Bishops from the Church of England have called on Britain’s Christian leaders to join in apology for the war in Iraq and its aftermath in a report issued today.
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The bishops conceded that the report, entitled ‘Countering Terrorism, Power, Violence and Democracy Post 9/11’, will likely stir up controversy. The bishops have extended the call for a “public act of repentance” to leaders of the Muslim community, reports The Times.

In the report, the bishops highlight the impact of the July 7 terrorist attacks in London and make the call for a deeper “understanding” of the motivation behind terrorists and the atrocities they commit, outlining a 13-point schedule of “Christian principles” in response to the current global threat of terrorism.

The bishops said “Winning hearts and minds is absolutely fundamental in countering terrorism” and that the “long-standing grievances” of the terrorists must be addressed, with the possibility of offering them economic support.

The bishops are also not shy in their criticism of the ‘expansionist’ policies of the U.S as well as the influence of the Christian Right on Washington policies. The bishops criticised the current status of a US sense of “moral righteousness” in politics as well as the use of biblical verses by some to support a political agenda in the Middle East, urging “There is no uniquely righteous nation”.
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The Bishop of Oxford, the Right Reverend Richard Harries, one of the authors of the report and a prominent apologist for the Christian just-war theory, said: “The Churches have a particular message here based on biblical insights about fear and how playing on the fears of enemies makes for unwise policies.”

He also makes the claim that the mainstay of people are not so much afraid of terrorism as they are of American foreign policy and expansionism as “the major threat to peace”.

He continued: “We suggest that the United States, like all major powers in history, does indeed seek to expand its economic, political and military influence and power. What distinguishes it from many other empires in history is its strong sense of moral righteousness. In this there is both sincere conviction and dangerous illusion.”

The 100-page report also expressed the strict condemnation of any attempt to impose a Western-style democracy on any other country by the use of force as well as the bishops’ own dissatisfaction with Western democracy.

“Democracy as we have it in the West at the moment is deeply flawed and its serious shortcomings need to be addressed,” stated the bishops, who are members of the Church of England’s only unelected body, the General Synod.

The bishops also criticised the use of the term “war on terrorism” calling it no more than “dangerous rhetoric”.

The report states: “Religion is now a major player on the public stage of the world in a way that few foresaw two decades ago. We believe that the Churches have an important role to play, not simply in urging the importance and applicability of Christian principles, but in a proper awareness of the role of religion, for good as well as ill, and initiatives it might take towards reconciliation between adversaries.”

The bishops deny that the report is a “cheap gesture” but insist that churches should show remorse where the government has failed to.