Cardinal Vincent Nichols published a letter in The Times on 1 July 2016, along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbi and Maulana Syed Ali Raza Rizvi with a clear call to unity and solidarity:
Sir, One clear lesson of history that, in times of uncertainty, people instinctively crave the familiar. But such fear must not be allowed to breed mistrust of “the other”.
So many of the political, social and economic consequences of the result of the European Union referendum remain unknown but, in less than a week, increasing reports of intercommunal discord and racial hatred are cause for the gravest concern (News, June 28).
For all that lies outside of our personal control, every person has the power to conquer their own instinct to apportion blame to others for perceived injustice. Today we call upon every citizen of our great country to recognise personal accountability for their every action, rather than avoiding that responsibility by looking for scape-goats, and to challenge racial and communal prejudice wherever it is found and thus ensure that we are, more than ever, a country united.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
The Most Rev Justin Welby
Archbishop of Canterbury
Maulana Syed Ali Raza Rizvi
President, Majlis-e-Ulama Shia Europe
