Hitchens is right on the mark here. What the Archbishop is advocating is putting the rights of a religious community above the rights of individuals. Of course, not all Muslims in Britain are as hostile to women's rights as in the examples Hitchens give. But, in too many cases, the religious authorities in the Islamic world seem to have an utter disregard to the autonomy and freedom of women. This is not about "morality" in a religious community, its about using religion as a tool of male domination and control. This is not to pick on Muslems. Not so long ago, many Christians had little regard for the rights of women too.

A large number of xtians still don't.

The political life of a culture includes religion and ethics. This is also "about 'morality' in a religious community". It impacts all of culture and all of the public community. This also has a deep and important history to be aware of as this cleric is obviously not. He should study several informative histories written by Bat Ye'or and all readers should consider this:

Arrests made in plot to kill Muhammad cartoonist

Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST - Feb. 12, 2008

Danish police arrested several people Tuesday suspected of plotting to kill one of the 12 cartoonists behind the Prophet Muhammad drawings that sparked an uproar in the Muslim world two years ago, authorities said.

The arrests were made in pre-dawn raids in Aarhus, western Denmark, "to prevent a terror-related murder," the police intelligence agency said. It did not say how many people were arrested nor did it mention which cartoonist was targeted.

Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that first published the drawings on Sept. 30, 2005, said the suspects were planning to kill its cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard, 73.

"There were very concrete murder plans against Kurt Westergaard," said Carsten Juste, the paper's editor-in-chief.

The cartoons were later reprinted by a range of Western publications, and they sparked deadly protests in parts of the Muslim world.

Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.

Westergaard's cartoon, which showed Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a lit fuse, was one of the most controversial.

Westergaard and his 66-year-old wife Gitte had been living under police protection because of the murder plans, Jyllands-Posten reported. It said those arrested included both Danish and foreign citizens.

"Of course I fear for my life when the police intelligence service say that some people have concrete plans to kill me. But I have turned fear into anger and resentment," Westergaard said in a statement published on Jyllands-Posten's Web site.

PET, the police intelligence service, called the action "preventive," saying it decided to strike "at an early phase to stop the planning and the carrying out of the murder."

Sharia is the heart of oppressive Islamism and Islamism is fully a political culture.