More than 50 religious leaders have committed to backing religious liberty and community harmony preceding a pivotal Senedd vote.

Spiritual figures from throughout Wales gathered at Cardiff’s Temple of Peace on April 20 to append their signatures to a declaration condemning “hatred, dehumanisation and division”.

The unprecedented gathering, organized by the Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann alongside Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed from the Muslim Council of Wales, directly urged those seeking Senedd positions to “reject all calls to hatred and dehumanisation”.

The document signed by the leaders expressed commitment to nurturing “peaceful coexistence, neighbourliness, and freedom of worship” amid shifting political circumstances and mounting global social, political, and environmental concerns.

The statement also appealed for unity around these principles, directed specifically at individuals contesting Senedd seats.

Those backing the commitment represent Wales’ diverse religious landscape, encompassing prominent figures such as Dr Cynan Llwyd from Churches Together in Wales, Laurence Kahn of the South Wales Jewish Representative Council, Radhika Kadaba from the Interfaith Council of Wales, and Bishop Tom Burns of the Catholic Church.

Representatives from Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Liberal Democrats, and the Welsh Greens have already indicated their accord by adding their signatures.

The statement will be circulated at multiple faith-based campaign events in the weeks ahead, including the Salvation Army’s gathering in Newport on April 22.