May 2019 Issue 111

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

From the Editor 2

34th Multi-Faith Pilgrimage for Peace and Friendship

3

From Brother Daniel’s Writings 4

Document on Human Fraternity 5

Diocesan Advisers Meeting in Not-tingham

6

London’s Unsung Heroes Awards 7

The Character of Love 8

Making Bread with the Deaf Com-munity

9

2019 New Year Honours List 10

Caritas Mitzvah Day 11

16th National Peace Symposium 13

HSSH - Away Day 14

New Zealand Mosque Attacks 15

Vatican Message to Jains 17

The Jain Community 18

Being Christian in a Muslim Land 19

Why Jewish People Wear Fancy Dress on Purim

20

Point of View 21

Dates for your Diary 22

Contacts, Courses and Events 23

Calendar of Religious Festivals 25

Pilgrimage Booking Form 27

De Mello: Understanding / Illusion 28

How to contact us 28

Standing in Solidarity

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From the Editor Happy Eastertide!

First, I would like to thank all our readers who have contributed towards the costs of producing and distributing the Newsletter, especially the printed version. Some donations were very generous. It is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. Without your support, we would cease to send out a paper edition.

So much has happened since the last edition in the world of faiths: the attack on two mosques in New Zealand, the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the most recent attack on the churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, when hundreds of innocent people were killed. We mourn with those who have lost loved ones. We suffer with those who have been injured. We entrust those who have died to the loving mercy of God. We pray for Peace and Reconciliation for all peoples, including those who perpetrate such atrocities. We stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with all people of faith and good will. In this issue, we have included reports on both recent and past events, as far back as National Inter Faith Week right up to Pope Francis’ very successful trips to Muslim majority countries. Good relations with the Islamic world are extremely important for the Pope, especially this year, which marks the 800th anniversary of the encounter between St Francis and the Sultan of Egypt. In the United Arab Emirates, with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, he signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. With the King of Morocco, he recognized the unique and sacred character of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif, as a city of peace for all people, especially for Jews, Christians and Muslims. He also met student Imams at an Islamic seminary and spoke about being Christian in a Muslim land to members of the Moroccan Council of Churches. He never fails to mention the environment and the protection of our common home, in tune with St Francis. This year’s message to the Jain community has a strong ecological bias.

Of course, we must highlight our Annual Multi-Faith Pilgrimage for Peace, which takes place on Saturday 8th June. We encourage you and your friends to come along and travel in solidarity with other people of faith, visiting places of worship in Merton. There is a booking form on the inside back cover of this issue.

Many major religious celebrations take place in April and May. Apart from Easter, there is the Jewish Pesach, Mahavir Jayanti for Jains, Baisakhi for Sikhs, Ridvan for Baha’is, Vesakh for Buddhists and, of course, Ramadan for members of the Muslim communities. We wish you a holy, joyful, peaceful and harmonious celebration of the festival.

Jon and the Westminster Interfaith Team

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The 34th Annual London People of Faith Pilgrimage for Peace and Friendship will take place this year in the Outer London Borough of Merton, on Saturday 8th June. For most Christians, it is the Vigil of Pentecost. For Jews, it is Shavuot. Ever since Brother Daniel Faivre SG organised the first interfaith walk for peace in May 1986, he has always called it a multi-faith pilgrimage. We continue to do so now. We are pilgrims on this earth, who journey towards the Ultimate Reality often along different paths. Pilgrimages usually have a physical and a spiritual component. On our pilgrimage for peace, we travel together, often on foot, in a spirit of mutual respect, prayer and unity, from one place of worship to another, where a warm welcome always awaits us. We pause for prayer and reflection and find out about the faith and practices of that worshipping community. We had planned to start at Wimbledon Synagogue and walk downhill to the other places of worship and finish at the Mosque in Morden. Unfortunately, the syna-gogue informed us that 8th June no longer suited them because they were hold-ing a major celebration for Shavuot. We had to rethink the whole day. When Sis-ter Elizabeth and I met at Morden station to visit Baitul Futuh Mosque, it became clear that Morden was a good place to start, especially if we gathered at Merton Civic Centre, where, hopefully, we would be able to meet the mayor, members of the local Council and of the Merton Forum of Faiths and Beliefs. We have not yet finalized all the details of the visits but, unless the Police or the local council want to make changes, the programme for the day looks as follows:

For security and logistical reasons, we need names of participants, so we ask you, please, to complete and return the pilgrimage booking form on the inside back page of the Newsletter, or contact us by text or email. We welcome offers of assistance from first aiders and volunteers who are willing to act as stewards to help us cross roads and stay together. Although we do not charge for the pilgrimage, donations towards expenses are always welcome and gratefully received. Thank you.

