ONE of Hampshire's Muslim leaders has joined others around the country in condemning the horrific actions of Islamic State (IS) and urging them to release a British hostage.

Aid worker Alan Henning was kidnapped by IS members while on humanitarian work in Syria and the organisation is now threatening to execute him as they have three other hostages including Briton David Haines.

Now Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo, Imam of the Al Mahdi Centre of the Wessex Jamaat near Fareham, has joined more than 100 of his colleagues to demand the release of Mr Henning.

Sheikh Fazle Abbas said: "As a human being I have a family and I can understand what the family of Alan Henning is going through.

"I find it my basic human responsibility to try and do something and raise my voice and speak out for this person.

"These people (Islamic State) are misusing the name of the religion and it calls upon us as Muslim leaders to speak to the heart of these people and say if they follow the teachings of the Quran they cannot carry out these horrible deeds."

He also urged members of all faiths to come together in solidarity and not allow Islamic State to divide British people through their actions.

Sheikh Fazle Abbas said: "We need to come together as British people and foil these extremists. We call upon all citizens to rally together in solidarity."

In a statement sent to a national newspaper, the leaders said IS would be committing the “worst condemnable sin” against Islam if they executed the aid worker, kidnapped in December, and said the British Muslim Community would continue to speak out against the group's “poisonous ideology”.

The statement said: “The senseless kidnapping, murder and now the despicable threats to Mr Henning at the hands of so-called Muslims cannot be justified anywhere in the Quran and the Sunnah. The un-Islamic fanatics are not acting as Muslims but, as the Prime Minister has said, they are acting as monsters.

“They are perpetrating the worst crimes against humanity. This is not jihad - it is a war against all humanity.”

The signatories of the statement include the Muslim Council of Britain which is an umbrella body of more than 500 affiliated organisations.

It has also been endorsed by Labour shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan.