Mother Agnes has pulled out of the Stop the War conference. And yet she would have fitted in so well

The Stop the War Coalition is a curious organisation. It isn’t so much opposed to war as has accrued a sorry reputation for supporting the other side in every conflict it has pretended to oppose.

Whereas at one time you would be barred from speaking-platforms if you supported a fascist regime, because of the peculiarities of anti-imperialist politics you are likely today to receive top billing at a StWC event not in spite of your atrocious politics but because of them – so long as you are sufficiently bien pensant about United States foreign policy.

In this respect, Mother Superior Agnes Mariam de la Croix fitted the bill to a tee. A Catholic nun working in Syria who describes herself as an advocate of peace and reconciliation, Our Lady was due to speak at the Stoppers’ annual conference later this month. She withdrew over the weekend, however, after a storm of protest over her pro-Assad take on the Syrian civil war.