Monday, June 13, 2005
A NEW KNIGHT
The BBC reports (via USS Neverdock):
Incidentally, whenever Sir Iqbal makes dumb comments, may we term him the "Knight Errant"? ¶ by Robert, Monday, June 13, 2005
The BBC reports (via USS Neverdock):
The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain says he will not dilute criticism of the establishment because he has received a knighthood.That the granting of a knighthood to a practicing Muslim apparently raises not an eyebrow is wonderful, for it goes to show just how secular, tolerant and open-minded that which used to be known as Christendom has become, when compared to "ye good old days":
Sir Iqbal Sacranie told Sky's Sunday with Adam Boulton the honour would not make it more difficult for him to speak out over issues such as the Iraq war.
He said the knighthood, awarded in the Queen's Birthday Honours, recognised "the work of the community at large". . .
. . . When the squire was judged ready to become a knight, usually between 18 and 21, a time for the knighting ceremony was set. On the night before the ceremony, the squire would take a cleansing bath, fast, and would make confession. He would spend the whole night in the chapel praying to God for guidance in his journey as a knight. The next morning , he dressed in white and entered the crowded hall with his sword strung around his neck. The priest would bless the sword and then the squire knelt before his lord (often the knight who had trained him). The lord asked the squire his reasons for wanting to become a knight and if the lord was satisfied with his answers, the knight agreed to perform the ceremony. The ladies and the knights would then dress the squire in new armor and the squire again knelt before the lord. The Lord would then take a sword and tap him lightly on the shoulders three times and made a short declaration such as "In the name of God and Saint George, I make thee a knight.". . .Now, if only the same secularization, toleration and open-mindedness would be embraced by quite a few Muslims, who seem to have some difficulty with those concepts.
Incidentally, whenever Sir Iqbal makes dumb comments, may we term him the "Knight Errant"? ¶ by Robert, Monday, June 13, 2005