34th Annual Multi-Faith Pilgrimage

Morning 09.25 Arrive Morden Station 09.30 Gather at Merton Civic Centre 09.45 Depart for Mosque 10.00 Arrive Baitul Futuh Mosque 11.00 Depart Mosque 11.10 Take Bus: 93 to Calonne Road 12.00 Arrive Buddhapadipa Temple 13.00 Lunch SND (Sikh group)

Afternoon 13.45 Depart Buddhist Temple 14.15 Arrive St Mary’s Church 15.00 Depart St Mary’s 15.30 Arrive Wimbledon Mosque 16.15 Depart Mosque Bus 156 to Plough Lane. Walk to Hindu Temple 16.45 Arrive Shree Ghanapathy Temple 17.45 End

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From Brother Daniel’s Writings

Multi-Faith Pilgrimage As I was taking part in the last portion of the pilgrimage from Canterbury to Batter-sea Park, organized by the Nipponzan Myohoji Order, to mark the opening of the London Peace Pagoda, the idea of an annual London multi-faith pilgrimage for peace developed in my mind. It is a long time since I discovered that there is noth-ing like a good walk to stimulate thought and fuel imagination. Why should not Westminster Interfaith have a day, every year, when we would visit a number of places of worship of the various traditions? It would be an opportunity to see for ourselves, to sit at prayer and meditation, to listen to the Other, to forge links of friendship, to build bridges between people of different faiths and cultures. Above all, it would give us a chance to walk and witness TOGETHER in a town suffering from the evils of violence, unemployment and all sorts of discrimination. Why not heed the words of Martin Luther King: We have flown in the air like birds and swum the seas like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers and sisters?

Yes, indeed, why not walk like brothers and sisters who, as people of faith, are unit-ed in the belief that it is in the Absolute Reality that we are called to live in peace and harmony? ‘The routes taken may be different, but there is a single goal to which is directed the deepest aspiration of the human spirit as expressed in its quest for God and in its quest, through its tending towards God, for the full dimen-sion of its humanity or, in other words, for the full meaning of human life’. (Pope John Paul II)

1986 had been designated by the U.N. as International Year of Peace. It was also the year when the leaders of all major traditions were to travel to Assisi, and there, together, to fast and pray for peace. Assisi had also been chosen, by the World Wild Life Fund for Nature, as the venue for the celebration of its 25th anniversary, when the declarations on Religion and Nature were to be made. 1986 was therefore the ideal year for the London People of Faith for Peace to come into existence and for the first London Multi-Faith Pilgrimage for Peace to take place.

The London People of Faith for Peace describe themselves as an ad hoc group committed to interfaith harmony and understanding. They are people who believe in the power of religious faith to bring peace and not division. All religions are rep-resented, either in the group of pilgrims or in the places of worship that they visit.

The above text was taken from the introduction to Section VI of ‘Resources for Multi-Faith Celebrations’ which Brother Daniel Faivre SG published in 1997. It tells us how he conceived of the multi-faith pilgrimages and the London People of Faith for Peace way back in May 1986 before the meeting of Faith leaders in Assisi. I think it was on the pilgrimage from Canterbury to Battersea Park, when the group first stopped at Shree Ghanapathy Temple in Wimbledon, which we are visiting again this year. 1997 was also the year Sarah Thorley started the Inter-faith Walks in South London. So much has happened since then.

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A Joint Document on Human Fraternity

Pope Francis and Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt's al-Azhar mosque and university, who is a leading religious authority for many Sunni Mus-lims around the world, both signed “A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” on 4 February in Abu Dhabi. The document is the fruit of many meetings between Pope Francis and Sheik el-Tayeb. Together they covered a wide range of issues and topics affecting the contemporary world, which they deal with in the document. Although the document is mainly about Christian-Muslim relations, its message and relevance is for everyone. It is, in fact, “an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers . . . and non-believers, and among all people of good will”. The introduction states that the document “invites all persons, who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity, to unite and work together, so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters”. The Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue described the document as a “precious road map of interreligious dialogue for the future”. We can all use it to develop a culture of dialogue, joint collaboration and mutual knowledge and play our part in creating “a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life”. Both signatories request that: “This Document become the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation, thus helping to educate new generations to bring goodness and peace to others, and to be de-fenders everywhere of the rights of the oppressed and of the least of our brothers and sisters.” In the light of recent incidents of anti-Semitism, islamophobia, racism, far right nationalism and terrorism, it is well worth reading and sharing with others. I had thought of printing the whole document in this Newsletter but decided not to be-cause you can read and/or download it from the Vatican website: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2019/outside/documents/papa-francesco_20190204_documento-fratellanza-umana.html It is also available in the News section on the Westminster Diocese website.

