the door” when covering Middle East affairs. If anyone has suspected I carried that view in the past, they have never complained about it before.

*(Phil  Smith on his blog has taken me to task for this comment, rightly. No it is not always easy. But it is necessary. On the credit side, I've notched up praise from Starcourse.)

Church-Israel row looms as synod backs Caterpillar divestment

It is a decision that looks naive, to say the least, especially in the light of the Palestinian victory of Hamas, a terrorist organisation dedicated in its charter to the destruction of Israel. But General Synod has gone ahead and done it. The Church of England's established legislative body, which has the power to pass laws of equal status to those passed by the secular Parliament, has voted on a motion to divest from Caterpillar, the American tractor company that manufactures bulldozers used by both Israelis and Palestinians in land clearance and reconstruction projects in the occupied territories. As an Anglican myself, this decision provokes anger and shock in me, allied with shame and embarrassment. Have 2000 years of anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and the horrific death toll of suicide bombings in Israel taught us nothing?