Urgent....Champion Wanted

The actor, comedian and raconteur Stephen Fry has been in the news recently. Taking on the role of champion of gay rights in Russia, Mr Fry has used his celebrity status to call for a boycott of the forthcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi.  

Not content with forcing a redefinition of marriage on the British people the militant gay lobby is now attempting to export its views to Russia where President Putin has recently signed into law measures to criminalise the dissemination of homosexual propaganda to young people under the age of 18. Last weekend’s London demo by gay rights activists headed by Mr Fry attracted a good deal of media attention, prompting comment from a number of prominent people including a Twitter response from Prime Minister David Cameron.

Socially conservative by nature, it is reported that most Russians have been bemused by this attempt to force a morality which they regard as corrupt on their country under the guise of ‘freedom’ and ‘human rights’.

It is interesting to note that when a cause has a celebrity champion, it can attract a good deal of media attention which in the long run can help ‘ramp up’ the pressure for change.

Much more serious than the situation of Russia’s gay community is violent murderous persecution of Christians by Islamist militants across Muslim world. Largely unreported, church burnings and the butchery of Christian men women and children is a regular occurrence in states such as Nigeria and Pakistan.   

Yesterday Archbishop Cranmer’s website published a poignant article entitled, ‘Christians are being slaughtered by Wahhabi Islamists all over the world: who is their Stephen Fry?’
In particular, Cranmer highlighted the current plight of Christians in Egypt which is largely unreported in the UK.

“The head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, for example, Pope Tawadros II, has had to cancel many public events at St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, fearing attacks from Brotherhood supporters who blame the Copts for the fall of Morsi. Indeed, the Copts in Egypt, who make up around 10 per cent of the population, have it an awful lot worse than gays in Russia. But there is no rolling coverage of their plight by the BBC: their persecution and murder is only mentioned in passing. No marches are staged in London; there is no damning comment by David Cameron or President Obama, and the world is largely silent as their churches are torched and congregations slaughtered.

Pope Tawadros was not the only religious leader who demanded change in Egypt, but his church is bearing the brunt. The Copts are increasingly fearful of meeting to worship: one of their number was recently kidnapped and beheaded in the Sinai.”

Sadly the persecution of Christians abroad does not chime with largely secular agenda of the UK media. Even more concerning is the deafening silence of our ‘PC’ obsessed politicians on these matters fearing that they might ‘cause offence’.

I am in agreement with Archbishop Cranmer. It is time for Christians in Britain to stand up and get on the streets in support of their persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ across the world.

What is needed is a celebrity champion from the world of entertainment, the media, business or sport who will do for Christians in the Muslim world what Stephen Fry has achieved for the gay community in Russia.

Does such a person of faith, courage and commitment exist? If so would he/she please step up to the mark!