Religious leaders, political figures, trade unionists and human rights campaigners have signed up to a new coalition aimed at defending freedom of religious and cultural expression.

The movement comes in light of continuing claims that different communities and faith groups openly expressing their faith can threaten community relations in Britain.

People of all faiths and none will unite through the new coalition to actively make the case that all communities should be allowed to express their culture or faith, as long as this is within the law and does not impact on the rights of others to express themselves similarly.

In the media, a Greater London Authority commissioned report into Islamophobia showed that 90 per cent of reports on Islam were negative. However, the majority of Londoners - 94 per cent - support freedom of thought, conscience, speech and religion.

The coalition will emphasise that multiculturalism enriches society and that division will flow from repression of these rights, not their expression.

It will also aim to show that it is necessary for individuals and different communities to come together to defend freedom of religious and cultural though that have been established over hundreds of years.

Coalition patrons include Lord Herman Ouseley and historian and writer William Dalrymple and a steering group has been set up, which will be chaired by Bruce Kent.