The Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been accused of discrimination against Christians and other faiths after appointing the head of a Muslim charity as an adviser on a new social cohesion project. Other specific faith groups will not be part of the Civil Society Covenant, apart from Faith Action, which represents all faiths.
In a statement on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s website, Lisa Nandy described the Covenant as "significant" and said it "presents the opportunity to forge a new relationship where government, both national and local, can partner with civil society to create change that lasts generations. Equally important, the Covenant will protect the independence of civil society to hold government to account whether working together or independently."
The Covenant is made up of charities, not-for-profit organisations, volunteer-led initiatives, social enterprises, campaign groups and grass roots organisations, but the lack of other specific faith groups has drawn criticism. A spokesman for Insight UK, a Hindu and Indian advocacy group, told The Telegraph: “The Government’s decision to invite only a Muslim charity to participate in its Civic Society Covenant while excluding other faith groups is discriminatory and shows preferential treatment for one faith group.
“While the inclusion of Muslim voices in civic dialogue is valuable, the exclusion of other faith groups such as Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and other faith-based organisations suggests an inconsistent approach to interfaith representation.
“To ensure legitimacy and effectiveness, the Government should clarify its selection criteria and broaden participation to include all major faith communities in this civic initiative.”
Fadi Itani from the Muslim Charities Forum is one of 15 members of the committee of a Civil Society Covenant, which Lisa Nandy describes as “the eyes, ears and voice of the people”.
In a statement, he said: "The Covenant reflects the tireless work of diverse voices across civil society and government. We must guard against rhetoric that divides us and instead focus on making the Covenant a success in serving communities."