Statement from Greater Manchester Faith Leaders regarding the General Election
Tuesday 19th November 2019The General Election will be held Thursday 12th December 2019 ahead of that the Greater Manchester Faith Leaders have issued the following statement:
We are privileged to live in a secure and democratic society. We have the freedom to vote for who governs us.
We encourage all eligible voters to make full use of the right to vote.
Let us build bridges, not walls.
Our Faith Communities share many values, among them:
- The Sanctity of Life
- The Dignity of the Person
- The Eradication of Poverty
- The Care of Our Common Home – this Planet.
Together, we stand against all forms of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Hinduism, prejudicial and discriminatory speech and behaviour.
We respect the integrity of all candidates who aspire to public office. We ask all taking part in this election campaign period to take care in expressing their views, and never to incite hatred or conceal truths. We view with dismay the environment which has caused many to stand down from Parliament at this election because of the way they have been treated by others.
With the right to vote comes the responsibility for us all to work together for the healing of our neighbourhoods and national life. This opportunity arises from our freedom. We must never take it for granted. It is ours to protect, cherish and use.
GREATER MANCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY LEADERS
Christian (Presidents of Greater Manchester Churches Together who live within Greater Manchester)
From the Church of England:
Rt Revd David Walker (Bishop of Manchester)
Rt Revd Mark Ashcroft (Bishop of Bolton)
Rt Revd Mark Davies (Bishop of Middleton)
From the Catholic Church of England and Wales:
Rt Revd John Arnold (Bishop of Salford)
From the Methodist Church:
Revd Andrew Lunn, Chair, Manchester and Stockport District
From the Salvation Army:
Major David Taylor, Divisional Commander, Greater Manchester
From the Christian Way of Life Churches (a black-led Pentecostal church network)
Archbishop Dr Doyé Teido Agama, Presiding Prelate and Executive Director, Apostolic Pastoral Congress, and Senior Pastor, Christian Way of Life Churches
Bishop Clive Whittle, Bishop, South Manchester
From the Baptist Church
Revd Tim Presswood, Transitional Regional Minister, North Western Baptist Association
Hindu
Dr Kaushik Chakroaborty, Vice-Chair, Altrincham Inter Faith Group
Professor N. K. Prinja, Editorial Board, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK)
Mr Vijay Gautam, Indian Association
Dr Saraswati Sinha, Chair, Bengali Association
Ms Nidhi Minocha Sinha, Founder, Sangha (Connecting People, Building Community)
Jain
Mr Suresh Mehta, Secretary, Board of Trustees, Jain Samaj Manchester
Jewish
Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, Whitefield Synagogue (Orthodox Judaism)
Rabbi Dr Reuven Silverman, Manchester Reform Congregation (Reform Judaism)
Mr Jacky Buchsbaum, Chair, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region
Mr David Arnold M.B.E., previous President, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region (and co-chair of the Council of Christians and Jews, Manchester Branch)
Mr Jay Charara, Hindu-Jewish Association
Muslim
Mr Qadir Ahmad Chohan, Chair, Manchester Council of Mosques
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Welfare Officer, Manchester Council of Mosques
Mrs Nilofar Siddiqi, Sufi Muslim
Mr Zahid Hussain, Eco-Mosque Trustee
Imam Rashid Musa, Imam, University of Salford
Ms Assia Shah, Chaplaincy Team, Northern Care Alliance
Mr Aftab Ahmed, Shi’a Community
Sikh
Mr Jagtar Singh Ajimal
Faith Network 4 Manchester
Revd Charles Kwaku-Odoi, Co-chair
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