A letter from Australian religious leaders to the ABC

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Professor Andrew Dutney has joined with 28 other Australian religious leaders and their supporters to protest against the ABC’s cuts to religion programs.

As the ABC’s Board meets today to consider the proposed cuts to staff and programs, leaders such as the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne the Most Revd Dr Philip Freier and the Grand Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed have sought an urgent meeting to discuss how the proposed cuts will affect the place of religion on the national broadcaster.

In a letter to ABC Managing Director Mark Scott and Chairman Jim Spigelman, the leaders say they believe, “the faith and values we hold will always occupy a central part in the formation of our Australian national identity.”

The leaders also believe that “no broadcaster committed to the common good, let alone one seeking to provide a comprehensive service to all Australians… should diminish its commitment to the broadcasting of religion”.

To download a full copy of the letter click here: A Letter from Australian Religious Leaders to the ABC Board and Managing Director – 2 December 2014

The signatories are:

The Most Revd Dr Philip Freier, Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne;

Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, Grand Mufti of Australia;

Rev Professor Andrew Dutney, President, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly;

The Revd John Henderson, Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia;

Commissioner James Condon, Territorial Commander, Salvation Army, Australia Eastern Territory;

Commissioner Floyd Tidd, Territorial Commander, Salvation Army, Australia Southern Territory;

Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant, President, Organisation of Rabbis of Australia;

Elder Jeffrey Cummings, Pacific Area Seventy, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;

Professor Nihil Agar, Chairman, Hindu Council of Australia;

Professor Raja Jayaraman, Vice Chairman, Hindu Council of Australia;

Bishop Philip Huggins, Interim General Secretary, National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA);

Elizabeth Stone, Associate Interim General Secretary, National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA);

Rev Tim Costello AO, CEO, World Vision Australia;

Simon Smart, Director of the Centre for Public Christianity;

Peter Wertheim AM, Executive Council of Australian Jewry;

Jeremy Jones AM, Australia-Israel Jewish Affairs Council;

Ghaith Krayem, President, Islamic Council of Victoria;

Maha Abdo OAM, CEO, Muslim Women Australia;

Bishop Peter Ingham, Chair, Australian Catholic Media Council;

Rev Dr Richard Leonard SJ, Director, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting;

Ahmet Polat, Executive Director, Australian Intercultural Society;

Ahmet Keskin, Executive Director and Co-founder, Affinity Intercultural Foundation;

Rev Elenie Poulos, National Director, UnitingJustice Australia;

Marcelle Mogg, CEO, Catholic Social Services Australia;

Lin Hatfield Dodds, National Director, UnitingCare Australia;

Professor Neville Rochow SC, Joint National Director for Interfaith Relations, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;

Alan Wakeley, Public Affairs Department Adviser (Australia and PNG), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;

Dr Brian Adams, Director, Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue, Griffith University and Convenor G20 Interfaith Summit;

Professor Samina Yasmeen AM, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, University of Western Australia.