Response to rioting and civil unrest in the wake of Southport murders
We have all been horrified by the recent scenes of violence across parts of the country.
We want to express our deep commitment to fostering strong friendships, trust, and understanding among all our communities and to underline the importance of supporting one another and working together to build a resilient and inclusive society.
We encourage all people of faith to extend a hand of friendship and solidarity to all our neighbours. We are determined to build and maintain communities where everyone feels valued and respected and is given the space to flourish and contribute.
Disinformation and lies appear to be fuelling much of the unrest that we have seen. We strongly advise against sharing social media posts without first verifying their accuracy. We can all commit to being responsible citizens in a digital world.
The Thames Valley Police and their colleagues across the country have done a valiant job in extremely difficult situations. We thank them, and commend their unwavering dedication and efforts in maintaining peace and order. We stand in full support of their work, and commit ourselves to be peace-builders wherever we are.
Let us all work together to build a future where understanding, respect, and friendship prevail over hatred, violence and division.
Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death.
Desmond Tutu
Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading, Church of England
Andrew Try, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire
Karnail Pannu MBE, Chair Windsor and Maidenhead Community Forum, Maidenhead Sikhs
Reverend Sally Lynch, Trustee of WAMCF and Vicar, St. Luke’s church, Maidenhead
Surjit Singh Jutla, President, Ramgarhia Sabha Gurdwara Reading
Haran Singh Gill, Board of Trustees, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Reading
Sulayman Munir, Reading Muslim
Mustafa Chaudhary, Reading Muslim
Imtiaz Chowdhury, Chair, Reading Muslim
Abdul Hannan, Imam, Central Jamme Mosque Reading Mahbub Ahmed, Imam, Central Jamme Mosque Reading
Zia Mahiudin, Trustee, Maidenhead Mosque
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE, Emeritus Rabbi, Maidenhead Synagogue
Mrs Sarah Firsht, President, Reading Hebrew Congregation
Bishop Philip Egan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth
Canon David Hopgood, Parish Priest of Windsor & Vicar General
Canon Kevin O'Driscoll, Dean of Pastoral Area, Slough
Steve Prince, Transform Reading, Reading Football Club Chaplain
Major Mike Lloyd-Jones, Divisional Commander, Salvation Army
Reverend Rachel Bending, Chair of the Southampton District, The Methodist Church
Reverend Hayley Young, Regional Minister, Co-Team Leader, Southern Counties Baptist Association
The Revd Dr Michael Hopkins, Moderator of the Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church
Dr. Michael Penny, Chair of Churches Together in Reading and Berkshire
Reverend Joel M. Thomas, Senior Pastor at Church of God Worldwide Mission, The Globe
Reverend George Watt, Synod Moderator, United Reformed Church Thames North Synod
Reverend Sam Funnell, Assistant District Chair, South East District - Methodist Church
Dr Julie Siddiqi MBE, Slough
Sarah Griffin, Chair, Reading Interfaith Group
The Dialogue Society