"Oh GOD! Save us from the religious nutters" Tony Blair
christ's sake | 05.03.2006 15:56 | Analysis | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | World
Making a television appearance on the Parkinson Show on ITV, a British satellite channel, Blair described his decision on the Iraqi war as the most important one since he came to power eight years ago, while referring to his Christian values as quite influential in his past decisions on the Iraqi issue. Warned by his advisor Alastair Campbell to separate politics and religion, the British prime minister told the audience during his television appearance that his interest in politics derives from his faith in Christianity, because the Christian moral values and philosophy guide him in his daily life as well as in his office.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair followed George W. Bush, President of the United States, in perceiving the war on Iraq as a “crusade” when he referred to Christianity as a determining factor in his decisions on the Iraqi War.
David Aikman from Time magazine wrote in an article that Bush prayed “for support from God in the Iraq War” during a religious ceremony at his Texas ranch in late 2002. Blair’s last statements on TV screens will supposedly strengthen the prevalent judgment in the Arab world, which is “causing tension in the Middle East, the Christian leaders are acting with the mentality of crusaders”. US President Bush had compared the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to the “Crusades” and immediately after the Iraqi occupation, he told:” God told me, ‘George, end the tyranny in Iraq, and I did so.”
On saturday, when Michael Parkinson asked Blair how he can live with the decision of waging on Iraq, the prime minister responded by saying that they have to live with this decision. Other people may judge us on the basis of what we did, the prime minister remarked, and added that if you have faith in God than you know that He will also judge you. “It is God who will judge my decision to send the British troops in to Iraq,” said Blair, and added that there were times during the Iraqi war when he wished he had never become the prime minister.
Blair declined to answer Parkinson’s question whether he prayed with the United States President to God for guidance in the Iraqi war where, apart from 2,300 American and 103 British soldiers, almost 30,000 Iraqi people died. On another occasion, asked if he describes himself as a Christian socialist, Blair responded: “It is the first in a very long time that someone is using the world “socialist” to describe me.”
David Aikman from Time magazine wrote in an article that Bush prayed “for support from God in the Iraq War” during a religious ceremony at his Texas ranch in late 2002. Blair’s last statements on TV screens will supposedly strengthen the prevalent judgment in the Arab world, which is “causing tension in the Middle East, the Christian leaders are acting with the mentality of crusaders”. US President Bush had compared the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to the “Crusades” and immediately after the Iraqi occupation, he told:” God told me, ‘George, end the tyranny in Iraq, and I did so.”
On saturday, when Michael Parkinson asked Blair how he can live with the decision of waging on Iraq, the prime minister responded by saying that they have to live with this decision. Other people may judge us on the basis of what we did, the prime minister remarked, and added that if you have faith in God than you know that He will also judge you. “It is God who will judge my decision to send the British troops in to Iraq,” said Blair, and added that there were times during the Iraqi war when he wished he had never become the prime minister.
Blair declined to answer Parkinson’s question whether he prayed with the United States President to God for guidance in the Iraqi war where, apart from 2,300 American and 103 British soldiers, almost 30,000 Iraqi people died. On another occasion, asked if he describes himself as a Christian socialist, Blair responded: “It is the first in a very long time that someone is using the world “socialist” to describe me.”
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