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94 legislators protest cross ban 
Massive reaction against British Airways for prohibiting Christian symbol


Almost 100 MPs have joined the protest against British Airways over its decision to ban employees from openly wearing religious symbols.

A total of 94 MPs from all parties have signed Parliamentary motions condemning BA for its “deplorable behaviour” in banning check-in worker Nadia Eweida from wearing her Christian cross.

The list includes several serving and ex-cabinet ministers, one Muslim and one Hindu MP.

They include Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, and Ben Bradshaw, the environment minister, who is threatening to boycott the airline over its “intransigence”.

The protest has been joined by 30 Labour MPs, 37 Conservatives, 16 Liberal Democrats and 11 from other smaller parties.

They have joined the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, who had condemned BA’s approach as “flawed nonsense” which took no account of Britain’s cultural heritage.

Earlier this week, Miss Eweida, 55, lost an appeal against BA over her right to wear the cross with her uniform.

She has been off work for two months without pay after BA officials claimed that the cross breached company rules on dress code.

Last night, Vince Cable, Miss Eweida’s MP and the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, said he was “delighted” at the strength of protest among fellow members of Parliament.

One motion in circulation in the House of Commons last night said: “The company’s intransigence will damage its reputation and lost many regular customers including honourable members.”

Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and a contender for the Labour deputy leadership, described BA's behaviour as “ridiculous”.

Tim Farron, an aide to the party leader Sir Menzies Campbell, said: “People have the right to wear a religious symbol and to be told otherwise is distinctly un-British.

“The whole debate on religious symbols has got out of hand. We are a tolerant nation and this behaviour from BA seems to be extremely intolerant indeed.”

Last night it was reported that UN leaders will raise the issue at a conference in Prague this weekend.

It will be debated alongside other claims of religious intolerance including complaints about death sentences for critics of Islam in Pakistan.