Glasgow Clergyman calls for human rights focus at Commonweath Games
26 December 2013 - SACC
The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, Provost of St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow, used his Christmas sermon yesterday to highlight human rights abuses across Commonwealth countries to call for Commonwealth leaders to be held to account when they visit Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games.
"We must not shirk from naming that which is ill. For all is not well in the Commonwealth. Sadly, driven by the legacy of British colonialism, several Commonwealth countries should be held to account when they come to us. It will not merely be sports people who are here but their political leaders.
"With Sri Lanka unable to face questions about war crimes; with Uganda and India even in these last few days attempting to turn the clock back for those who are gay, with human rights abuses across Commonwealth countries too numerous to mention, there must not simply be silence when so much of the English speaking world comes to sport and play."
Clergyman calls for human rights focus at 2014 Games (The Herald, 26 January 2014)