The Bishop of Pontefract joined a group of pro-life campaigners last Saturday, in a conference organised by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and The Indian Muslim Welfare Society.

The main speakers were John Smeaton, national director of SPUC, and Dr A Majid Katme, Muslim coordinator for SPUC and spokesman for the Islamic Medical Association in the UK. The conference was held at the Al-Hickmah Centre in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Mufti Jusuf Akudi, one of the organisers, said: "Abortion, euthanasia and immoral sex education are among the vital issues that have a profound effect on our lives, the lives of our children and the lives of all members of the human family whatever their faith or religion. I urge everyone regardless of their background or religion, and especially my Muslim sisters and brothers, to actively support the work of SPUC."

Mr Smeaton said: "The Government's policy is to provide secret abortions including abortifacient birth control for children in schools - that is, without parental knowledge or consent. This is happening at a school near you and possibly one which your children or grandchildren are attending. I think it's the worst thing that has happened in this country since I became involved in the pro-life fight over 33 years ago.

"I can scarcely believe it myself that I can meet and talk to fellow parents and we can talk to each other as if everything was still quite normal in our community; that I can go to worship God and no-one is talking about this monstrous evil. What's happening in our communities? Why aren't the grown-ups and the leaders shouting from the rooftops?

"Our families are under attack and there's scarcely a whisper. We have to break this outrageous silence and not allow the generation of children born to us and to our children to be cruelly betrayed."

Dr Katme appealed to every Muslim to do their duty and become involved in the pro-life campaign. He said: "Islam is the religion of mercy and we Muslims should act and show this mercy by trying to stop the unjustified killing of our innocent unborn children through the barbaric procedure of abortion."