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Diocesan Advisers Meet in Nottingham On Tuesday, 26th March, there was a meeting of Catholic diocesan ecumenical and interreligious and coordinators in St Barnabas Cathedral Hall, Nottingham. It was an opportunity to share the joys and challenges of Catholic relations with other Christians and with other religions. It was also an opportunity to meet the recently appointed Catholic Bishops’ Conference chairperson for interreligious dialogue: the Right Reverend Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham. He greeted us very warmly, shared his own experiences of ecumenical and interfaith encounters and reminded us that dialogue is “part and parcel of the mission of the church”, which needs to be “an instrument of God in enabling unity”.

What linked ecumenical and interreligious advisors was the special relationship Catholicism has with Judaism. The Christian faith is rooted in Jewish faith and practices. We started our meeting with interesting talks from individuals, who were deeply involved in Catholic—Jewish relations.

Archbishop Kevin McDonald, national lead for Catholic-Jewish relations, said that dialogue is an “integral part of the nature of the church”, and that this “connectedness is particularly strong in the case of the Jews”.

Sister Margaret Shepherd, the national adviser on Jewish-Catholic relations, painted a picture of growing closeness between Christianity and Judaism, which was expressed in a series of documents from both sides. She cited some of the documents and gave us many examples of close ties and cooperation between the communities.

Rabbi Tanya Sakhnovich, from Nottingham Liberal Synagogue, shared her own moving experience of becoming a rabbi in Belarus and her journey to England. She described how dialogue strengthened her own faith. She spoke of her deter-mination to build relationships by joining in work that supports the vulnerable and helps reduce the fear of the “other”. “I do not talk about interfaith dialogue”, she said, “I do it”. She gave us a practical example of how she does this by tell-ing us about a project she has been running for the past four years: The Salam Shalom Kitchen. It brings people of different faiths together to offer a meal to lonely and homeless people in a deprived area of Nottingham.

Rabbi Sakhnovich stayed for Mass in the Cathedral, which surprised and delight-ed most of us. She read the first lesson, which was from the Book of Daniel. It was a powerful reminder of the wealth of scripture we share in common and a moving demonstration of the rootedness of Christianity in Judaism.

At Mass, we prayed especially for the victims of the attacks on the two mosques

in Christchurch, New Zealand and for all those affected by the attacks in our

home countries.

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London’s Unsung Heroes Awards

The Second Faith and Belief Community Awards ceremony took place at the Royal Society of Medicine Headquarters in London on 27 November 2018. The awards were created in 2017 to celebrate and recognise the vital work of lo-cal communities in making London a more welcoming place for people of all faiths and beliefs. This year, over 60 projects and about a dozen inspirational individuals were rec-ognised and celebrated as the unsung heroes of London’s faith and belief commu-nities. About 40 projects received awards of £500 from Sir Ken Olisa, Her Majes-ty’s Lord Lieutenant of Greater London’s Council on Faith. It was a wonderful, exciting and inspirational evening. The auditorium was packed. It was amazing to hear about the wide range of projects in which our faith communities are involved. Some groups I knew, including the Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group. Many I had never heard about. Some were single faith groups with a general and interfaith outreach. Other awards were given to joint projects between people of different faiths. There were awards for a variety of categories: Creative Arts and the Media; Health and Wellbeing; Inspiring Youth; Interfaith Relations; Improving Access to Services; Peace and Reconciliation; and Promoting Inclusion. Of course, there were also the inspirational individuals, whose generous response to various situa-tions, have been instrumental in breaking down barriers and fostering peace and harmony in local communities. Can I single out one particular favourite project? No, they were all truly amazing. They highlighted the creativity and generosity of groups and individuals and their love for humanity. The Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Debbie Weekes-Bernard was there. She declared how proud she was to be the Deputy Mayor of a city where diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated. She added, “We will continue to champion eve-rything you do to make London, the greatest city in the world.” After the awards, there was the opportunity to meet participants and share some excellent refreshments in the Atrium. A wonderful evening. I thank Phil Champain and the Faith & Belief Forum for organizing this annual event and all the participants for the wonderful work they do. I look forward to next year’s awards.

