First Inter Parliamentary Conference on anti-Semitism reception held at Lambeth Palace
Thursday 19th February 2009
On behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, The Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester and Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews, hosted a reception at Lambeth Palace on 17 February 2009 for the participants in the first Inter Parliamentary Conference on anti-Semitism.
The Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester, speaking in Lambeth Palace.
The Conference which is the first of a series, follows the work of the 'All Party Parliamentary Committee on anti-Semitism' which produced a major report in 2007 and is chaired by Mr John Mann MP. Since then, the Committee has engaged with Parliamentarians concerned with anti-Semitism around the world to create a network and now an agreement to hold regular conferences under the auspices of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition on Combating anti-Semitism. This was established "to confront and combat this most ancient and enduring of hatreds within the new context of an escalating, sophisticated, virulent and global anti-Semitism".
Bishop Nigel McCulloch welcomed both the Conference participants and also the representatives of all the Faith communities as co-workers in the struggle against anti-Semitism. He emphasised the commitment of the Archbishop and the Church of England to oppose anti-Semitism vigorously in, including in the new forms in which it is now appearing. He spoke of the Church of England's submission to the All Party Enquiry on anti-Semitism and of the Archbishop's visit to Auschwitz in 2008 together with the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield and the leaders of all the Faith communities in the country. The work of the Council of Christians and Jews is at the forefront of the Church's commitment.
Other speakers at the event were Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE on Combating anti-Semitism, Tim Boswell MP, All-Party Parliamentary Group against anti-Semitism who was introduced by John Mann MP.