May 9th 2021
All three main world faiths – Christianity, Jewish, Islam – see Jerusalem as a holy city central to their faith and rely on holy books which promote tolerance, understanding and respect.
We Stand Together is made up of people of these faiths, other faiths and none who are looking at the serious violence in Jerusalem and the number of people injured with great concern.
We urge our Government to work with the US and others to promote restraint and negotiation and for a long term solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. We call on all sides to turn away from violence.
Attacks on places of worship and unarmed worshippers are unacceptable and the Al Aqsa mosque is a place of special significance which must be respected. Situations of tension and perceived injustice give fuel to extremists and can cause hostility towards and between communities in this country.
We know that faith, political and community leaders in Greater Manchester will continue to work together to ensure situations overseas do not cause tensions here but also that there is space for concerns and grievances to be expressed and debated in an atmosphere of respect.