This is Northumberland Calling 15.03.24
The Even the Archbishop of Canterbury doesn’t know what ‘deconstructing whiteness’ means edition
Hello America (particularly Central Ohio), this is Northumberland calling
A new word learned this week – takfirism – which literally means the belief in the excommunication of co-religionists. It is the concept which runs through militant Islamist extremism (and has seeped out). This Wikipedia article explains more fully about the concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takfiri It is why those who follow it believe in suicide bombings and that they will be absolved of the sin of killing non-combatants (something which directly contradicts certain passages of the Quran) . They have also used it as an excuse to persecute more moderate Muslim sects such as the Ahmadiyya. The columnist Nick Timothy did an op-ed on the subject which altered me to the actual name of the concept. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/17/islamist-threat-all-too-real-gove-understands-it/ or https://archive.is/GUiMB
To better understand the whole problem, it is helpful to compare and contrast. The Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk’s memoir about growing up at the tail end of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, Istanbul: Memories and the City is instructive. In the chapter titled Religion, he explains that his family were nominally observant Muslims and how Ataturk used the newspapers to caricaturize the religious (and provincial) poor as being backwards and dragging the country down. The Ottoman Empire’s caliphate ended in 1924. Takfirism in its current form only really gets going in the 1950s with the development of the Muslim Brotherhood, aimed squarely at the revitalizing the religion of the provincial poor.
The display of the hadith at King Cross Station (now being investigated) demonstrates to my mind the insidious creep of takfirism. It is now being investigate, after being initially defended. Apparently other religions (quite rightly) wanted to be able to put verses from their sacred text up on the main announcements board. Joking references to St Pancake on Shrove Tuesday does not quite cut it. It is sometimes forgotten that Britain does have a state religion – the Church of England, even though it now embraces the concept of being a multi-faith society. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/daily-ramadan-messages-removed-from-kings-cross-station-board-dq02wrq7c or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/daily-ramadan-messages-removed-from-kings-cross-station-board-dq02wrq7c
No joke. The Scottish Police training on the new Hate Crime law (comes into effect on April Fool’s Day 1 April and protects gender identity but not sex) shows that plays, actors, and comedians may be targeted. The Police say no, even though the police training materials say yes. JK Rowling has promised the mother of all April’s Fools Day jokes if someone wants to believe she is deleting anything or altering her stance. Apparently one of the ‘made up’ scenarios in the training manual involved a celebrity called Jo who called for the ‘gassing’ of a group of people with a protected characteristic – clearly an attempt to sling mud at JK Rowling who is known as Jo to her friends. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24194006.police-scotland-hate-crime-training-leaked/ or https://archive.is/9qisB
A Scottish MSP confirmed, yes indeed JK Rowling would be probably targeted but he doubted if the police would take it any further. Over 500 Scottish police officers are now designated as Hate Crime champions (i.e. they went on the course). https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/free-speech-warning-by-police-watchdog-over-hate-crime-law-xk2j9sf75 or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/free-speech-warning-by-police-watchdog-over-hate-crime-law-xk2j9sf75
The Kemi Badenoch report on whether or not DEI works came out this week. The findings were that mostly it fails and does the opposite. Performative gestures like rainbow lanyards tend to highlight differences. And Equity/Equality is far too complex and fraught of a subject for any company or indeed the civil service to be taking into account and trying to rectify. This is the actual report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusion-at-work-panel-report-on-improving-workplace-diversity-and-inclusion This is Badenoch’s op-ed on the subject: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/03/20/kemi-badenoch-clumsy-diversity-drives-no-substitute/ or https://archive.is/JDB2Z
The Scottish parliament has now banned rainbow lanyards but not pronoun badges as they gave the impression of a bias where there should be none. Predictably some of the MSPs complaining about the new ruling obviously have not read the Badenoch report. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rainbow-lanyards-and-badges-banned-by-scottish-parliament-g9ftzdvg8 or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rainbow-lanyards-and-badges-banned-by-scottish-parliament-g9ftzdvg8
Even The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby doesn’t understand some of the ‘woke’ C of E job advertisements including the one advertising for an officer to ‘deconstruct whiteness’. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-is-a-deconstructing-whiteness-officer-welby-asks-diocese-2mpzzd0ps or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-is-a-deconstructing-whiteness-officer-welby-asks-diocese-2mpzzd0ps
In Ireland the Taoiseach has resigned after badly losing the double referendum – a progressive bridge too far? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/20/leo-varadkar-kept-northern-ireland-under-eu-law-profile/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/20/leo-varadkar-kept-northern-ireland-under-eu-law-profile/
English football fans were taken back that the ‘playful’ rebranding of the George cross by Nike on the new England shirts as a ‘Progressive’ cross. The price tag is steep and the cross on there is not the cross of St George. Will it be a case of ‘Go Woke, Go Broke? Particularly as the FA refuses to prioritise the safety of women and girls in its female league? The Government has now waded into the row, accusing of Nike of toying with the National hesitate. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/03/22/england-st-george-cross-nike-change-woke-shilton-seaman/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/03/22/england-st-george-cross-nike-change-woke-shilton-seaman/
Were the Great Escapers (think the Steve McQueen film about the doomed mass breakout) betrayed from within? Newly uncovered documents suggest some thought they were. 24 March is the 80th anniversary of the doomed escape. It also gets a brief mention in the Apple TV series – Masters of the Air (which having just watched can confirm that it is very good) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/21/great-escape-pow-escapees-betrayed-english-collaborators/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/21/great-escape-pow-escapees-betrayed-english-collaborators/
Some days your luck is in, even when the world appears against you. With his back up metal detector, a retired cameraman found England’s biggest gold nugget. No one knows quite why it was in that field but there it was. https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/amateur-treasure-hunter-unearths-englands-largest-gold-nugget-after-20-minutes-2bng2rmzb
Here in England, spring is springing. The lambs in the field on the way to Haydon Old Church are growing. Paddy keeps taking a keen interest in them when we walk that way…
My manuscript moves forward at a snail’s pace and I received the back cover copy for the book which is out in the October. Editors write the back cover copy as it is a skill in which they receive training. The back cover copy for Tempted by Her Forbidden Warrior: In a time when alliances mean the difference between life and death, will a Viking’s forbidden relationship with a Celtic warrior threaten her kingdom’s future?
The warrior she shouldn’t want
But can’t resist!
Viking Sibba has traveled to a Scottish island to attend a king’s wedding and maintain the fragile truce between their opposing clans. Not to engage in an impromptu archery contest with his son, Cal, with a kiss at stake if he wins…
The Celtic warrior should remain forbidden, so Sibba’s shocked by how much she wants to kiss him. She ought to stay away, but when the king’s bride is kidnapped, Sibba must join forces with Cal to retrieve her before unrest rages through their kingdoms…and their dangerous desire overwhelms them both!
From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.
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Good morning, Northumberland! I can’t say I’m sad to see the backlash over the new spin on the St. George’s cross. It sounds like more and more people are fed up with wokeness (which word my iPhone refuses to recognize on text-swiping: did you mean weekends? Woolens? Wholeness? Or incredibly, wieners?).
Btw, I read Jews Milk Goats last Shabbos. It was so charming and interesting! Thank you for highlighting it. I’ve passed on the recommendation to my Facebook Jewish women’s book club and I hope Gill sells lots of copies!
Enjoy the spring weekend! <3
The Great Escape was one of my favorite movies of all time. I have seen it many times, own a copy and read the book (I want to say the author was Paul Brickhill?). If true, this would be such a sad ending to an already tragic, yet inspiring, story. Thanks for this tidbit, Michelle. Always enjoy your news bits.