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Christians organise immigration and asylum vigils in run up to election

-25/04/05

Christians and others are being invited to attend vigils and publicly affirm and celebrate the United Kingdom as a diverse country in the run up to the general election.

The vigils comes in the wake of what many churches have seen as inflammatory rhetoric by some of the main political parties over issues of asylum and immigration.

The intention of the vigil is to encourage everyone who can do so to vote, to openly affirm and celebrate the United Kingdom as a diverse country and to uphold the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees.

Vigil 2005 has its roots in the work of Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice and has been formed to encourage the holding of vigils throughout the United Kingdom during the final days of the current election campaign.

It hopes to provide a platform and a means of expression for groups and individuals who have been concerned about campaigning that has at times been hostile towards black and minority ethnic citizens as well as people from other countries who move to live and work in the United Kingdom and fostered a false impression of the numbers and the character of people claiming asylum in the United Kingdom

Many churches have spoken out strongly about the treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers as ‘political footballs’.

The event will focus on the placing and lighting of candles around a focal point. The placing of the candle may allow those who have no vote to express a conviction and others to stand with them. All, of faith or of none, are invited to attend on the basis of personal conviction.

Vigil 2005 does not support any political party and is not inviting election candidates to speak at vigils.

A special ‘Act of Commitment’ has also been prepared which those attending will be encouraged to consider:

“We, the people of [community, region, nation]
solemnly commit ourselves to celebrate and affirm the richness of our nation’s [nations] diversity and to use our voices and the democracy which we cherish to banish the evil of prejudice in all its forms.

“We condemn the foolishness of judging people because of their race, creed or culture, or because they find themselves for reasons beyond their control as strangers in our midst.

“We promise to protect those who genuinely claim sanctuary amongst us and we challenge those who would claim the responsibility and the privilege of governing us to reject all that panders to division and hatred, and work to enable all to celebrate in unity the gifts of our diverse humanity.”

The vigil takes place in the Temple of Peace, Cardiff at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday April 27th hosted by Amnesty International Wales, Displaced People in Action and the Welsh Refugee Council and supported by the Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice