UK Churches Fight Islamophobia, Racism

February 27, 2010

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Islam Online

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1235339917921&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout

Defying rightists speaking in the Christian voice against Islam, a major British church has set up a new project to fight racism and anti-Muslim sentiments in Britain.

“The root of the project is the recent relative success of the BNP [British National Party] and the English Defence League,” the Rev Vernon Marsh, chairman of the Sheffield Methodist District, told The Times on Saturday, February 27.

The BNP, a far-right and whites-only political party, is notorious for attacks against immigrants and British Muslims, estimated at nearly two millions.

The EDL is also playing anti-Muslim rhetoric to draw support in Britain, leaving Muslims at the focus of unprovoked attacks by rightists.

“There is a high percentage of the Muslim population in our part of the world, and because the BNP is specifically targeting Islam they try and take the right of speaking as a Christian voice against Islam,” said Marsh.

“But as Christians we live in a multi-cultural, multi-faith part of the world and we enjoy good relationships with other faiths and want to build on these relationships and work together against those who won’t do that.”