Baroness Warsi warns of ‘militant secularisation’
In an article for The Daily Telegraph, she writes that religion is being ‘sidelined, marginalised and downgraded’.
LONDON:
Britain must embrace its Christian roots and avoid falling into the grip of “militant secularisation”, British Muslim cabinet member Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has said.
In an article for British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Cabinet Office minister and Conservative co-chairwoman Warsi argued that people must “feel stronger in their religious identities” in order to create a “just society”.
She said that faith had been “neglected, undermined and attacked” by governments in recent years and urged Europe to become “more confident and more comfortable in its Christianity”.
The life peeress is leading the largest-ever ministerial delegation from the UK to the Holy See, reciprocating Pope Benedict XVI’s state visit to Britain in September. The group has been granted an audience with the pope on Tuesday.
Warsi insisted that the visit was more than a Valentine’s Day “love-in”, adding: “This is about recognising the deep and intrinsic role of faith here in Britain and overseas.
“I will be arguing that to create a more just society, people need to feel stronger in their religious identities and more confident in their creeds,” she wrote in The Telegraph.
“In practice this means individuals not diluting their faiths and nations not denying their religious heritages.”
She said Europe’s culture and values stemmed from centuries of Christian belief, adding: “You cannot and should not extract these Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can or should erase the spires from our landscapes.”
Warsi, who is Britain’s first female Muslim cabinet minister, said she fears “a militant secularisation is taking hold of our societies” with religion being “sidelined, marginalised and downgraded”.
“For me, one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularisation is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant,” she added.
The visit has been arranged to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the UK and the Holy See.
Ministers, including Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, will hold talks with Vatican officials on matters including inter-faith dialogue, human rights, climate change and international development.
Britain must embrace its Christian roots and avoid falling into the grip of “militant secularisation”, British Muslim cabinet member Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has said.
In an article for British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Cabinet Office minister and Conservative co-chairwoman Warsi argued that people must “feel stronger in their religious identities” in order to create a “just society”.
She said that faith had been “neglected, undermined and attacked” by governments in recent years and urged Europe to become “more confident and more comfortable in its Christianity”.
The life peeress is leading the largest-ever ministerial delegation from the UK to the Holy See, reciprocating Pope Benedict XVI’s state visit to Britain in September. The group has been granted an audience with the pope on Tuesday.
Warsi insisted that the visit was more than a Valentine’s Day “love-in”, adding: “This is about recognising the deep and intrinsic role of faith here in Britain and overseas.
“I will be arguing that to create a more just society, people need to feel stronger in their religious identities and more confident in their creeds,” she wrote in The Telegraph.
“In practice this means individuals not diluting their faiths and nations not denying their religious heritages.”
She said Europe’s culture and values stemmed from centuries of Christian belief, adding: “You cannot and should not extract these Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can or should erase the spires from our landscapes.”
Warsi, who is Britain’s first female Muslim cabinet minister, said she fears “a militant secularisation is taking hold of our societies” with religion being “sidelined, marginalised and downgraded”.
“For me, one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularisation is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant,” she added.
The visit has been arranged to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the UK and the Holy See.
Ministers, including Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, will hold talks with Vatican officials on matters including inter-faith dialogue, human rights, climate change and international development.