Anglican leaders launch robust defence of faith

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) Offering a telling twist in Britain's highly charged debate about religion and integration, the two Anglican leaders most vociferously defending British traditions are originally from Pakistan and Uganda.

Many Church of England clerics tread warily through a political minefield as the country reflects on the value of multiculturalism, especially after last year's London suicide bombings by British Islamist extremists.

But Archbishop of York John Sentamu and Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali seem less inhibited than most.

Robust spokesmen for their Christian faith, the two have both taken very public stands on issues ranging from Muslim veils to what the monarchy stands for. They are not shy about standing up for their adopted culture either.

''When I was in Uganda, everything that was British was the best,'' said Sentamu, a former judge and outspoken critic of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin before fleeing his homeland.

''But now this country disbelieves itself in an amazing way. It almost dislikes its own culture,'' said Sentamu, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England and Britain's first black archbishop.

The question of how to integrate Muslims into European society, which has Christian roots but is increasingly secular, has become a burning issue, with Britain now reflecting on its traditional attitudes to ethnic minorities.

DEFENDING CHRISTIANITY Nazir-Ali, Pakistani-born son of a convert to Christianity from Islam, argued that many Muslims suffered from a ''dual psychology'' that led them to desire both ''victimhood and domination''.

He urged Britain to filter out imams who might whip up extremism.

''Characteristic British values have developed from the Christian faith and its vision of personal and common good,'' he said in a newspaper interview.

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