The Archbishop of Canterbury today launched a desperate backtrack over his endorsement of sharia law as his own bishops lined up to attack him. Claiming he never called for the introduction of the Muslim system, Dr Rowan Williams claimed he wanted to "tease out some of the broader issues around the rights of religious groups within a secular state".
In a statement on his website based on his controversial lecture in London last night, he added he had only used sharia as an example.
Dr Williams' comments, however, are likely to do little to stem the rising tide of anger from senior clergy.
As public condemnation of his speech grew, some of his own bishops were calling for his resignation.
In an astonishing attack, one senior Church of England clergyman demanded he stepped down immediately and branded him "gullible".
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, claimed it would be "simply impossible" to introduce sharia law in Britain.
The clergyman was put under police protection last month after receiving death threats following his claims that parts of Britain are 'no-go areas' for non-Muslims.
Today he claimed that sharia would be "in tension" with current laws, including the rights of women.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who holds dual British and Pakistani citizenship, also added that Muslim women's groups had blocked an attempt to introduce sharia in marriage dispute cases in Canada.
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