A move to put Jesus back at the heart of Christmas has won approval from diverse religious leaders in the district.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, yesterday joined non-Christian community leaders in London in a call to return Christ to the centre of Christmas festivities.

At a conference on diversity in London yesterday, Mr Phillips said: "The logic is baffling: to welcome Eid and Diwali and Hanukkah in celebration of our glorious diversity, while brushing Christmas under the carpet as an embarrassing episode in our mono-cultural past."

Christian and Muslim leaders in Bradford today said that the different religions in Bradford are respectful of each other and that knowledge of the celebration's roots is essential.

The Dean of Bradford, the Reverend David Ison, said: "We would say young people growing up need to know the story of the birth of Jesus, which is at the heart of a lot of the different aspects of British culture.

"In the same ways, if you don't understand the story of Islam, you don't understand a part of the British culture.

"When I moved to Bradford from Devon two years ago I noticed how in Devon it was much harder to talk about God than in Bradford.

"In Bradford, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus want to talk about their God and want Christians to talk about theirs."

Muslim leaders also believe Bradford is in a unique position because many festivals are celebrated by several faiths.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, of Bradford Council of Mosques, said: "In Bradford we encourage the celebration of religious festivals and the values which are central to these religious festivals which are about celebration, love and harmony.

"Bradford's approach has been to take notice of the significance of these festivals in our lives.

"This is how it should be, so for me as a Muslim, I think it is important that Christmas actually captures and brings into the forefront the true spirit of Christianity and Christ's teachings.

"I think it is important we recognise the importance and the significance of these festivals in communities and join in with the celebrations.

"For us it is a matter not of de-valuing these festivals, but actually valuing them."