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The Character of Love Global Co-operation House has been honouring National Inter Faith Week for over 10 years. On Saturday 17 November 2018, Georgina Long, Brahma Kumaris’ Inter Faith Coordinator UK, welcomed everybody and introduced a special programme on the Character of Love, which focused on three aspects: Love of the World: De-votional Love and Pure Love. MC Sharon O’Regan challenged everyone to stay curious, playful and journey. She opened with a poem to open the heart: “Everyman” by John Wood. We then watched a rousing version of Stand by Me, performed by The Kingdom Gospel Choir at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markel, extolling the supportive nature of human love: ‘no I won’t be afraid….just as long as you stand by me’. Ann Malone created the shift into devotional love with a song and Mary Hale, from the Buddhist tradition, read a piece from the Buddha. It included these words: ‘May all beings be at peace, whatever living beings may be; strong or weak; the seen and unseen; those near and those far; those born and those yet to be borne; May all beings be at ease…’ Jon Dal Din, from Westminster Interfaith, then offered an extract from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians on the gift of love, without which we are nothing at all. Reverend Rob Harrison complemented this with playing the saxophone to the tune of Nature Boy by Nat King Cole: ‘the greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return’. Zara Touzani introduced the wisdom of Rumi on be-half of the Muslim community, which ended with the words: I am a house of mer-cy and my heart a place of prayer. To demonstrate the healing power of love, we saw an audio-visual of Koolulam, who gathered a group of 1,000 young people, representing the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities, to sing Bob Marley’s ‘One love’ in English, Arabic and Hebrew at midnight on the last day of Ramadan (14th June 2018) at Jerusalem’s Tower of David. The uplifting and healing energy was tangible, with this hopeful song for humanity, sung in three harmonies in the heart of this ancient city of faith and conflict. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZzK29_V8jQ Rabbi Jackie Tabick shared how within Judaism there is the commandment to love God with all one’s heart, soul and might and that what God wants us to do to show love of Him, is to show love of humanity. MC Sharon O’Regan then opened the last part of the evening expressing ‘Pure Love’ and reminded everyone that this begins with self-love and self-compassion. Gil Fernandes played on the violin the reflective tune of Carolan’s Dream and Thiru Seelan demonstrated the character of love through powerful dance moves.

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Brahma Kumaris’ Dirk Romeijn shared a reading: ‘I clean my heart in such a way that whatever is in God’s heart may enter mine’ and Rekha Vallishayee’s extract called for everyone to understand the perspective and vision that The Divine holds for humanity: ‘If you could see what I see you would never lose your smile’. Ni-cole Travnicek closed the evening with a short reflection inviting all to choose to live love in life, regardless of the situations around us. Blessings and toli, made with love, were distributed to all. Many of us stayed for a tasty vegetarian supper. It was a wonderful evening, which offered a meditative and creative exploration of Love, from personal and faith perspectives. It flowed seamlessly as musician Ann Malone played throughout the event, filling the spaces between contributions with sounds of beauty and silence, using bells and other instruments, creating a weave of contemplative sound. Thanks to Brahma Kumaris for organizing such a splendid event. Special thanks to Georgina Long for allowing me to adapt her report for this article.

Making Bread with the Deaf Community The Jewish Deaf Association (JDA) supports Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing people in many different ways working with people at all stages of their life, from families with Deaf children through to those who in later life are living in shel-tered accommodation and care homes. Everyone is welcome, those of all faiths and none, and I was delighted to be invited to spend a day with them recently.

I joined them at their Day Centre for the older Deaf Community where we spent the afternoon in great fun making challah bread. Communicating in sign language with gloves on, covered in floor and dough was an interesting and at times slightly messy experience, but seeing the Deaf Community enjoying themselves was so uplifting. Some of the people had been making challah for their families for many years and were experienced in producing the finished article with a beautiful plait while others, like me, were trying it for the first time. The Deafblind members of the group were supported by others and I had great fun working with one man plaiting his challah, with him feeling how it was at the finish. We were both very proud of our efforts.

Caritas Deaf Service having this link with the JDA is a really positive influence on our work, broadening horizons and opening opportunities for the Deaf Communi-ty here in Westminster to join in and benefit from what the JDA has to offer.

Michelle Roca Caritas Deaf Service

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2019 New Year Honours’ List Last year, among the recipients of awards in the Queen’s New Year Honours List, I singled out a number of Sikhs as well as some other people of faith. This year, eleven British Sikhs received honours like Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE) of the Order of the British Empire for their extraordinary achievements in community service, charity and business. There were also two UK-based Sikh groups among the 250 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the coveted Queen’s award this year. Langar Aid and Midland Langar Seva Society (MLSS) dole out free food to the homeless, the needy and oppressed members of our communities. Congratulations to them all.

This time, I would like to mention, in particular, some Muslims who received awards as well as a few people from other faiths. First, a few statistics. In the 2019 New Year List, 1,148 people received awards. Five hundred and forty-four were women (47% of the total, which, apparently, is the lowest percentage in five years). It included seven Muslim women, among whom were: Faeeza Vaid for her efforts in establishing the Muslim Women’s Net-work, a charity that has supported over 1,700 women escape forced marriages and honour-based violence; Jamia Kossar, for her work with homelessness and her leadership at a Manchester Islamic High School for girls. In total, thirty-three Muslims made the list for charitable contributions to their community and for progressive developments in their respective fields. It was good to see Imam Mohammed Mahmoud and Dr Malik Ramadhan among the re-cipients of awards. They received awards for their heroic response during the se-ries of terror related incidents in London back in June 2017. Imam Mohammed for his bravery during the attack in Finsbury Park. He urged crowds to refrain from harming the man who drove a van into worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. Dr Malik Ramadhan, Head of A&E at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel received an award for his devoted care on 12 victims following the London Bridge attack, which saw 48 injured and 11 fatalities. Aamer Naeem received an OBE medal for his charitable work. He is CEO of Pen-ny Appeal, which provides humanitarian aid and poverty relief to more than 30 crisis countries worldwide. Special thanks and congratulations go to Mustafa Field, director of Faith Forum for London, who became an OBE for services to faith communities and social cohesion. He already holds an MBE award. Jashu Vekaria and Cllr Tariq Dar from Brent received MBEs for their work with faith communities in the borough. The youngest British Muslim was Saeed Atcha, aged 22, from Bolton and founder of Xplode magazine. He received an MBE for creating thousands of opportunities across Greater Manchester for young people to develop their employability skills.

