THE Archbishop of Canterbury added his voice to those around the
world who have condemned the murder of the British aid worker David
Haines by Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria.
Early last Sunday morning, Archbishop Welby tweeted: "In every
church let us pray for the family of David Haines, evilly killed in
the place he was serving in love for its suffering people."
Later, speaking to the BBC, the Archbishop described the murder
as "an act of absolute evil, unqualified, without any light in it
at all. There is a sense that within this area, and in many places
in the world where this kind of thing is being done, the darkness
is deepening. It's being done in the name of faith, but we've heard
already today faith leaders from Islam across the world condemning
this."
Among the Islamic groups that spoke out against the killing of
Mr Haines was the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK, which denounced
it as a "horrific act of evil. Islam advocates love, respect, and
peace, and this abhorrent murder again exposes that ISIS has
nothing to do with Islam or any religion. It is barbarity at its
worst.
"We stand united with the people of the United Kingdom in
unequivocally condemning this gruesome killing, and hope that those
responsible are caught and face the full force of the law."
The killing of Western hostages has galvanised international
action to confront IS, both through milit-ary power, led by the
United States, and through efforts to cut funding and other means
of sup-port. On Tuesday, one day after 30 countries had pledged at
a meeting in Paris to join a US-led coalition against IS, war
planes and drones from the US were in action bolstering Iraqi
forces close to Baghdad.
The use of air power in this way may well stop the expansion of
IS control in Iraq, and could even force the jihadists to concede
territory. But the day when tens of thousands of Iraqis, including
many Christian families, can return home remains a long way off.
Those sheltering in churches, mosques, and schools have had to
endure the soaring temperatures of the Iraqi summer, with scant
supplies of water and other essentials. The challenge for aid
workers will now be to provide more robust shelter before the onset
of winter.
Christian Aid estimates that 200,000 people are living in
"terrible conditions in refugee camps across northern Iraq. Most
want nothing more than to return home, but are fearful of their
future."
The head of Middle East region at Christian Aid, Janet Symes,
said that the charity's partners were distrib-uting hygiene kits to
families in Sulaymaniyah, and providing food and clothes for
displaced families in Sinjar and Dohuk. But, she said, as the
number of these families rose, "we urgently need funds to help keep
people safe and healthy, especially as the harsh winter
approaches."
As concern for the fate of Christians and other minorities in
Iraq grows, there have been more calls for the UK Government to
allow the entry of refugees. Last Saturday, 13 bishops signed a
letter to The Times, backing a similar call made earlier
by eight others, including Archbishop Welby and the Archbishop of
York, Dr Sentamu.
The letter urged the Government to promote "a co-ordinated
approach" towards the displaced Iraqi Christians. "Their fate is
now in the hands of outsiders, after a forced exit from areas they
have inhabited since New Testament times."
The Bishops said that, despite the best efforts of NGOs and
Churches, plus substantial donations from the British public, "this
level of aid cannot be sustained, and a longer-term solution is
required." The letter said that Australia, Canada, Sweden, Germany,
France, and other countries "have proved remarkably generous, but
not, so far, the UK, despite its being a signatory to the 1951
Refugee Convention and a member of the UN Council of Human
Rights."
In Australia, the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has
written to the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, asking for the intake
of refugees in Australia to be raised from 13,700 to 20,000. Dr
Davies applauded the government for its decision to offer sanctuary
to homeless Iraqis, but said that he had received "contact from
many members of our churches who are very concerned at the plight
of these people, and asylum-seekers generally.
"As a Christian leader, I appeal to you to show hospitality and
generosity to those who have suffered more than we can
imagine."
In Baghdad, and other areas of Iraq still under government
control, people are waiting to see if the new cabinet can take
steps to curb the increasing tension between Sunni and Shia
communities (News, 12
September). Sectarian murders and kidnappings occur daily, but
tend to be overshadowed by the IS crisis.
Amnesty International's senior crisis-response adviser in Iraq,
Donatella Rovera, recently visited the town of Samarra, which is
caught between IS forces to the north and army units and Shia
militias to the south. She quoted an elderly resident of Samarra as
saying: "We are cut off from everything; the only road open is
south to Baghdad, but many of the checkpoints are controlled by
Shia militias, who abduct Sunnis; so most people avoid getting on
the road."