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| Britain |
| SPCK Bookshops stops selling koran |
| 2006-12-04 |
| Britain’s oldest chain of Christian bookstores, SPCK Bookshops has announced it is to stop selling the Koran as it is “inimical” to Christianity, the Sunday Times has reported. The bookshop, which was established formerly as part of the 308-year-old Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, has made the decision to stop selling all books which are non-Christian. The rethink in policy follows the society’s sale of a majority stake to the St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust, in November 2006. St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust is linked to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Mark Brewer, the Texan lawyer who chairs the trust said, “Stocking books which are inimical to Christianity, which without question the Koran is, could well create the wrong impression among some that we endorse the belief systems of other religions as equal or viable alternatives,” according to the Sunday Times. The trust will aim to bring about a return to the missionary roots of SPCK, and hopes to reverse the advance of Islam and secularism. However, it is believed that the move will offend a number within the Church of England who are working towards an easing of relationships with Muslim leaders. However, the move seems to follow calls by the second-most senior clergyman in the Church of England, Archbishop of York, Rev Dr John Sentamu, and the Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali of Rochester to recover Christian values. The trust says on its website that Britain has become “secularised in recent years and witnessed an explosion of Islam”. The site added that it intends to “re- establish Christianity in areas where it has been driven out”. The organisation has also claimed, according to the Sunday Times, that England was an Orthodox country before the Norman invasion in 1066, and now plans to take over unused Church of England buildings to promote Orthodoxy across Britain. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, however, remains tightly linked to the Church of England and has kept a minority stake in the bookshops and two Anglicans sit on the board, one of whom has already stated his disagreement with the decision of SPCK. Michael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester, said: “If I were in charge I would not have issued this instruction”. Ibrahim Mogra, chair of the inter-faith committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “Islam is currently under the spotlight. It is misunderstood and has been abused by some who have carried out violence in its name. Now is the time for people to have access to the Koran and the writings of Islam. This will help people understand the faith and what makes Muslims tick,” according to the Sunday Times. |
| Posted by:Classer |
| #7 DO NOT I repeat DO NOT try to understand what is making a muslim tick. If armed I recommend doing your best imitation of that scene in Jaws where Capt. Brody shoots the oxygen tank in the sharks mouth. Shoot at the web gear and watch 'em turn inside out. |
| Posted by: Lanny Ddub 2006-12-04 19:31 |
| #6 Just scared that some dust on one of these Koran will cause ROPers to burn their store. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-12-04 19:23 |
| #5 Ibrahim Mogra, chair of the inter-faith committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “Islam is currently under the spotlight. It is misunderstood and has been abused by some who have carried out violence in its name. And you Diaper Man are a liar. Nice to see some Christians with BALLS. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2006-12-04 14:36 |
| #4 They just didn't have it on the right shelf. It should have been over in the Christian Toiletries. |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2006-12-04 11:28 |
| #3 This will help people understand the faith and what makes Muslims tick Usually, it's a cellphone detonated timer... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-12-04 09:30 |
| #2 All of Christianity was Orthodox until the split, based as much on differences in language use between the Greek-speakers centered in Constantinople and the Latin-speakers led by the Bishop of Rome, whom his followers called the Pope, as on theological differences. An interesting reminder of the history of the development of Christianity, though. But it is appropriate that the chief books of competing religions not be sold by Christian bookshops. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-12-04 09:04 |
| #1 ...help people understand the faith and what makes Muslims tick Definitely a good thing, but you aren't going to like the conclusions they come to. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-12-04 08:23 |