Faith leaders say no to nuclear weapons

The treaty is being hailed as a significant step towards a nuclear free world. It will ban the creation and possession of nuclear weapons.

The new treaty states that nuclear weapons, like chemical and biological weapons, are incompatible with international humanitarian law because of their indiscriminate effect.

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There can be no more loveless act than to point nuclear weapons at each other.

- Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain

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Signatories to the faith leaders' and representatives' statement include Dr Rowan Williams and Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Great Britain.

Welcoming the award, Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain said, “Jesus tells us to love one another. There can be no more loveless act than to point nuclear weapons at each other. Quakers will continue to campaign for their abolition until we live in a nuclear free world."

Five churches: the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church, the Church of Scotland, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers are also calling on the public to join the campaign, with an online photo petition and the release of an animation for distribution on social media. Click here to watch it.

Faiths' Statement – Nobel Peace Prize

We congratulate the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons on the award of the Nobel Peace Prize. As people of faith, we seek to build relationships founded on the basis of our common humanity, moral principles and international law. Our world must not remain divided into nations with nuclear weapons and those without. As we are seeing, the tension caused by this division can only increase with likely dreadful consequences for all.

There is a need for creative political leadership to ensure that any attempt to justify the threat of mass destruction in any circumstance is wholly rejected. A world free of nuclear weapons achieved by building on established international norms is a global public good of the highest order. No country or government must allow itself to be left behind. Therefore, we call on the UK government to add its support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Signatures include:

Dr Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and former Archbishop of Canterbury

Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain

The Most Revd Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool, President of Pax Christi

Bharti Tailor, Vice Chair of Religions for Peace UK

Alan Yates and Revd Kevin Watson, Moderators of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church

The Revd Loraine N Mellor and Jill Baker, President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference

Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union

Rt Revd Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Paul Parker, Recording Clerk of Quakers in Britain

His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain

The full list of signatories is available by clicking here.

Urge the UK government to ratify the treaty banning nuclear weapons