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Also from Manchester was a special Christian: the Very Reverend Rogers Goven-der, Dean of the City of Manchester. He received an MBE for services to Inter-faith and to the local community. After the bomb attack at the Ariana Grande con-cert on 22 May 2017, he immediately organized interfaith services at Manchester Cathedral for the twenty-two people, who were killed and the hundreds, who were injured. The following year, on the first anniversary of the attack, he held an inter-faith service to remember the dead and injured. He will probably hold another ser-vice this year. Among other Christians recognised in the Honours List are a former gang leader, an MP and advocates against persecution and injustice.

Seven survivors of the Holocaust received awards for their services to Holocaust education. Five received British Empire Medals (BEM) and two women received MBEs: Cirla Lewis and Vera Schaufeld. Vera was saved by Sir Nicholas Winton and brought to Britain on the Kindertransport, which celebrated its 80th Anniver-sary last year. I am sure there were Baha’is, Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians and other people of faith, who received awards this year. I did not manage to identify them. The Hon-ours List does not often specify the religion of recipients. One often has to scan the newspapers and websites of the different faiths to find out. However, I did find Dr Vinod Kapashi, who received an OBE for services to Jainism.

Please let me know about other people of faith, who received awards, especially if it was for interfaith work and social cohesion. Thank you.

Caritas Mitzvah Day In 2018, World Day of the Poor and Mitzvah Day fell on Sunday 17th November, which also coincided with National Interfaith Week in the United Kingdom. To mark the occasion, the Roman Catholic Caritas Westminster and the Jewish Mitz-vah Day group got six schools – three Jewish and three Catholic schools - to share in a social action project of providing 350 backpacks filled with essential school supplies to add to the 500 000 backpacks that the charity Mary’s Meals delivered to schoolchildren in need in Malawi. Last year, Mary’s Meals also fed 1.4 million schoolchildren, who probably would have missed school through lack of food.

On Tuesday, 12th March, children from the six schools with their teachers met up at Vaughan House to get to know one another, share their experiences of the pro-ject, and plan for this year’s social action project. It was a busy and exciting morning, packed with lots of learning and activities, which the children enjoyed. The organizers of Caritas, Mitzvah Day and Mary’s Meals were also there. They thanked everybody for their presence and their generous contribution of time and

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school equipment. They also talked to and encouraged the young people as they made cards for children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The children worked happily in pairs – one Jewish and one Catholic child. They had barely fifteen minutes to produce a card. However, together they managed to create beautiful and imaginative cards, which I am sure will give great joy to the children in hospi-tal.

Siobhan from the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) introduced everybody to the next joint Catholic Jewish project, when six more schools will also take part. They will put together Vinnie Packs, which SVP will distribute to homeless people next winter. Last year, they handed out 12,000 Vinnie Packs of warm clothing to people in need.

Pope Francis instituted the World Day of the Poor in 2017 to fall on the Sunday before the Feast of Christ the King, which is always in November. He asks us to pray for the poorest in our society and to try to alleviate poverty in a practical way. In 2019, the day coincides again with Mitzvah Day, when members of the Jewish community are encouraged to give their time to charity and social action. Pope Francis may well have chosen the day of the Poor to coincide with Mitzvah Day, because of his long involvement with the Jewish community in Argentina. I doubt that he chose the date to coincide with National Interfaith Week in the UK. What-ever the reasons, it is a fortuitous choice, which has brought members of different faiths to collaborate on a number of social action projects.

The meeting of Jewish and Roman Catholic schoolchildren with their teachers and representatives of Caritas, Mitzvah Day and SVP Society was a great success. The children obviously enjoyed the encounter and the experience. They look forward to keeping in contact with each other and collaborating on the next project.

In the past, Mitzvah Day has coincided with Sewa Day, which most Eastern reli-gions practise as a day of selfless service to the needs of humanity, which includes the environment. I remember the Hindu and Jewish communities working together on a number of projects. Most faiths have similar practices. They are excellent op-portunities to get better acquainted and work together on a variety of social action projects. Encouraging children to take part in these projects bodes well for the fu-ture. They help dispel prejudice, foster positive personal relationships and develop effective community cohesion.

