ISIS did not come about because a group of Islamic theologians sat down and having examined the sacred texts decided that a murderous head chopping death cult was required.  It was the product of particular circumstances such as the invasion of Iraq and the death of upwards of a million people there.  It caused a murderous reaction to the United State’s barbarities that unfortunately echoed it.  It is well known that the senior military ranks of ISIS are staffed by secular Ba’athists from Saddam Hussein.  It is also well known that amongst ISIS’s followers there is widespread ignorance of the most basic aspects of Islam.

Political movements often take on a religious colouring in order to legitimise themselves.  Zionism was a classic example.  Its origins were wholly secular.  Theodor Herzl its founding father had once proposed mass conversion of Jews to Catholicism.  His son wasn’t even circumcised!  It is well known that the founding fathers of Zionism based their claim to Palestine on a God whose existence they denied!

Welby’s comments on the ‘Judaeo Christian” roots of British culture to find solutions to the mass disenchantment which led to the Brexit vote in the UK and the rise of anti-establishment leaders on the continent’ suggest the Archbishop would do well to think before opening his mouth.  What Judaeo-Christian culture?  The Spanish Inquisition, Martin Luther’s ‘the Jews are our misfortune’ or perhaps the slaughter of 1.5 million Jews before the Crusaders had even set out?  It was Saladin and the Muslims who protected the Jewish community in Palestine from this supposed “Judaeo Christian” culture.  Or maybe it was the teachings that the Jews killed Christ that Welby referred to?  It just shows that being a complete idiot is no bar to the highest post in the Church of England.  What matters is that you know the right people.

Welby says that saying ISIS has nothing to do with Islam is like saying that’ Christian militia in the Central African Republic are nothing to do with Christianity, or Hindu nationalist persecution of Christians in South India is nothing to do with Hinduism.’  Welby is right.   Christian militia in the CAR does have nothing to do with Christianity.  If it did have something to do with them presumably Britain and other European countries might also have Christian militias.  Likewise with the persecution of Christians in South India.  This is not Hinduism but extreme nationalism and racism in the name of Hinduism.  Similarly the Buddhist religion, which is known to be peaceful, provides a cloak for murderous Sinhalese nationalism in Sri Lanka.

Tony Greenstein