21 September 2001
Speaking at the opening of a community centre in Brent, the Bishop of London said tonight:
It is good to see members of the many faiths in this borough united in welcoming the opening of this new facility for the whole community.
Our unity is being tested by the events that are still unfolding. I am glad to echo the unequivocal statement of the Muslim Council of Britain that "terror makes victims of us all".
In the story of the Good Samaritan who helped a victim of violence even when the elders of his own community had passed by on the other side, Jesus Christ says that all people of faith are called by God to be good neighbours.
Any language which seeks to demonise groups among our neighbours must be resisted. Language in this time of tragedy and bereavement should be measured and respectful. Talk of a "crusade" for example shows a lack of understanding of how such statements are received in other parts of the world.
What we saw on September 11th was not an example of the kind of warfare which dominated the 20th century. It cannot be described as a conventional war between states nor a guerrilla war with stated aims and demands. It was a new kind of conflict which is likely to dominate our own century. Those who attacked the World Trade centre and the Pentagon were seeking simply to destabilise international affairs by manufacturing fear, hatred and mistrust.
How should we respond to this new kind of conflict? Clearly it is imperative that we do not assist the enemy to achieve their aims of increasing fear, hatred and mistrust.
We should all be committed to bring the guilty to justice and to make the world a place of security, peace and plenty for all its people. Indiscriminate reprisals which add to the tally of innocent victims will inflame the situation and cannot be justified by Christian teaching.
In particular there has been some anxiety expressed to me about the possibility that cities may be bombed in a way that leads to great loss of life among the population as a whole. I cannot believe that this kind of action is being contemplated. It would be wrong and a distraction from the long term matter of destroying the networks of terror in a way that is cool, systematic and relentless.