Archfoolishness: The Archbishop And The Imam

The Archbishop of Canterbury, a known arch-progressive, and the first female head of the Church of England, in a fit of wokeness publicly honored a Muslim Imam -- on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. 

She awarded him the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation 2026.

The Muslim imam in question, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi himself had presented an earlier award.

He presented it to Osama Bin Laden.

Ashrafi awarded him the title of the award of "Sword of Allah"  and that's not all. Ashrafi has supported suicide bombing,  Islamic terrorist attacks against Britons and others.

Most people would consider this to be highly irreconcilable and uncooperative regarding other regions.

When these issues were pointed out, and a public outcry over the insanity of giving it to the Imam in the first place ensured, the award was revoked. 

MSN/Christian Daily International: Archbishop of Canterbury revokes award to Pakistani cleric after bin Laden remarks resurface

Ashrafi received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation 2026 from Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally at Lambeth Palace in London on Sept. 11, the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the United States.

. . . 

The immediate controversy over the Lambeth award concerns comments Ashrafi made in 2007 following the British knighthood awarded to author Salman Rushdie.

Media reports quoted Ashrafi as saying that the Pakistan Ulema Council would honor bin Laden with the title “Saifullah”, meaning “Sword of God.” He described bin Laden as a “mujahid” (holy warrior) who had fought for Islam against Russians, Americans and Britons. 

National Post: Head of Church of England rescinds interfaith award given to Muslim cleric who praised bin Laden

We may also note that the archbishop, who has made feminism a keystone of her liberal progressive archbishop focus, and has publicly vowed to call out misogyny, also had no issues presenting the award to the Imam as female members of his family looked on - in full burkas. She then failed to call out such misogyny.  Funny, that.

The lack of self-awareness among the progressive left and their complete blindness to the clear anti-progressive intolerance of Islam is rather fascinating and disheartening.

The UK Is Probably Wishing It Had An Effective Navy Right About Now

The Guardian: Russian frigate fires warning shots at British yacht in Channel

Yes, in the English Channel, a Russian warship fired rounds at a British yacht that was getting too close  for the Russian's liking.

A Russian warship fired warning shots within a few hundred metres of a British pleasure yacht sailing across the Channel on Tuesday morning amid a period of heightened tensions between London and Moscow.

The rare incident took place at 11.40am more than 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight and less than 40 miles north of Normandy, France, when the yacht, identified as the private vessel Bright Future, sailed close to the Admiral Grigorovich and ignored at least one warning.

“We assess that this is an isolated incident and not linked to the UK’s interception of the Smyrtos this weekend. HMS Mersey has been monitoring the Russian vessel and support has been provided to the crew of the yacht. ”British sources said initial indications were that more than one shot was fired by Russian sailors after the yacht had got close to the heavily armed frigate. “Following attempts to contact a British vessel in the channel, the Grigorovich fired warning shots. These were not aimed at the vessel and were an attempt to prevent a possible collision,” the Ministry of Defence said.

 

Do note that the only ship the Royal Navy could manage to have in the area,  HMS Mersey is a fishery protection patrol vessel and badly over-matched by the Russian Frigate.

 

That the Royal Navy can't even sortie a frigate to shadow the Russian frigate in  the English Channel is a sad commentary on the state of the Royal Navy.

 

Britannia used to rule the waves, now it can't even rule its own home waters.

BLM = Belfast Lives Matter

The people of Belfast are making their displeasure at unfettered third-world immigration and two-tier policing known.

The Nightly:  Belfast race riot signals a backlash against Black Lives Matter movement

 The horrific sight of an immigrant trying to behead a man on a Belfast street will increase the already heightened hostility in Britain towards foreigners . . .

The Belfast attack came a little after a week when a Sikh man, Vickrum Digwa, was jailed for fatally stabbing 18-year-old accounting student Henry Nowak. Digwa claimed he was racially abused and acted in self defence.


