A coalition of church leaders has appealed to the government and churches to protect people against a rise in far-right nationalism.
The National Church Leaders Forum (NCLF) has issued a joint statement with The Racial Justice Advocacy Forum (RJAF), which described the movement as worrying.
“Seeing the rise of the far-right preach a message of Christian nationalism that is steeped in white supremacy at the behest of influential social and political leaders in the UK and the US... is deeply concerning,” they said.
The coalition has asked for more protection and “support of those in Britain who once again are made to feel scared, unwelcome and are experiencing threat and intimidation on account of their ethnicity," and added that the “current anti-migrant hostility enacted by the far right threatens the safety of asylum seekers, refugees and Black and Brown people alike."
The NCLF and RJAF said that while their members support free speech, recent debates around immigration and asylum have left many British people feeling disenfranchised and concerned about the future of our nation.
They’ve called on all Christian leaders to denounce hatred, fear, intolerance and lies that they claimed has influenced Christians across the nation.
The intervention came after a summer which saw protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers and a “Unite the Kingdom” march in London organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, which was attended by up to 150,000 people.
The statement said the Christian message of love, grace, peace, mercy and justice is “in distinct opposition to that of white Christian nationalism that espouses ethnic selection and superiority, hate, violence and rejection of the ‘other’”.
It added: “Using Christian symbols, scripture, hymns and the Lord’s prayer amid anti-migrant protests saturated in racism, xenophobia, and islamophobia is an offence. Such so-called-Christian protests defame the Christianity of Jesus Christ, the son of God who extended his grace and mercy to all, despite their nationality, status, ethnicity and creed.”
Later this year, the NCLF and RJAF will convene a meeting on racism, faith and the rise of nationalism with church leaders, theologians and community representatives, as part of a national conversation.