The Limits of Tolerance

In January of this year the Bishop of Rochester, of the Church of England, Michael Nazir-Ali, wrote an op-ed for the Daily Telegraph which argued that the notions of multiculturalism had the potential for degrading the very things that made English society so compelling. In his editorial he argued that this push would lead to more extremism.

Nazir-Ali has been a thorn in the side of the prevailing Episcopal leadership, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan WIlliams. Williams deserves to have a lot of challenges. He has been typical of softheaded leadership that pervades much of church leadership worldwide include the Episcopal American Church.

Williams is part of a generation of leaders who believe that all cultures are fundamentally the same. He argued in February that British society should accept some elements of Shari'a to improve social cohesion. He seems to ignore the benefits of the market and sees it as fundamentally a zero sum game. He also seems not to understand that fundamental societal principles like equality under the law, if cast aside would create significant cascading changes in our society.

There is a balance here that needs to be respected. But there are also key issues where we should not capitulate. Some of the extremist factions in Islam argue that their rules should supercede even those rules that have been fundamental to Western society. Should equality under law be sacrificed for some who would require forced marriages? Should Western values of respect for dissent be perverted to allow imams to advocate violence against those who do not adhere to their brand of faith? Williams would argue that we need to accomodate some of these beliefs. He believes that terrorists can have "serious moral goals." In my opinion that is not a religious leader.

The issue of balance has also cropped up in the US but so far we have not been as accommodating as Williams would be. For example, last year the Minnesota Airport Commission was confronted with claims by some Islamic cab drivers who refused to carry fares who had alcohol. The Commission rightly concluded that the cab drivers were operating a public accommodation. If they did not want to carry all passengers they would lose their hackers license. Some checkers in food markets around the country have argued that they should not be forced to handle pork or alcohol products. Again, if they want to serve the public they should treat all customers with respect.

Williams and his ilk are poor students of history. A fundamental tenet of Western culture is the respect for individual rights but not to the point that society is wrecked. Three cheers for Nazir-Ali. But it is a sad thing that he should be lauded for pointing out the obvious.