Church of England issues warning regarding Muslims: 'People do not feel safe'

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

The spiritual leader of the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, issued a statement arguing that the changes made by the government to the definition of 'extremism' could increase discrimination against Muslims and that Muslim groups do not feel safe in their daily lives.

In the statement, it was emphasized that labeling a multifaceted problem as hateful extremism could 'vilify the wrong people and risk further division,' and that the changeit was emphasized that it could threaten the freedom of worship and protest. Welby and Cottrell called on the government to reconsider and engage in broader consultations.

The clergy also highlighted that the problem of discrimination has increased in recent months. The statement underscored that Muslims and Jews feel uneasy while walking on the street, or going to their workplaces or places of worship. The bishops stated, "People do not feel safe" they said.

The bishops used the following expressions in their statement:

"How our leaders respond to this is too important to be treated with a new definition of extremism. We believe that labeling a multifaceted problem as hateful extremism, rather than providing clarity or striking a conciliatory tone, risks vilifying the wrong people and bringing about further division. The proposed new definition unintentionally threatens not only freedom of expression but also the right to worship and peaceful protest, which are hard-won and form the fabric of a civilized society. More importantly, it risks disproportionately targeting Muslim communities, who are already subject to increasing levels of hatred and abuse."