I have blogged on this wonderful courageous Bishop in the UK more than once. And to now hear he is resigning is enormously distressing. His honesty and bravery in speaking to the need to convert Britain's Muslims, Britain's no-go Muslim zones and how radical Islam is filling the "moral vacuum" left by the "decline of Christianity" have resulted in numerous death threats (he has been warned he would not "live long").
Nazir-Ali's parents were converts to Christianity from Islam, and he was born in Karachi, Pakistan. So who better than he to know how scary and difficult it is for Christians in Muslim-majority countries?
David Rusin over at American Thinker said this of Nazir-Ali (Aug '08):
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, the outspoken Anglican prelate of Rochester, attended the meeting but rejected their advice. While continuing to highlight the perils faced by those who leave Islam in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, he now has turned his focus to the harassment of apostates in the West. Last year the bishop warned that a convert could die in Britain unless prominent Muslims affirm the right of all people to change their faith. There have been few takers, despite the dire need for this message: a poll indicates that 36% of younger British Muslims believe death to be an appropriate punishment for renouncing Islam.
Their views are grounded in Shari'a law. All major schools of Islamic jurisprudence stipulate that a sane adult male must be put to death for abandoning Islam, though varying interpretations persist on whether females should be killed or merely imprisoned. Many Islamic states outlaw apostasy and seven list it as a capital offense. However, freelancers such as angry relatives present the greatest danger to ex-Muslims, as Sunni and Shiite scholars largely agree that Shari'a empowers individuals to punish converts. This tradition has followed Muslims to the Western world.
Perhaps Nazir-Ali was compelled to resign when the Church of England chose the craven dhimmi Rowan Williams for the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. Nazir-Ali should not have been passed over for that contemptible fool.
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali has announced his decision to step down as the Bishop of Rochester, one of the most senior positions in the Church of England.
The bishop is aged only 59 and potentially could have stayed in post for another decade. *
He was a leading contender to succeed George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury, but has become increasingly outspoken at the direction of the Church since Dr Rowan Williams’s appointment.
A spokesman for the bishop said that he wants to turn his attention to working with the persecuted church.
"Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation," he said.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who became the Church’s first Asian bishop when he was appointed to Rochester in 1994, has taken a strong stand against the rise of Islam in Britian.
He warned last year that parts of the country have been turned into "no-go" areas for non-Muslims and challenged Dr Williams’s claim that the introduction of sharia law is unavoidable.
As a result of his warning, the bishop received death threats saying he would not "live long" and would be "sorted out" if he continued to criticise Islam.
Dr Williams paid tribute to his contribution to the Church of England.
"Bishop Michael’s decision to undertake this new and very challenging ministry will leave a real gap in the ranks of English bishops," he said
Read the rest here
