Religious Groups Urge Blair to Back Ceasefire in Middle East Crisis

Major aid agencies and religious groups around the world have accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of putting civilian lives at risk by failing to endorse calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon following the recent attacks.

|TOP|In addition, the Archbishop of Canterbury accused Mr Blair of being out of touch with public opinion as people across Britain marched in protest at the carnage in the Middle East.

Dr Rowan Williams warned: "We really have to ask whether the governments of some Western countries are catching up with the consciences of their own people. They may have to reckon with the rising level of public despair and dismay and I hope that they will bring their influence to bear in moving towards a ceasefire."

Following these claims, an open letter to the Prime Minister has been released, condemning his refusal to back the UN's demands and warning that the Government was diluting calls for peace.

The letter— which was signed by 14 organisations including Amnesty International, Christian Aid and the Muslim Council of Britain— comes ahead of a major international conference in Rome where UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and key figures in the region will try to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

The letter states: "By failing to back the UN and call for an immediate ceasefire the UK government has reduced the impact of international calls for an immediate halt to the violence.

|AD|"As such, your current policy risks putting civilian lives at continued risk rather than helping to protect them.

"The present policy looks in danger of placing the UK Government in the uncomfortable position of only calling for a ceasefire once one side in the conflict has achieved its military objectives.

"We urge you to use Wednesday's ministerial meeting in Rome to add the British Government's weight to calls for an immediate ceasefire.

"To do anything else would be to fail to uphold the UK's responsibility to help protect the civilians dying in this conflict."

The letter is signed by Amnesty International UK, BASIC, CAFOD, Care International UK, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Medact, the Muslim Council of Britain, Oxfam, Save the Children, Unison, War on Want, the Welfare Association and World Vision UK.