When George Carey retired from the office of Archbishop of Canterbury, he didn't retire from public speaking and stating his opinion on matters. Recently he made a speech in Rome that was a harsh attack on Islam. Being harsh, however, doesn't mean that it was entirely unjustified.
Jonathan Petre writes for the Sydney Morning Herald:
In a speech that will upset sensitive relations between the faiths, he denounced moderate Muslims for failing unequivocally to condemn the "evil" of suicide bombers. He attacked the "glaring absence" of democracy in Muslim countries, suggested they had contributed little of major significance to world culture for centuries and criticised the Islamic faith.
Contrasting Western democracy with Islamic societies, he said: "Throughout the Middle East and North Africa we find authoritarian regimes with deeply entrenched leadership, some of which rose to power at the point of a gun and are retained in power by massive investment in security forces. Whether they are military dictatorships or traditional sovereignties, each ruler seems committed to retaining power and privilege."
"Although we owe much to Islam handing on to the West many of the treasures of Greek thought, the beginnings of calculus, Aristotelian thought during the period known in the West as the Dark Ages, it is sad to relate that no great invention has come for many hundred years from Muslim countries," he said. "This is a puzzle, because Muslim peoples are not bereft of brilliant minds. They have much to contribute to the human family, and we look forward to the close co-operation that might make this possible. Yes, the West has still much to be proud of, and we should say so strongly. We should also encourage Muslims living in the West to be proud of it and say so to their brothers and sisters living elsewhere."
Carey didn't do as some, equating Islam with evil. Carey made it clear that most Muslims are peaceful and that Islam is compatible with democracy. His attacks weren't on "principle" but, rather, on the fact that Muslims aren't realizing principle in practice. The failure of the Muslim world to produce new science and inventions during the past several hundred years is troubling and an important factor in their decline relative to the West. Without innovation, they have stagnated - and thus the constant focus on past glories rather than future achievements. What will they be able to do to change?
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