INTERNATIONAL aid agencies have hit out at comments from an East Lancashire vicar who accused Muslims of aid discrimination and urged his parishioners to make sure charity begins at home.

The Reverend David Ashforth, of St Leonard's Church, Balderstone, said money collected by Church of England parishioners for the needy overseas should be sent to Anglican bishops abroad to ensure it reached fellow Christians.

Mr Ashforth made his comments in his parish newsletter when he suggested that money sent through international aid agencies, such as Christian Aid and Oxfam, to Muslim countries usually only reached Muslim people.

He said: "Muslim charity always goes to Muslims. Islam shows commendable concern for those who are within its fellowship, but it is not very interested in helping those outside it.

"If any of our readers have evidence to contrary, I will be glad to publish it, but my impression is that Muslim charity starts and ends at home.

"It is the glory of Christian Aid, Oxfam, Tear Fund, and other Christian inspired charities that they give help where they can world-wide, on the basis of need. No-one is excluded because of their belief, or lack of it.

"No-one has to become a Christian to get medical treatment or a bag of wheat. We understand God is the creator of all men and women and none are excluded from his care. It is a sad fact that Christian minorities in Muslim countries are often excluded from international aid sent as disaster relief."

MR Ashforth said money from international aid agencies often did not reach Christian minorities in Muslim countries if it was being distributed via a Muslim government agency.

Now he is urging his congregation to channel their fund-raising efforts towards needy Christians in the third world.

He said: "Through our contacts with the Anglican bishops in Bangladesh we can make sure that any aid we send will help the poorest of the poor, who are also our brothers and sisters in Christ, back on to their feet."

Mike Ash-Edwards, North West area campaign manager for Oxfam, said: "These comments are unhelpful, inaccurate and misinformed.

"Oxfam is a completely secular organisation and we don't take into account people's faith or religion at all when we distribute aid, in this country or abroad.

"There is no evidence at all to suggest that in Bangladesh priority is given to people just from Muslim communities."

A spokesman for Christian Aid said: "We support the world's poorest communities and do not discriminate against anybody, whatever their faith.

"Also we do not give money to Government agencies, we deal with partnership organisations who we have visited and checked out so we know exactly where every penny of the money we distribute goes. That may be to Muslims, Hindus or Christians but we do not discriminate."

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