LIPHOOK vicar Canon Andrew White has declared the western world needs to be “more radical than ever fighting for peace” in a message sent from America after the latest ISIS terrorist attack on Paris, which claimed nearly 130 lives.

The preacher, known as the Vicar of Baghdad after years of work in the Iraqi capital, was in Seattle, spending an intense and productive week after his recent book launch.

“It has certainly been a difficult few days,” he said.

“It was all the more difficult for me as my dearest goddaughter was in Paris last weekend staying in the area where the tragedy happened.

“She is studying Arabic at London University and spent all last year in Jordan with us. When she graduates this year she hopes to be coming to work with us as our Middle Eastern project officer. So it has all been personally very painful.

“The continued tragedy of Islamic State is continuing in a more tragic way than ever before.

“The terrible attacks in Lebanon and Paris were front page news but the devastating suicide attack in Baghdad last week which killed 22 people barely got mentioned.

“The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME) continues to work with both Sunni and Shia religious leaders on peace making strategies.

“There are things we can and must do but they are very difficult and unless we bring people together nothing will happen.

“There are still very senior Iraqi religious leaders who are willing and able to meet but it is a very expensive business. So often it seems as if it is one step forward, 10 steps back.

“But we will not give up, we will keep moving forward.”

Canon White’s UK book tour was a resounding success. Within days of being published, My Journey So Far was a number one bestseller on Amazon.

Such was the media interest in the book, that Canon White spent many hours in studios talking to journalists, culminating in a question and answer session at Southwark Cathedral with award-winning journalist Rageh Omaar.

The FRRME president was invited onto the BBC Breakfast programme to talk about his book, and on November 1, his interview with the Independent on Sunday was published as a two-page feature.

The same day, All Saints Day, he was invited to give the sermon at the Sung Eucharist at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.

The following week, The Times newspaper invited the envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury to give a talk about his new book in their News UK HQ, in London.

He was also invited to take a tour of The Sun (above), which recently reported on Sawra Village, also known as “Camp Hope” which FRRME helped to bring into existence with a £150,000 donation.

At the end of the book tour, Canon White was interviewed by Mary Wakefield of The Spectator, which will be published in the magazine’s Christmas edition.

As well as conducting print media interviews, Canon White gave a number of talks at chrches across the UK, including Guildford Cathedral, on Remembrance Sunday, as well as doing several radio interviews.

All proceeds from his new book, will go to fund the Iraqi refugees and IDPs (Internationally Displaced People) in the care of FRRME.

For more details, visit frrme.org.