THE Archbishop of York has launched a withering attack on BBC bias, the chattering classes and the consumerism surrounding Christmas.

Dr John Sentamu also questioned the right of Muslim women to wear the veil in public, saying it did not “conform to norms of decency”.

Dr Sentamu, who ranks second in the Anglican church hierarchy, used an interview to rail against what he described as the destruction of Britain’s Christian heritage by the wilfulness of the chattering classes.

Some of his strongest comments were reserved for the BBC, which he claimed was biased against the Church of England.

“We get more knocks. They can do to us what they dare not do to the Muslims,” he said. “We are fair game because they can get away with it. We don’t go down there and say, ‘We are going to bomb your place.’ It is not within our nature.”

The Ugandan-born cleric, 57, said that Britain’s minorities could not expect society to be reconfigured around them.

When asked whether it was right for Muslim women in Britain to wear the full veil in every aspect of their lives he replied: “Muslim scholars would say three things. First, does it conform to norms of decency? Secondly, does it render you more secure? And thirdly, what kind of Islam are you projecting by wearing it? “I think in the British context it renders you less secure because you stick out and it brings you unwelcome attention. On the first question, I don’t think it does conform.

“You know, when I visit Orthodox synagogues I never take a cross. When I go into Muslim mosques I take it off. When I go into a Sikh temple I cover my head. And I can’t simply say, ‘Take me as I am, whether you like it or not’.”

“I think the thing is in British society you can wear what you want, but you can’t expect British society to be reconfigured around you. No minority can expect to impose this on the public or civic life.”

The Archbishop’s comments put him at odds with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who has defended the right of Muslim women to wear the full veil, arguing that it would be politically dangerous to ban visible signs of faith.

Dr Sentamu’s views on society’s rejection of Christian heritage will probably be shared by the majority of the Church’s senior clerics. He criticised the consumerism that surrounds Christmas, highlighting the recent arrival of a Chinese cargo ship laden with consumer items.

Dr Sentamu said that Christmas should be a more charitable occasion. “Do we need those toys?” he asked. “I would suggest that this Advent we should be eating less and not spending so much. Give up a little bit and find charities that give clean water.

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