It is worth mentioning Sadaqa Day, the Muslim equivalent of Mitzvah Day, which, this year, happened on Sunday 24 March. 15 different Joint Jewish-Muslim social action projects took place in London, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Peterborough and Cardiff. The projects ranged from cooking for the homeless and putting on musical shows to arts and crafts and a ‘bring and buy’ sale.

For further details, go to the Sadaqa Day website: mysadaqaday.org

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16th National Peace Symposium On 9 March 2019, I attended the 16th National Peace Symposium at the Baitul Fu-tuh Mosque in Morden. The theme was “The Critical Need for Peace”. After reg-istration, an Ahmadiyya volunteer accompanied me to my seat at table 38 in a packed hall. Apparently, there were over 1000 people present, including 700 dig-nitaries and guests from 30 countries. At my table, I found a couple of people I knew, including Rev. Canon Michael Scanlon, the local RC parish priest. It was a good opportunity to chat with everyone and catch up with news. Fareed Ahmed, as usual, opened the proceedings and introduced first a cantor, who chanted verses from the Qur’an, then Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who formally welcomed us. Archbishop Kevin MacDonald, the guest speaker, immediately thanked the Ah-madiyya Community ‘for the initiative of bringing together such a variety of peo-ple because peace, or the lack of peace, affects us all’. He said that an event on peace at this moment in time was very important, when there is unease and un-happiness with the political culture, an increase in knife crimes, Brexit, animosity and anger in the wider world. He added that peace was only possible if people changed. “That transformation can only happen through the grace of God and prayer”, he said. Dr. Fred Mednick, was the recipient of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Ad-vancement of Peace. He is the founder of Teachers Without Borders. He gave a moving speech about his efforts to provide unfettered access to education to some of the most neglected parts of the world, especially those affected by natural or manmade disasters and conflict zones. His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered the keynote address. He is World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph). He dealt eloquently and thoroughly with a great variety of issues that are affecting world security as well as British society. These included tensions be-tween nuclear powers, conflicts and proxy wars in the Middle East, far-right na-tionalism, anti-immigration sentiments, economic frustrations and isolationism. They continue to push nations towards nuclear war and global destruction, which were was no longer a remote or distant prospect, but rather a growing threat. His Holiness insisted that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community would never waver from its efforts to promote peace and justice in the world. After all the speeches, we were hungry and delighted when young members of the community brought us hot tasty dishes of traditional Pakistani fare, which we shared while we continued our conversations. We also all had the opportunity of meeting His Holiness after the meal. It was a well organised and most inspiring evening, which we all enjoyed. Thanks.

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Hope for Southall Street Homeless - Away Day

As the day began, on Friday 22nd March 2019, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall-Norwood Hall was the destination for an apparently random group of people. The day had been billed as an ‘Away Day’, but it was far from being a holiday or a day trip! The group included two homeless people, an outreach worker from a locally based charity, several volunteers from different faiths, as well as religious sisters, priests, a vicar, and our host from the local Gurdwara. They were there to support a local charity: Hope for Southall Street Homeless or HSSH, as it is affectionately known. Local churches and religious organisations had been involved in providing tempo-rary accommodation for homeless people through an umbrella organisation known as Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter. This organisation is still in existence, providing shelter for many people during the winter months.

2013 saw the beginning of local ‘conversations’ to do something in Southall for the many rough sleepers on the streets. These ‘conversations’ continued into 2014, developing into a series of public meetings, hosted at St Anselm’s Church, involv-ing community groups, religious institutions, political representatives, local coun-cil officials and members of the public. HSSH was launched in 2015, hosted in several venues, following the model used by Ealing Churches Winter Night Shel-ter. In January 2016, HSSH opened its doors on a permanent basis, to provide ac-commodation all year round at Holy Trinity Church and St Anselm’s Church.

The charity has been in existence for three years now. The reason for the gathering was to ‘take stock’ of what has been achieved and to revisit the vision: “To enable people to take ways out of rough sleeping which result in them leading fulfilled lives” as well as the values, which continue to inspire and guide those involved in all aspects of its work. We also considered the many challenges facing the charity.

The charity refuses help to no one, but it targets, in particular, those who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). In other words, they cannot access the Benefits System, do not have the right to work and many have irregular or unresolved im-migration issues. This is, surely, a situation, in which any individual would strug-gle to find hope.

