by Lois McLatchie Miller, Premier Christianity
A children’s book publisher has drawn criticism from many Muslims for its portrayal of a lesbian woman in a hijab. The controversy speaks to the changing definitions of ‘left’ and ‘right’ in British politics, says Lois McLatchie Miller. She argues that Christians must remember that no political coalition can fully represent our convictions
A row over a children’s picture might seem an unlikely place to glimpse the future of British politics. Yet that is precisely what happened last week.
The controversy centred on an image published by children’s book company, Ladybird, to promote Pride month. It depicted a lesbian couple raising a child, and one of the women was wearing a hijab.
Muslim media outlet 5 Pillars responded with outrage at what it regarded as a complete misrepresentation of Islamic teaching, noting that Ladybird books are widely used in schools and read by children as young as two years old.
Predictably, a tornado of social media commentary followed. But beneath the usual online outrage lay a more significant question – and one that Christians are increasingly being forced to confront. In a political landscape where both left and right appear to be changing shape, where exactly do believers fit?