A Muslim director has spoken about his failed attempts to perform at mosques a Holocaust play, which he claims "will unite communities to stand up to hate and extremism".

Nic Careem, a self-declared "Zionist-Muslim", spoke about his plans as he announced a special performance of James Still's award-winning play, And Then They Came For Me - Remembering The World Of Anne Frank, in aid of the Disasters Emergency Committee's (DEC) Pakistan flood victims appeal.

He was joined on Monday by Eva Schloss, Auschwitz survivor and step-sister of Anne Frank; and John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, at the Lyric Theatre, where the special performance will take place on October 18.

Mr Careem said: "We got quite close earlier this year to showing it in an Edinburgh mosque, but then Operation Cast Lead happened and the trustees thought it wouldn't be wise.

"I don't want to be political. I just want to bring communities together and show there aren't so many differences between Jews and Muslims."

Dr Schloss said: "The relation between this play and the cause it is going to, is human suffering and the way people look on and do nothing to help."

Mr Bird spoke about his antisemitic mother. "I have spent a lot of time looking at the Holocaust," he said. "I came from a family that believed Hitler was right. My Irish Catholic mother believed the Jews got what they deserved and should have got more.

"I have devoted much of my life trying to prick the bubble of why poverty breeds incredible hatred."