Iranian Bishop of Chelmsford denounces ‘unjust and illegal’ war

The Bishop of Chelmsford, who fled from Iran as a young person, has denounced the US-Israeli attack on the country as “unjust and illegal”.

The Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani is the daughter of Hassan Dehqani-Tafti, who served because the Anglican bishop of Iran from 1961 to 1990.

The Islamic Revolution of 1979 ushered in an intense period of persecution that persists to at the present time and had an almost immediate impact on the family. There was an assassination attempt that wounded his wife and only a yr later, his son was killed by unknown assailants in Tehran.

Eventually the family were forced to flee, with Bishop Francis-Dehqani leaving the country on the age of 14. Her father continued his ministry work from exile. 

In a letter to The Telegraph, the bishop argued, “This is a war of alternative quite than necessity. The Iranian regime is odious and repugnant, nevertheless it didn’t pose an imminent threat that justified pre-emptive self-defence. Diplomacy may need been working frustratingly slowly, nevertheless it was working. It actually hadn’t been exhausted.”

She also criticised what she suggested was poor US and Israeli planning when it comes to long-term strategy and outcomes.

“The lack of clarity as to the war’s goals, and the absence of any forethought about what comes next, belie the notion that that is either an ethical war or a only one,” she said.

“International law exists precisely to forestall the usage of force in such circumstances. Without it, force prevails, the strong prey on the weak and states routinely act with impunity to resolve their disputes with might. It is a world that invites fear quite than hope.”

In an earlier statement Francis-Dehqani called upon Christians “to hope for the protection of the innocent and for wisdom and sound mind for the political leaders whose decisions have caused this profoundly dangerous situation”.