The Shofar is the ancient trumpet which called the people of God to prayer, repentance, sacrifice and war.

NEGOTIATING WITH AL-QAEDA IS 'LUNACY'

30th May 2008

The leader of a Christian prayer and lobby group has reacted with disbelief to the statement by Sir Hugh Orde and Jonathan Powell that the UK Government could enter into talks with al-Qaeda.

Sir Hugh and Mr Powell have both used the experience of Northern Ireland as justification for their stance. Sir Hugh cited a meeting with Gerry Adams in 2004, while Mr Powell helped broker the peace agreement.

Sir Hugh could be the next commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice said today:

'In the case of Sinn Fein / IRA, although their aim was and still is a united Marxist Ireland, it was clear from the start that a power-sharing deal in that particular patch of UK territory known as Northern Ireland would draw the sting of their campaign.

'The IRA paradigm is not remotely applicable to al-Qaeda. Their aim is a global caliphate, an international Muslim state. How is anyone supposed to negotiate with those who will only be satisfied by total submission to Islam? It is more than the wrong of negotiating with terrorists. It is utterly pointless. To divert attention to such a waste of time and to raise hopes in such a way is complete lunacy.

'Has no-one in the Establishment read the Koran or studied the Hadith, which together make up the holy books of the Islamic faith? Do they know nothing of the aims of the Muslim Brotherhood? Do they seriously believe the world is a place where every matter between every intransigent and implacable foe can be sorted out over tea in the drawing-room?

'We even find such thinking in the Church of England, where a perfectly reasonable plea for evangelism amongst Muslims can be criticised, and the one Bishop who knows something about Islam is castigated as a firebrand. I have even been called an 'extremist' in evangelical circles for warning about the demographic menace of Islam in our land.

'How frightening it is that the secularist Elite have such a slender grasp on reality and that one of them is set to replace another of them in charge of London's police force.

'It is a good job Almighty God is in control, because the only thing that can save the United Kingdom in the face of such a combination of ignorance, complacency and wishful-thinking is to re-affirm Christianity as the faith of this nation. The secularism of our leaders, including some churchmen, is clueless in the face of the threat of Islam. We need to repent and put ourselves under the Lord's protection. Anything else is national suicide.'

ENDS