Chorlton Central Church

"We're hoping to gain some act of solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters in the community here in Manchester, but also as a statement that this is totally unacceptable behaviour"

On Sunday 29th November 2009, in atrocious weather, local political and community leaders attended a vigil to express their concern at the third incident of desecration of Muslim graves at Manchester's Southern Cemetery. Speakers included the local MP (Lib Dem), a local Councillor (Lab), a Green Party rep, a former Lord Mayor (a Muslim) and the Jewish Vice-Chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester.

Members of various faith communities also joined in, including the Revd Sarah Brewerton who had earlier been interviewed on BBC Radio Manchester about the vigil.

Manchester Evening News article including video clip of the Revd Sue Rowe following the desecration of Muslim graves
click here

BBC News page including extract from an interview with the Revd Sarah Brewerton
click here

Stand up to Racism

The BNP leadership's admiration for the Nazi Party and leaders is well-documented, and the party remains a racist party. Even though it is currently trying to wriggle through legal demands to reform its constitution, its members are unlikely to start promoting tolerance and compassion as a result.

The BNP claims to 'protect the Christian Heritage of Britain' but the Christian Churches disagree. Strongly.

Read here what the Baptist Union, the United Reformed Church, the Methodist Church and the Church of England have said about the BNP.

BNP members, led by the Revd Robert West - a former Conservative Councillor who defected to the BNP - has set up a front organisation known as the Christian Council of Britain. This should not be confused with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. The Christian Council of Britain is not supported by ANY established Christian Church in the UK, and its establishment has been criticised by some of them.

HOPE not hate
Celebrating modern Britain

compare the words of the Bible and the official view of the British National Party ...

The British National Party stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration …

BNP constitution
the BNP Constitution is currently awaiting revision under pressure from the Courts

There are neither Jews nor Greeks, slaves nor free people, males nor females. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.

The apostle Paul,
in his letter to the Church in Galatia, ch 3 v 28

A warning from the past

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie die Juden holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Jude.

Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out

These words are based on addresses by Pastor Martin Niemöller (above, on a German postage stamp) who was imprisoned by the Nazis in Sachshausen and Dachau concentration camps between 1938 and 1945.

revised 1 December 2009