The Telegraph: Synod turns on Rowan Williams in sharia row

(...) A leading conservative, Archbishop Venables said: "Taken within the context of other things that have been said and done in recent months, it would just add to a general sense that confidence in the leadership of the Anglican church has plummeted."

Senior politicians added to the Archbishop's discomfort, with both Geoff Hoon, the Government's chief whip, and Ken Clark, the former Conservative chancellor, challenging his argument.

The Labour MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, Khalid Mahmood, went further by urging Dr Williams to step down.

"It was incredibly crass and naive for the Archbishop to say what he did," said Mr Mahmood. "If he doesn't go then, at the very least, his advisers should.

"I'm sure he had the best of intentions but all he has done is play into the hands of extreme elements like Al Muhajiroun, who want to turn Britain into an Islamic state.

"It's very unfortunate that someone in such a powerful position and with so much influence and respect can have said something like this."

Following calls by three Synod members for Dr Williams to resign, a number of bishops rallied to his support, saying that his carefully-crafted and thoughtful lecture to an audience of lawyers, which followed the BBC interview, had been hijacked by the media.

The Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, said he was appalled at the "knee-jerk" reaction to a serious piece of academic work. Read more
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