As we revisited the vision and explored those values, one participant commented that the room was filled with people who were passionate about the work done by the charity. Perhaps it was the idea that “we walk alongside our guests as they seek to take control of their own lives” or that “we provide practical help in meeting their basic needs for food, shelter and security” or again that “we speak up on their behalf, giving a voice to the voiceless”, that resonated with those present. I rather think, however, that we were humbled by the sentiments ex-pressed by one of the present guests, as he shared his story. He explained his strug-gle with alcohol addiction, his ‘on/off’ relationship with the shelter and his grati-

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tude for the patience of the shelter staff, as they went with him for medical ap-pointments and provided him with the space to recover when he broke his foot after an accident.

Much effort has been put into funding the charity. It is very grateful for the gener-ous support of religious groups, funding agencies, a home building company and the efforts of local individuals, who have attempted many things, including 10K runs and more recently, a ‘Sleep Out’ in the Local Church car park, in order to provide for the day-to-day running of the shelter. Funding continues to be one of the charity’s biggest challenges, since it is difficult to ‘measure’ the outcomes - numerically or otherwise, for a group of people who find themselves in an often impossible and hopeless situation. Progress or improvement in each individual’s situation is not a ‘straight line’ and does not easily end with the individual finding either permanent accommodation or employment.

This ‘challenge’, however, is not a reason to give up or abandon the vision, which inspires us. Whatever our particular reason for being present at the ‘Away Day’, we left, inspired and personally challenged to continue working alongside a truly marginalised group in our society as “we build positive, trusting relationships with our guests, founded on their intrinsic worth as fellow human beings”. We continue to offer them “warmth, acceptance and respect”, seeking “to fos-ter a sense of dignity, self-respect and hope” in each person that we meet.

Susan Cawley Parish Evangelisation Coordinator

New Zealand Mosque Attacks On Friday 15 March, when I heard about the lunchtime attack on the two mosques in Christchurch New Zealand, which were full of worshippers attending Jumu'ah (Friday) prayers, I was deeply shocked and disgusted by the unprovoked and senseless massacre of innocent people at prayer. At least 50 people were killed and 20 seriously injured in this atrocity that shocked the nation. At the time, I was busy sending out the Joint Document signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Liv-ing Together. I thought that was a suitable thing to do. The Document invites all people, of all faiths and none, to unite and work together for peace and harmony. It states that “Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by vio-lent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of reli-gions as well as a clear violation of international law”. It adds that “Terrorism is deplorable and threatens the security of people, be they in the East or the West, the North or the South, and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it”.

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Reactions to the attacks were immediate both at the local and international level as well as from political and faith leaders. Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, imme-diately described the horror as a terrorist attack that had no place in her country or the wider world. It was one of New Zealand's "darkest days," she said. The New Zealand Jewish community decided to shut its synagogues on Shabbat for the first time ever in an act of solidarity with the Muslim community. Jewish communities around the world also sent messages of condolences and solidarity, including the synagogue in Pittsburg, which was attacked last year. His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the injury and loss of life and assured all New Zealanders, and in particular the Muslim community, of his heartfelt solidarity in the wake of these attacks. He prayed for the healing of the injured, the consolation of those who grieved the loss of their loved ones, and for all affected by this tragedy. He commended those who died to the loving mer-cy of Almighty God. His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and Bishops’ Conferences around the world also issued statements and sent condolences and messages of support. I was struck by the immediate display of solidarity from interfaith groups I know. Southall Faiths Forum, Faith and Belief Forum, South London Interfaith Group, St Ethelburga Centre and many other groups issued statements and sent messages of support and friendship to the local Muslim communities. Faiths Forum for London organised and attended a vigil outside New Zealand House in Central London. Members of the public joined them to condemn all forms of violence and extremism and to spread the message of love, peace and unity in the face of vile hatred. After sending messages of support to local Muslim members, South Westminster group of clergy and faith representatives from six world religions issued an open letter, condemning the attack and all acts of hatred. It repeated its resolve to work together for peace and harmony. All the members of the group signed the letter. A copy of the letter was taken personally to the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch by Sister Marietta and Sister Bertha, who belong to the same religious order as Sister Catherine, who is a member of our forum. Over that weekend, many parishes and places of worship joined in a moment of silence and offered prayers for the Muslim community. We certainly did at all our services. I was impressed when many sports’ events in UK also held a moment’s silence before the matches. Terrorism in any form will not succeed to divide us. The love we have for one another unites us and it will defeat the forces of Evil. But the forces of Evil strike again. This time in Sri Lanka, where bomb attacks killed hundreds of Catholics at prayer in two churches on Easter Sunday as well as many tourists in hotels. Hundreds more are seriously injured. We pray for them, for all who are persecuted, for peace in the world and among religions.

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Vatican Message to Jains I sent the following Vatican greetings to Jain organisations and individuals I know, together with my own best wishes. I also sent the greeting to parishes in the Diocese of Westminster inviting them to pray for the community and deliver the greetings to local Jain groups if there were any in the parish. I added some background information, which I include below.

