Islamophobic Queen's Chaplain Resigns after Criticizing Church for Allowing Quran Reading
The Reverend Gavin Ashenden said he left his position in order to have more freedom of "speak out on behalf of the faith”.
The provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow, Kelvin Holdsworth, said similar interfaith readings had "happened a number of times in the past in this and in other churches, and have led to deepening friendships locally, to greater awareness of the things we hold in common and to dialogue about the ways in which we differ.”
A student read a segment of Holy Quran relating to the birth of Jesus Christ. Islam considers Christ to be a great prophet of God.
Ashenden, who has served as one of the Queen’s 34 chaplains for nine years, said the reading had caused "serious offence.”
He claimed that the problem with what happened in Glasgow was that, although it was presented as a way of building bridges and a way of educating people, it was "done badly, in the wrong way, in the wrong place, in the wrong context”.
In 2015, he had also claimed that the Quran has "over 100 verses inviting people to violence” which Christianity "doesn’t have.”
He was responding to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s warning about driving people to the edges, by marginalizing them and calling them extremists.
David Chillingworth, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, wrote in his blog on Sunday that the church "regretted” the abuse received by St. Mary's Cathedral.
"We deeply regret the widespread abuse which has been received by the cathedral community,” he said.
Source: The Independent
