Former Archbishop Accuses Farage of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of exploiting Britain's Christian identity to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment.

Williams said Farage and others were using the idea that Britain is a Christian society as a political argument against Islam. He suggested that the rise of Christian nationalism in Britain is being driven partly by anxiety over immigration and hostility toward Islam, as well as a broader desire to find someone to blame for society's problems.

At Easter, Farage declared that Britain should be proud of the Christian values on which the country was built. In 2024, he said a growing number of young Muslims did not share British values. Earlier this year, he also criticized an iftar celebration in London's Trafalgar Square, describing it as an attempt to “overtake, intimidate and dominate our way of life”.

Williams also questioned how the professed Christian faith of activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, could be reconciled with his political rhetoric. Robinson has said he became a Christian after taking Bible studies in prison and last year led a Christmas carol event in London aimed at putting “Christ back into Christmas”.

Williams said he did not want to question the sincerity of Robinson's faith, but asked how Christian discipleship could be reconciled with public rhetoric that he believes is intended to provoke hostility and violence.

(The Guardian, bak)