BY : Staff writer Christian Today
The Archbishop of Canterbury and other UK faith leaders have issued a joint statement reflecting on the first anniversary of the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel.
In the statement, they lament the “horrific” suffering and loss of life in the year since the “brutal” attack.
They call on people to reject “anti-Jewish hate and anti-Muslim hate”, and said that “shared humanity must bring us together”.
The statement ends with a commitment to upholding the UK’s “proud tradition” of religious diversity.
The statement was signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev Justin Welby, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, and Chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, Imam Qari Muhammad Asim, among others.
The statement reads in full:
“It has been a year since the brutal Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, and the start of this devastating war in Gaza and beyond.
“During this time, the scale of human suffering has been horrific. As people of faith from Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities in the UK, while we may hold different views about aspects of the conflict, we stand united in our grief and in our belief that our shared humanity must bring us together.
“Our faiths and our humanity teach us that we should mourn for all the innocent people who have lost their lives.
“In these challenging times, we must also reject those who seek to divide us. Anti-Jewish hate and anti-Muslim hate have no place in the UK today. We must stand together against prejudice and hatred in all its forms.
“The UK has long been a model of different communities and religions getting along with each other. We commit to upholding and nurturing this proud tradition.”
Churches and cathedrals are holding vigils today to mark the anniversary. Among them is Salisbury Cathedral, which is holding a prayer vigil for peace in its Trinity Chapel from 12pm – 12:30pm. The cathedral said it was an opportunity “to lament all who have lost their lives”, and “reflect, light a candle, and pray quietly with others for peace”. The vigil will end with a 20-minute silence.
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