THE TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury faced calls for his resignation yesterday as bishops joined politicians in criticising his remarks supporting the adoption of sharia law.
Dr Rowan Williams was urged to quit by angry members of the General Synod, the Church's "parliament", who claimed he was undermining the Christian faith.
Lord Carey, his predecessor, and the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, also challenged his view that aspects of Islamic law could be incorporated into the English legal system.
The row erupted on Thursday when Dr Williams suggested that the introduction of Muslim laws into the UK was "unavoidable".
The strength of the backlash represents one of the most serious blows to the Archbishop's authority since his appointment five years ago. He faces more pressure when the Synod convenes for a five-day meeting in London on Monday.
Last night friends of the Archbishop said he was "completely overwhelmed" by the hostility of the response and in a "state of shock" at the barrage of criticism. Rowan Williams faces calls to resign >>> By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
DAILY MAIL:
Sharia law row: Archbishop is in shock as he faces demands to quit By Steve Doughty and Michael Seamark
DAILY MAIL:
Sharia UK: What exactly does it mean? By Richard Pendlebury
NZZ Online:
Erzbischof verteidigt sich nach Scharia-Äusserungen: Gegen Einführung eines «parallelen Rechtssystems»
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