|PIC1|The vicar of a London church has come out to defend religion against those who link it with terrorist activities.

The Rev John Springbett is vicar of St Paul’s Church in Woodford Bridge, London.

He said that the recent alleged terrorist activity in the capital had nothing to do with true religion, reports the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian.

"I don't think there's really a link between terrorism and religion," said Rev Springbett. "Anyone who follows a true faith should live in peace with their neighbours, not blow them up.

"I was in France at the time of the arrests. It's never nice to think that there are people intent on killing others, but it's misleading to link terrorism with religion. It's a contradiction in terms."

Rev Springbett also challenged the widely held view that religion is one of the primary causes of violence in the world.

|QUOTE|In his most recent article written for the St Paul’s Parish Magazine, he argued: “The recent conflicts in which religion has played a significant role have killed only one per cent of the number of victims of secular wars.

"Political leaders use differences in faith as a way of mobilising support for political wars. The list of 51 victims on 7/7 contained names from every part of the world and probably represented every faith. Exactly who were the bombers targeting?"

|AD|Rev Springbett is committed to promoting harmony between different faiths and cultures as a first step in tackling terrorism.

"The Bible says to love each other," he said. "Anyone who knows anything about Christianity knows it teaches you to love your neighbour as yourself."

His comments follow the recently foiled plots to blow up flights between the UK and US. The discovery led to the widespread condemnation of terrorism by faith groups in the UK and in particular in the areas home to the suspected terrorists.

In a joint statement, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh leaders in Birmingham called for justice and the building of mutual respect, adding that the taking of innocent lives was indefensible in any of their religious traditions.

Christian and Muslim communities in High Wycombe also expressed their shock at the revelations that the terror suspects came from their neighbourhoods. They responded by reaffirming their commitment to work for good interfaith relations in the community.