Statement of support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN.
‘We congratulate the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons on the award of the Nobel Peace Prize. As people of faith, we seek to build relationships founded on the basis of our common humanity, moral principles and international law. Our world must not remain divided into nations with nuclear weapons and those without. As we are seeing, the tension caused by this division can only increase with likely dreadful consequences for all.
There is a need for creative political leadership to ensure that any attempt to justify the threat of mass destruction in any circumstance is wholly rejected. A world free of nuclear weapons achieved by building on established international norms is a global public good of the highest order. No country or government must allow itself to be left behind. Therefore, we call on the UK government to add its support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.’
Jamie Cresswell Director of the Centre for Applied Buddhism, President of the European Buddhist Union
Harun Khan Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain
The Most Revd Malcolm McMahon Archbishop of Liverpool, President of Pax Christi
Bharti Tailor Vice Chair of Religions for Peace UK
Dr Rowan Williams Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
Jill Baker Vice-President of the Methodist Conference
Rt Revd Paul Bayes Bishop of Liverpool
Rt Revd Dr Derek Browning Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Revd Lynn Green General Secretary of the Baptist Union
Robert Harrap General Director of Soka Gakkai International UK
Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi
Sanjay Jagatia Director Secretary General of Hindu Council UK
Revd Loraine Mellor President of the Methodist Conference
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra Christian Muslim Forum
Revd Gyoro Nagase Nipponzan Myohoji, The London Peace Pagoda
Bishop William Nolan Bishop of Galloway, President of Justice and Peace Commission, Scotland
Paul Parker Recording Clerk of the Quakers
Revd Paul Rochester General Secretary of the Free Churches Group
Jehangir Sarosh, OBE Executive Director of Religions for Peace UK
Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah Rabbi of Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
Revd Kevin Watson Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church
Alan Yates Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain