Canterbury Archbishop Calms Critics
By Los Angeles Times | February 12, 2008
The archbishop of Canterbury yesterday defended himself against a firestorm of recent criticism, telling fellow Anglicans his statement last week that Britain would have to accept some limited form of Islamic law had been misunderstood. Archbishop Rowan Williams said he took full responsibility "for any unclarity ... and for any misleading choice of words."
He defended what he said was an attempt to open debate on whether "certain additional choices could and should be made available under the law of the United Kingdom for resolving disputes and regulating transactions" involving Muslims, naming as an example legal provisions allowing for Islamic forms of financial transactions such as mortgages.
