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| Bishop Peter Ingham meets the media in Wollongong. Picture: ORLANDO CHIODO |
Almost 30 religious leaders have united to plead with the ABC board to refrain from planned cuts to the national broadcaster's coverage of religion, which they say is "crucial in the life of our nation" and its identity.
Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu leaders sent an an open letter addressed to ABC Managing Director Mark Scott and Chairman James Spigelman late on Tuesday, on the eve of a board meeting on Wednesday, saying they were "especially concerned" that the proposed cuts would include:
- Abolishing the position of executive producer of TV religion, leaving ABC television without a specialist head of the topic;
- Placing the Compass program under a commissioning editor responsible for a broad range of programs, with no expertise in religion;
The Signatories
The Most Rev 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 Rev John Henderson, Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia
Commissioner James Condon, Territorial Commander, Salvation Army, Australia Eastern 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)
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
Ahmet Polat, Executive Director, Australian Intercultural Society
Ahmet Keskin, Executive Director and Co-founder, Affinity Intercultural Foundation
Rev Elenie Poulos, National Director, UnitingJustice Australia
Rev Tim Costello AO, CEO of World Vision Australia
Marcelle Mogg, CEO, Catholic Social Service 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
Commissioner Floyd Tidd, Territorial Commander, Salvation Army, Australia Southern Territory
Bishop Peter Ingham, Chair, Australian Catholic Media Council
Rev Dr Richard Leonard SJ, Director, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting
Read full text from the Sydney Morning Herald
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