A decision by police officers to initially accept the false story, and handcuff Mr Nowak as he died from stab wounds, triggered an outpouring of anger towards what many people feel are police policies designed to protect minority groups at the expense of fighting crime.

One might say it just a "fiery but peaceful protest".  You'd be a feckin' eedjit for saying so, but  that would be simply copying the progressive line on such demonstrations, except the progressives these days are stating it is actually a riot and blaming it on the "far right".  Don't expect the progressives to be taking a knee for Henry Nowak anytime soon now.

One might also say its a really bad idea to severely annoy people who really know how to put on a riot. And the people of Belfast KNOW how to riot like nobody's business.

When you have Northern Irish Protestants and Catholics on the same side rioting against these policies, it's gonna get, as some might say, extra fiery and extra peaceful, now innit?

In The UK, When The Data Goes Against Your Progressive Preferences

You stick with the progressive preferences, and ignore the data.  

At least that is what the UK, under Two-Tier Kier Starmer, has  decided to do.

The Labour Party of the United Kingdom's own report shows that:

Islamists are responsible for three-quarters of the police’s counterterror workload and 94 per cent of all terror-related deaths in the past 25 years. The plan also rejects calls, predominantly from British Muslims, for blasphemy laws in the UK.

And what has the Labour Party government decided to do about it?

They've decided to appoint an anti-Islamophobia Tsar and further crack down on people being "divisive"  when it comes to Islam, LGBTs (and there's a fine paradox right there), or simply not reflecting Labour Party progressive preferences.

The Spectator: Revealed: Britain to get Islamophobia tsar.

A Rather Red Royal Portrait

The official portrait of King Charles III has been unvelied.

 

It's certainly something. For an official portrait, I daresay it's lacking a certain gravitas.

But, if instead viewed as art, rather than as a stately portrait, it does make one think.

The thinking, however, goes like this:

"Charles Rex III, the Scourge of Carpathia, the Sorrow of Moldavia….";

"People were saying that it would be a dumpster fire after Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and they were right!";

"Hey, there was a sale on red pigment at Ye Olde Royal Art Supply Shoppe.";

"This is fine."

"Well at least it beats Obama's official portrait."

So, what do you think?

Cambridge's Progressive Double Standards

Verily, If A progressive person or institution didn't have double standards, they'd have no standards at all.

Cambridge University, the rather historic British institution got very woke and earlier this year and rescinded an invitation to Jordan Peterson over protests at allowing him to speak on their hallowed grounds.

That was met by applause by the the Cambridge Student Union who said

“We are relieved to hear that Jordan Peterson’s request for a visiting fellowship to Cambridge’s faculty of divinity has been rescinded following further review. It is a political act to associate the University with an academic’s work through offers which legitimise figures such as Peterson.

Meanwhile, the very same Cambridge University yesterday hosted and feted Malaysian Prime Minister and antisemitic moonbat Mahathir Mohamad, who used the opportunity to speak to make at least one anti-Semitic joke, to the delight of those attending the Cambridge Union Speech.

The Telegraph: Cambridge Union audience laughs at anti-Semitic 'joke' by Malaysian prime minister

Note how Cambridge defended inviting Mattahir:

Dr Mohamad's invitation to speak had already proved controversial, but Cambridge University said he should not be banned because they respect freedom of speech.

Ah, so Cambridge is all for free speech for anti-Semitic progressive scum -- and applauding it no less -- but not for a world-famous rather centrist University professor that disdains and demonstrates the fallacies of leftist cant.

The Brits Stoop To Associating Cookie Monster With Crime And Cowardice

In the place Where Great Britain used to be, there's a current push to ban knives, because someone might very well hurt themselves, and the Brits are going through a spot of "knife violence" with London overtaking New York in murders. Just like gun control, it's a wrong-headed focus on the tool rather than the criminal, continues the obsession of blaming crime on inanimate objects, and will likely give much the same results.

