Click here for more posts on the Pope's UK visit

Scotland Yard did its job in arresting five “terrorists.” The press has not been so alert. First reports spoke of “London street sweepers” as though they might have been from a chorus of My Fair Lady or Mary Poppins. Then they had to allow that they are Algerians. Very slowly has the word “Islamist” begun to appear in tiny print.

Yet when a grandstanding fundamentalist preacher in Florida ruminated about burning the Quran, headlines even referred to him as a “priest” as if to give the impression that he might be an agent of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. If the “London street sweepers” were members of an underground Wesleyan chapel, it would not have escaped the attention of the “Manchester Guardian.” But even the media must admit that there are not many Algerian Methodists.

Comments (5)

5 Comments

Fr. Josh Miller
September 17th, 2010 | 12:20 pm

Algerian Methodists, always up to no good.

Joseph C
September 17th, 2010 | 1:26 pm

Are you sure they are not Algerian Methodists who sought asylum in England? Oups sorry they are probably in France!

CV
September 17th, 2010 | 2:08 pm

I think what you all mean to say is, “disaffected Algerian Methodist youths.”

The ‘London Street Sweeper’ Terrorists are Not Algerian Methodists « Biblical Paths
September 17th, 2010 | 2:21 pm

[...] 17, 2010 by Fr Stephen Smuts Yes, and I suppose this has absolutely nothing to do with Islam: Scotland Yard did its job in arresting five [...]

Kevin
September 17th, 2010 | 2:27 pm

Check with Mayor Bloomberg. I’m sure he has some useful information on their fervent opposition to health care reform.