Thought for the Day: Refugees and collective responsibility
The Chief Rabbi told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the refugee must be considered “our problem,” a sentiment he also shared with Pope Francis during a recent visit to the Vatican. Chief Rabbi Mirvis lamented the tragic fate of Aylan Kurdi and the many thousands of refugees he has come to represent.
“The Pope said: ‘We all share this world together, therefore we need to care for this world together,’” recounted the rabbi.
“We need to recognise that the plight of the refugees is not only their problem, it’s also our problem, these are real people.”
“That’s why the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the picture was, God forbid, it could have been a child of mine, a child of yours, anybody’s child.
“These are real people, this is a deep and tragic humanitarian crisis and we need to provide a compassionate and responsible response.”
