Religious leaders plead with Blair to help poor

[T_i_B]

Yet more proof of the evils of organized religion! :sarcasm:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/06/28/uplea.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/06/28/ixportaltop.html

Senior religious figures have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, urging him to press for a radical commitment to help the world's poorest countries when he chairs next week's G8 summit.

The letter is signed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, chairman of the Council of Mosques and Imams Sheikh Zaki Badawi and Free Churches Moderator David Coffey.

It is the first time the faith leaders have spoken together publicly since their statement in March 2003 calling for peace ahead of the Iraq War.

Today's letter urged all the leaders gathering in Perthshire to use their power to meet the internationally-agreed Millennium Development Goals of halving extreme poverty and cutting infant mortality by two-thirds by 2015.