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| Minority Report: Is it too dangerous to wear your religion on your sleeve? |
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| Tuesday, 18 March 2008 | |
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Canon Michael Ainsworth, 57, was put in hospital by three youths who attacked him outside the St George in the East Church (left), Tower Hamlets, after he allegedly told them to keep the noise down. What makes this attack particularly unpleasant is that the attackers are thought to have assaulted Canon Ainsworth simply because he was a clergyman. Police said two of the attackers were Asian and that they allegedly made remarks "insulting his occupation". The attack is yet another depressing example of how dangerous it can be for religious leaders and lay folk to wear their faith on their sleeves. Christian clergy, Jewish rabbis and Muslims imams have all complained in recent years that attacks on them have been on the increase (not that you would think that if you read Melanie Phillips' blog on the latest attack - apparently it's just Jews and Christians that get attacked). A report last October by national Churchwatch said half of all clergymen and women they interviewed in London had been attacked in the past 12 months and even advised priests to take off their dog collars in public. The latest figures from the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitic attacks in the UK, says there were 547 incidents in 2007, the second highest annual total since they began recording figures in 1984. Of those 547 incidents, 114 were classified as violent antisemitic assaults, the highest annual figure yet. In August an imam from London's Central Mosque in Regent's Park was left fighting for his life after an attack while Sikh and Hindu groups have also reported an upsurge in hate crimes, usually from assailants mistaking them for Muslims. Sadly those most vulnerable to faith hate crimes are those who wear their religion on their sleeves. The rise in these sorts of attacks on all faith communities paints a pretty depressing picture of British tolerance.
Source: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/2008/03/is-it-now-too-d.html
          Readers have left 4 comments.
K Urban:
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Can MPAC send a letter saying our thoughts and prayers are with him
(1)
2008-03-19 07:07:55
john:
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The attackers told the priest that the church should be a mosque,and the church had had bricks thrown through its windows during services.Rabbis are escorted by police and all synagogues have to have security,as do Jewish schools.Islam is the faith that claims supremacy over all others and Britain is certainly more "tolerant" than any Muslim country.
(2)
2008-03-19 16:32:45
Taz:
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This was an attack by drunken youths who were of Muslim origin. They are a disgrace to all decent people and Melanie Phillips should be ashamed for lying about the attack. Typical Zionist liar.
(3)
2008-03-19 20:24:15
big al:
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Equality has never existed, why are non Christians being attacked while the police boot lick the fifth column!! This load of bull from the so called "community" support trust costs the UK a load of the folding stuff. These false flag operations are as see through as possible, there is NO actual proof of any attack. Just see john defending this by blame shifting. It is their lot that spread hate, remember the tabloids have again lost another case how the new EU citizens were being spread hate against by threse "our boys" fake UK citizens.
(4)
2008-03-26 18:25:39
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There's a 