The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester
Established to develop the cultural and social ties between the Muslim and Jewish communities of Greater Manchester
8 July 2016
After the announcement on 24 June 2016 of the result of the UK Referendum on the EU, there was a sharp rise in race hate attacks throughout the UK, including within Greater Manchester.
In response, many of Greater Manchester's faith leaders, including our Co-Chairs Cllr Heather Fletcher and Mohammed Amin came together to launch an initiative to promote greater community harmony. The full story "We Stand Together" is on the Diocese of Manchester website and summarised below.
The statement is reproduced in full below:
We stand together as representatives of Greater Manchester's communities of faith.
Our different traditions unite in common concern for the welfare of our neighbour, whatever their age, social background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender or belief.
Many views were expressed during the EU Referendum debate. We recognise the strong emotions they awakened. But there is never any excuse for hate-crimes, intolerant language nor discriminatory behaviour. We are especially saddened by reports of the most recent incidents once the Referendum's outcome was known - and we declare ourselves in solidarity with all who have suffered as a result of them, many of whom have been made to feel they have no place here when this is their home.
Today, we call on all people everywhere to build on the foundation of the strong, cohesive, diverse and mutually supportive community that we know Greater Manchester to be.
We will sustain the welcome that we offer to all newcomers.
We will build bridges of understanding and trust.
We will remove barriers of suspicion and fear.
Through being open to one another, we will remain open to the rich traditions of faith that inspire us and that can nourish our common life.
We invite our people to take initiatives of kindness and care in their local neighbourhoods - to befriend, to visit, to represent or to help - especially including those who have been made to feel that they don't belong here.
Together, we shall demonstrate the truly inclusive and welcoming community we know Greater Manchester to be – and to recognize our citizenship in the one world that we all share.
We would urge anyone who is a victim of hate crime to come forward and report it to police. You will be listened to, you will be taken seriously. You can report online by visiting www.report-it.org.uk, or by calling police on 101. If you don’t feel comfortable going to the police, there is also a network of independent centres who will report the incident to the police on your behalf. You can find details of these centres atwww.gmp.police.uk/hatecrime
Ian Hopkins QPM, Chief Constable, Greater Manchester Police
Councillor Carl Austin-Behan, Lord Mayor of Manchester
Tony Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner and Interim Mayor, Greater Manchester
Jim Battle, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Greater Manchester
Rt Revd Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester
Rt Revd Mark Davies, Bishop of Middleton
Rt Revd John Arnold, Bishop of Salford
Revd Dr Andrew Lunn, Chair, Manchester and Stockport District, Methodist Church
Revd Andrew Mills, United Reformed Church, North Western Synod Moderator
Archbishop Dr Doyé Teido Agama, Presiding Prelate and Executive Director, Apostolic Pastoral Congress, and Senior Pastor, Christian Way of Life Churches
Mrs Sharon Bannister, President, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region
Jonny Wineberg, Co-chair of #WeStandTogether, and Chair of Executive, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region
Sanjay Jagatia, Director / Secretary General of the Hindu Council UK
Revd Bob Day, Chair, Faith Network 4 Manchester and United Reformed Church
Ms Assia Shah, Chaplaincies for Manchester Airport, Pennine Acute Health Trust, University of Manchester and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Mr David Arnold MBE, Co-chair of the Council of Christians and Jews, Manchester Branch
Revd Canon Steve Williams, Co-chair of the Council of Christians and Jews, Manchester Branch
Councillor Afzal Khan CBE, MEP for North West England
Councillor Nilofar Siddiqi, Sufi Muslim
Mr Louis Rapaport, Co-chair of the Hindu-Jewish Association
Very Revd Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester
Rabbi Dr Reuven Silverman, Manchester Reform Congregation
Dr Ranjit Singh Sumra, Sikh Community
Mr Jagtar Singh Ajimal, Sikh Community
Major Alan Watters, Divisional Commander, Greater Manchester, Salvation Army
Mr Suresh Mehta, Secretary, Board of Trustees, Jain Samaj Manchester
Revd Stuart Wild, Superintendent Minister, Manchester Methodist Circuit
Mr Amer Salam, UK Islamic Mission
Ms Yasmin Bukhari, Bridging Cultures Co-ordinator, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Mr Qadir Chohan, Chair, Manchester Council of Mosques
Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, Whitefield Hebrew Congregation
Bheem, Director- Hindu Council UK ,Greater Manchester
Qaisra Shahraz, Vice-Chair, Faith Network 4 Manchester
Ms Assia Shah, Chaplaincies for Manchester Airport, Pennine Acute Health Trust, University of Manchester and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Imam Rashid Musa, Imam, University of Salford
Mr Mohammed Amin M.B.E. – Co-Chair, The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester
Councillor Heather Fletcher, Co Chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester
Councillor Naeem ul Hassan J.P., Lead Member for Race, Manchester City Council
Councillor Afzal Khan C.B.E., MEP for North West England
Major Alan Watters, Divisional Commander, Greater Manchester, Salvation Army
Sara Khan, Senior Member of Myriad Foundation and Project Manager of Soup and Smiles
Naveed Malik, Senior Member of Myriad Foundation and Project Manager of Soup and Smiles
Mr Zahid Hussain, Eco-Mosque Trustee
Councillor Aftab Ahmed, Shi’a Muslim Community
Revd Charles Kwaku-Odoi
Judith Rack, Sacred Sounds Choir
Naveed Malik
Mr A.K. Sinha, Hindu Community
Dr Saraswati Sinha, Hindu Community
Yusuf Tai
Jo Green
S. Siddiq, British Muslim Heritage Centre, Whalley Range
Susan Gregory
Ahmed Ali
N. Khalid
Joan Tomkinson. Elder, Community of Christ. Denton, Tameside
Revd Joanna Farnworth, on behalf of St Martin's Church, Droylsden
Revd Roger Farnworth, Team Rector, Parish of the Good Shepherd, Ashton-under-Lyne; Area Dean of Ashton; chair Faiths Utd Tameside and Action Together CIO
In the group photo below, the Bishop of Manchester is in the centre wearing a crucifix. Heather Fletcher is on his right, and Mohammed Amin can be seen behind his left shoulder.
Executive Committee member Cllr Rabnawaz Akbar was also present, although he is not listed among the signatories above. In the picture Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd is on the right at the front wearing a striped blue tie, and Rabnawaz is behind his right shoulder.
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The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester
Established to develop the cultural and social ties between the Muslim and Jewish Communities of Greater Manchester