The head of Share Jesus International (SJI), the Rev Dr Rob Frost, has defended the right of Christians to wear the cross following the British Airways controversy.

Check-in assistant Nadia Eweida was suspended by British Airways last month for wearing a cross on her uniform but defended her decision to wear the symbol saying, "I cannot hide it. Jesus has to be glorified in my life. I am not politically motivated or minded. I just follow the biblical truth."

Following a recent conversation with Eweida, Dr Frost defended the right of individuals to wear their religious symbols in accordance with Article 9 of the European Convention which states that, "Everyone has the right ... in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching practice or observance".

"If the wearing of religious symbols is not part of our freedom to 'manifest religion in public' then what is?" he challenged.

The SJI leader added that Christians should stand by other faith groups "in the protection of their basic religious rights".

Dr Frost recently returned from a trip to the Isle of Man along with a 130-strong SJI team and 90 more from Cliff College. During the trip, the teams visited schools across the island and held numerous youth meetings attended by hundreds of teenagers.

He also said that employers have "every right" to ask employees to remove a particular religious symbol in the workplace if it impairs their effectiveness to do a job, citing the full face veil in a classroom of small children as just one example.

"These are difficult issues, but I hope that the Christian community will stand beside Nadia in maintaining her small piece of Christian witness in an increasingly secular society," he said.

For more information about Share Jesus International go to www.sharejesusinternational.com