On Monday, the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) released a video on racism.

2.
Note - the CEEC is a distinctive evangelical pressure group within the C of E. It is independent of the Anglican hierarchy (although it has a couple of bishops among its members), so its actions and decisions have nothing to do with Welby.

3.
You can watch the video here:

https://t.co/5FwIpErBSM

My rant is not about the video itself; nor about the people who feature in it, who all seem perfectly decent.

Nonetheless, there are two rather large elephants in the room.

4.
This is the 1st:

To the best of my knowledge, CEEC said precisely nothing about racism when one specific form of racism - antisemitism - was a national issue for 5 years, and formed part of the backdrop to 2 successive General Elections.

Does racism against Jews not count?

5.
The 2nd, which is connected, concerns the track records of some of CEEC’s members.

6.
CEEC’s chair is @hugh_palmer, outgoing rector (vicar) of @AllSoulsLP.

As a director of both @EvangelicalsNow and @ChristExplored, he failed not once but twice to take decisive action against Stephen Sizer's antisemitism when asked.

7.
@hugh_palmer has never apologised for this failure.

Does racism directed against Jews not count?

8.
CEEC's Secretary is Stephen Hofmeyr QC. *As of today*, he is on the UK Board of Reference of Stephen Sizer's charity, Peacemaker Trust.

9a.
Stephen Hofmeyr therefore remains *directly* complicit in Stephen Sizer's ongoing antisemitism - by which I mean stuff like this...

https://t.co/cKArgLfSLL

9b.
...and this

https://t.co/HzoowRNI0I

9c.
Another CEEC member is Lee Gatiss, the director of @ChurchSociety.

10a.
As @BernardNHoward and I show here, Lee Gatiss turned a blind eye to Stephen Sizer's antisemitism not once but twice, and when later challenged on this, pretended he had been unaware of it.

Does racism against Jews not count?

10b.

https://t.co/MK4nZOOjMi
Hopefully the point is clear.

@HadleyFreeman has written that antisemitism is seen by too many as "a lesser bigotry".

@Baddiel argues, quite simply, that, too often, Jews Don't Count when it comes to tackling racism.

11.
It would be hard to find a better example of what they mean, than in the contrast between the Church of England Evangelical Council's recent film on racism;...

12a.
...and the org's general silence on antisemitism, and the specific failings of some of its members on Stephen Sizer's antisemitism.

Does racism directed against Jews not count?

12b, end.
@threadreaderapp unroll

More from For later read

You May Also Like

Rig Ved 1.36.7

To do a Namaskaar or bow before someone means that you are humble or without pride and ego. This means that we politely bow before you since you are better than me. Pranipaat(प्राणीपात) also means the same that we respect you without any vanity.

1/9


Surrendering False pride is Namaskaar. Even in devotion or bhakti we say the same thing. We want to convey to Ishwar that we have nothing to offer but we leave all our pride and offer you ourselves without any pride in our body. You destroy all our evil karma.

2/9

We bow before you so that you assimilate us and make us that capable. Destruction of our evils and surrender is Namaskaar. Therefore we pray same thing before and after any big rituals.

3/9

तं घे॑मि॒त्था न॑म॒स्विन॒ उप॑ स्व॒राज॑मासते ।
होत्रा॑भिर॒ग्निं मनु॑षः॒ समिं॑धते तिति॒र्वांसो॒ अति॒ स्रिधः॑॥

Translation :

नमस्विनः - To bow.

स्वराजम् - Self illuminating.

तम् - His.

घ ईम् - Yours.

इत्था - This way.

उप - Upaasana.

आसते - To do.

स्त्रिधः - For enemies.

4/9

अति तितिर्वांसः - To defeat fast.

मनुषः - Yajman.

होत्राभिः - In seven numbers.

अग्निम् - Agnidev.

समिन्धते - Illuminated on all sides.

Explanation : Yajmans bow(do Namaskaar) before self illuminating Agnidev by making the offerings of Havi.

5/9