Mick Hartley

Let's not be beastly to the Taliban. The Church of England’s Bishop to the Forces, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Venner, sees something positive in "their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other".

Bishop Venner said he admired the sacrifices made by the British forces fighting in Afghanistan but he called for a reassessment of how the Taliban were viewed.

“We’ve been too simplistic in our attitude towards the Taliban,” said Bishop Venner, who was recently commissioned in his new role by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

“There’s a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the West could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation. The Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other.”

The Taliban have been responsible for public beatings, amputations and executions, and have launched bomb attacks on Afghans.