But, in their quest for a fully disarmed citizenry, the Essex police have stooped so low as to defame Cookie Monster and associate him with knives, violence, and cowardice.

To depict Cookie Monster in a picture under the title "Only Cowards Carry" depicts him as a craven coward associated with criminals that use knives, including Swiss army knives (yes, really), screwdrivers, and broken bottles is a most base insult.

Silly Brits, C is for cookie, not coward.

In The Place Where Great Britain Used To Be, Yet Again

Facing a knife (murders in London have now exceeded New York City) and acid-attack crime wave, Brtiain's government decided they must do something.

The something now includes banning buying knives online or having "offensive weapons" in your home, complete with new powers for police to search homes for such weapons.

The Mirror: Tough new offensive weapons laws ban keeping so much as a knuckle duster in your home

Tough new laws against offensive weapons will make it illegal to keep so much as a knuckle duster in your home.

In a crackdown to be announced by Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Monday, police will get powers to search, seize and prosecute anyone caught with weapons including zombie knives.

At present cops can act only if they find weapons being carried on the streets.

Ms Rudd’s new Serious Violence Strategy, to combat the recent spate of disfiguring attacks, will also mean a minimum of six months jail for a second offence of possessing acid.

The new “two strikes and you’re out” law will bring corrosive liquids in line with knives.

And police will be told to use stop and search powers to find acids.

Shopkeepers will be banned from selling dangerous cleaning products to people under 18 and, for the first time, a licence will be required to buy sulphuric acid.

Ms Rudd said: “To tackle violent crime effectively, robust legislation and powerful law enforcement must be in place. Stop and search is a vital policing tool and officers will have the Government’s full support to use these powers.”

No one will be able to buy knives online and have them delivered to their homes.

And of course, even more firearms bans, why, because why not, it's the United Kingdom:

Gun clubs will no longer be able to use rapid fire rifles which will be banned outright.

Bump stocks, which increase the rate of fire and have been used in US shootings, will also be forbidden.

And of course just as there is not only no Second nor Fourth Amendment in Britain, there is no First Amendment to prevent government restraints on speech and imprisonment for speech - so there must be more restrictions, for your own good, of course:

Ms Rudd will also target any social media which glorifies violence and demand providers remove gang material including music and videos.

And progressives would see us become just like Great Britain with controls on ordinary citizens' choice of weapons, speech, and the elimination of security from expansive searches in return for a police department that ignores crime unless "committed" by an ordinary decent citizen.

In The Place Where Great Britain Used To Be

Sky News: Pensioner held on suspicion of murdering 'burglar' pictured

Yes, a 78-year old managed to kill one of at least a pair of armed home invaders who broke into his home is now being held on suspicion of committing murder.

Reportedly, the home invaders, armed with screwdrivers, backed the man into his kitchen where at least one of them found out you shouldn't bring a screwdriver to a knife fight.

In most civilized countries, a 78-year-old facing and successfully fighting off two armed home invaders would be praised.

Unfortunately, this occurred in the United Kingdom, where permissible acts of self defense are now reduced to lying down and thinking of England.

A Failure Of Imagination

From Legal Insurrection comes this fatuous statement from British Prime Minister Teresa May: Theresa May: We Could Not Have “Predicted” or “Envisaged” Latest Terrorist Attacks

That she states it with a straight face shows she's either willfully blind or a fool, and she's not a fool.

Given the history of Islamists using vehicles as weapons and bombs to attack where children and young people congregate, to say such were unpredictable in Britain, where there's a very large number of known Islamists and their sympathizers is worse than trite. It shows the British politician's fevered need to calm their population and hide from it the politically incorrect and rather unpalatable, at least for the bien pensants, truth of what their government has done through open immigration and appeasement of non-assimilating Islamists who have been given free reign.

These attacks certainly won't be the last, and now soldiers and armed police walk the streets of Britain to protect the people who failed to protect the people of Britain from attacks that were both highly predictable and rather easy to envisage.