THE HISTORY of Catholics in Britain should help people to understand the situation of Muslims today, Lord Alton of Liverpool has said.
In a Lords debate on multi-culturalism, Lord Alton spoke of the "disastrous blurring of an explicitly religious mission with subversive political and violent conspiracies". He said: "The more the so-called bloody question was put to Catholics, the more impossible their situation became. If they fully understood their own history, English Catholics would be in a particularly good position there: " _ • .
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today."
Dialogue between people of different faiths requires that we be "understanding and sensitive of other people's histories and their stories," he said. "It also needs to be truthful and honest, and not to dodge tough questions."
The Catholic peer said afterwards: "If you alienate people and ostracise them and force them to choose between their faith and being a good Englishman. you may end up with the wrong answer. The challenge is to be patriotic citizens and follow their faith."