Brexit would jeopardise peace in Europe, warn religious leaders | ...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/28/religious-leade...

Brexit would jeopardise peace in Europe,

warn religious leaders
Faith groups join forces to oppose the Leave campaign as voter registration drive is
ramped up
Toby Helm and Mark Townsend
Sunday 29 May 2016 00.05BST

Religious leaders from the UKs main faith communities including former archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams have joined forces to oppose Brexit, saying the EU is vital
to preserving peace, ghting poverty and tackling the migration crisis.
In a letter in the Observer, 37 leading gures from across the faiths say that they hope
people will reect, before voting on 23 June, on whether undermining the international
institutions charged with delivering these goals could conceivably contribute to a fairer,
cleaner and safer world.
The signatories include Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, the principal rabbi at the
Movement for Reform Judaism; Bharti Tailor, executive director of the Hindu Forum of
Europe; and Miqdaad Versi, assistant general secretary of the Muslim Council of Great
Britain. Anglicans the Right Rev Paul Bayes, bishop of Liverpool, and the Right Rev
Stephen Conway, bishop of Ely, also signed.
Members of the group, who say they signed in their personal capacities, write that faith
is about integration and building bridges, not about isolation and erecting barriers.
They add: As leaders and senior gures of faith communities, we urge our
co-religionists and others to think about the implications of a Leave vote for the things
about which we are most passionate.
The past 70 years have been the longest period of peace in Europes history. Institutions
that enable us to work together and understand both our dierences and what we share
in common contribute to our increased security and sense of collective endeavour.
Whats more, so many of the challenges we face today can only be addressed in a
European, and indeed a global, context: combating poverty in the developing world,
confronting climate change and providing the stability that is essential to tackling the
current migration crisis.
Meanwhile, more than 13,000 businesses, including dating app Tinder, car hire service
Uber and takeaway rm Deliveroo, will this week start encouraging their users to register
to vote before the 7 June deadline.
Registration teams will also visit mosques throughout the country, and formal

1 of 2

25/06/2016 19:03

Brexit would jeopardise peace in Europe, warn religious leaders | ...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/28/religious-leade...

approaches will be made to the Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Christian communities.
On Monday comedian Eddie Izzard will start a tour of universities in an attempt to get
young people to register for the referendum and vote to stay in the EU. He will begin at
Aston University in Birmingham. A recent poll by the National Union of Students found
that 76% of students want to remain in the EU, with just 14% backing Brexit. But Ipsos
MORI found 18- to 24-year-olds were much less likely to vote than the over-65s, at just
44% voting compared with 76%.
Izzard said: We know the overwhelming majority of young people want to stay in
Europe because of the opportunities it presents to work, to study and to travel. I share
their positive view of Europe I am a British European who has performed in German,
French and Spanish.
But if they are not registered, they cant vote, and those opportunities will be taken
away without them getting to have their say. It only takes two minutes to register on a
smartphone, and it must be done by 7 June.
Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope not Hate, which is also running a registration
campaign, said: The young could decide the future of the referendum and, by default,
the future direction of this country. Its absolutely vital they get registered and have an
opportunity to vote in this election.
Campaigners are concerned that around 770,000 individuals, mostly young people,
private renters and ethnic minorities, may have dropped o the electoral register since
2014, when the government moved from registration of electors by household to asking
individuals to sign up.
More news

Topics
EU referendum European Union Foreign policy Religion Eddie Izzard

Save for later Article saved

Reuse this content

2 of 2

25/06/2016 19:03