In Depth:  Anthony McRoy

The first two programmes of the Channel Four series Christianity — A History, screened in January, were odd. Neither presenter — Harold Jacobson and Michael Portillo — professed an active Christian faith, nor were they academic scholars in the fields of New Testament and Church History studies.

The programmes presented two canards often found in anti-Christian polemics (I frequently encounter their use by Islamic polemicists against Christianity) — that Paul was responsible for changing the pristine religion preached by Jesus, and that Constantine completed the process, notably by establishing the canon of Scripture.

It was a shock to Americans to learn that the Oklahoma bomber was not some foreign terrorist, but a fellow-citizen. A similar reaction has gripped Britons upon learning that the London bombings were carried out by our compatriots.

Like most Britons, I was shocked that the London bombers were British-born — but not entirely surprised. It is not the first time that British Muslims have engaged in jihad or sacrificed their lives in what are called ‘martyrdom operations’ — two did so in Tel Aviv; the innovation is that the London bombers did it in the UK, against their fellow-Britons. What drives young Britons to attack their compatriots?

MOHAMMAD MOSADDEQ AND THE 1953 COUP IN IRAN

Ed. by Mark Gasiorowski and Malcolm Byrne

Many parts of the Muslim world are dangerous places for Westerners to visit today.

They could be captured, tortured, killed or at best ransomed. In one sense history is repeating itself.

Racial violence has flared through the summer in the North of England. Anthony McRoy reports from Oldham where the trouble first began.

'Oldham has become a mini-Bosnia', according to the British National Party, which shocked everyone by saving both deposits in Oldham's seats in the General Election, the highest vote for a radical right-wing party since the War.

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim ('In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate') - is how most speakers began their talks at the London conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists in September.

One speaker began with the words: 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; peace to him that is far off and to him that is near - Isaiah 57.19'.

The imminent American presidential elections could see Muslims and Arab-Americans making a critical impact for the first time.

The Wall Street Journal, commented about Democrat Al Gore's Jewish running mate, Joseph Lieberman, that 'There are now a few more Muslims in America (6m) than Jews (5.7 million). Muslims make up 5% of the vote in Michigan, 2% in Illinois and 1% in California and Ohio. These are critical states where the margin of difference between Gore and Bush is 5% or less.

The vulgarism 'S*** happens' has unfortunately entered the English language. It used to be seen as grossly improper to use such language in public, especially in the presence of ladies and children. Equally, one would never hear obscenities used about sacred matters.

It is a sign of the decline in public decency that a company could now consider distributing a T-shirt not only mentioning the word 's***', but also using it for religion. The firm Rosey Nieper recently published a catalogue advertising a T-shirt listing religions adjacent to the word 's***'. The idea was to describe either a purported historical feature e.g. Judaism: 'Why does s*** keep happening to us?', or ostensible theological tenet as with Islam: 'S*** is the will of Allah', or a supposed attitude as with Protestantism: 'Let s*** fall on everyone else' - reflecting alleged self-righteous hypocrisy as characteristic of Protestants.