LEADERS in the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church have backed the Scottish govern­ment’s decision to release the Locker­bie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, from prison last week on the grounds of ill health. He has advanced prostate cancer.

In the United States, anger was expressed at the decision taken by the Scottish Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill. The US President, Barack Obama, called the release a “mistake”. The director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, said that it gave “comfort to terrorists”.

But the Primus of the Scottish Epis­copal Church, the Most Revd David Chillingworth, said that the decision sent the world “an important and positive message about our values”, and was “a brave political choice taken in the face of strong pressure from outside Scotland.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Scottish Episcopal Church • * Culture-Watch • Law & Legal Issues • * Economics, Politics • Terrorism

1. Br. Michael wrote: On this basis I would now expect Scotland to empty its jail cells. August 28, 9:21 am | [comment link]

2. Jeffersonian wrote: What have they been putting in the haggis as of late? August 28, 9:49 am | [comment link]

3. azusa wrote: It’s called getting off scot free. The Scottish Episcopal Church draws about 0.3% of the population, so it’s not exactly a power in the land. August 28, 11:40 am | [comment link]

4. Sick & Tired of Nuance wrote: May the Scottish clerics receive the same mercy that the victims families have received. August 28, 3:59 pm | [comment link]

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