By IRNA,
London : Faith organisations have joined minority community bodies in issuing a pledge against supporting extreme right-wing candidates at next month’s general elections in Britain.
The pledge, signed by nearly 50 groups, urged every British citizen to “use their vote to support any party of their choice which stands opposed to the destructive politics of hatred, to vote for freedom not fear, partnerships not prejudice, and hope not hate.”
“With the approach of the General Election we are all too aware of those political forces who would seek to divide our country by promoting ideologies of racism and prejudice,” it said following a rise in anti-Muslim hatred attacks in the country.
“We are immensely proud of the fundamentally British characteristics of equality, respect and fairness and of British society’s uncompromising rejection of the demonisation of any group, whether religious, ethnic or otherwise,” the groups said, according to a copy of the pledge obtained by IRNA.
Signatories included the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board and the Federation of Student Islamic Societies as well as an array of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and interfaith organisations.
Last year, the extreme right-wing British Nationalist Party (BNP), which uses loopholes in Britain’s race relations law to target Muslims, won its first seat in elections to the European parliament.