Christians and Jains:

To promote listening to the cry of the earth and of the poor

MESSAGE FOR MAHAVIR JANMA KALYANAK DIWAS 2019

Dear Jain Friends, The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends its most felicitous greet-ings to you as you celebrate the 2617th birth anniversary of ‘Thirthankar’ Shri Vardhaman Mahavir on 17 April this year. May this commemorative event fill your hearts and homes with happiness and peace and rekindle your spirit of fel-lowship and sense of responsibility towards one another. Grave concerns in our times, arising from the alarming ecological crisis, we are confronted with, and from the disquieting conditions of the poor and the margin-alized, in different parts of the globe, impel us to share with you, on this occa-sion, a thought, on the compelling need before us, Christians and Jains, to listen and respond to the cry of our mother Earth and of our brethren, who go through the unending pangs of poverty and misery. The ‘cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’, as Pope Francis pointed out in his famous Encyclical Letter “Laudato Si’ on Care for our Common Home” (24 May 2015, nos. 16, 49), are inextricably linked. The earth cries out, on one hand, be-cause of the ineffable harm that human beings, due to their unfettered greed, overbearing attitude and indulgence in materialism and consumerism, inflict upon her, and the poor, on the other hand, cry out since they are the most affected of all by the ugly consequences of environmental degradation. It is an irony that being least responsible for the crisis, they bear the greatest brunt. When human beings without qualms of conscience fail or refuse to recognize they are interconnected with and interdependent on nature and one another, it ad-vances a ‘culture of indifference’ whereby everyone tends to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. It increasingly makes them turn a deaf ear to human and ecological cries, most especially to the cry of the poor, and victims of violence and injustice. The taproot we need in the line of developing a counter culture of listening and responding to these cries is the conviction that, as members of one human family,

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we are responsible for one another and for mother earth which is “a common heritage, the fruits of which are for the benefits of all” (Pope John Paul II, Mes-sage for the World Day of Peace, 1990, no. 8). The ‘wounded creation’ and the ‘wounded humanity’ need healing more than ever through a nurturing of frater-nal relationships with one another and with the created world and by uniting all efforts towards it and forging purpose bound alliances. The Document on ‘Human Fraternity’ co-signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019 can serve as a veritable guide in this direction. As believers, grounded in our own respective religious traditions, that under-score the primacy of caring for the poor and the earth, may we Christians and Jains, conscious of our shared moral responsibility towards people and our Common Home, join hands, with people of all faiths and good will, to do all we can to “protect nature, defend the poor, and build networks of respect and frater-nity” (‘Laudato Si’, no. 201)!

Wishing you all a happy feast of Mahavir Janma Kalyanak!

Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ Secretary

The Jain Community The Jain community is quite small in England and Wales. There is a sizeable community in Leicester, where they have a temple (derasar). 15 000 Jains live in and around London, where they have a few small derasars. The best known ones are in Colindale and the very beautiful derasar near Potter’s Bar at the Oshwal Centre, which the annual multi-faith pilgrimage for peace and friendship visited in 2017 with about 130 pilgrims. Jainism is a Dharmic religion. The cycle of death and re-birth is at the cen-tre of its beliefs, and non-violence is a central value, to the extent that some Jain monks and nuns will sweep the ground before their feet, and wear a face mask, to avoid disturbing or hurting even the smallest forms of life. As in all re-ligions, there is a great breadth of practice and belief, but many Jains will, in ad-dition to meat, eggs, and sometimes dairy, avoid the consumption of root vegeta-bles, again in the name of protecting life. Mahavir Jayanti (the feast day dedicated to Mahavir ), or, more formally, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Diwas, commemorates the birth and the life of the 24th thirtankara (teacher, literally: ford maker – someone who creates a path to salvation) of the Jain religion, and the final one for the present era.

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Being Christian in a Muslim Land

On Sunday, 31 March in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Rabat, Morocco, Pope Francis ad-dressed the question of what it means to be Christian in a Muslim country. (There are about 30,000 Christians (including 23,000 Catholics in this majority Muslim nation of 35 million people). He was speaking to Catholic priests and religious men and women as well as members of the Ecumenical Council of Churches: Anglican, Evangelical, Greek-Orthodox and Russian-Orthodox. They welcomed him enthusiastically and shared with him their joys and difficulties. Pope Francis listened attentively be-fore he spoke. “Christians are a small minority in this land,” he said. But numbers is not a problem because “Jesus did not choose us and send us forth to become more nu-merous! He called us to a mission. He put us in the midst of society like a hand-ful of yeast: the yeast of the Beatitudes and the fraternal love by which, as Chris-tians, we can all join in making present his Kingdom.” He reminded them that “our mission as baptized persons, priests and consecrated men and women is not determined by the number or size of spaces that we occupy, but by our capacity to generate change and to awaken wonder and compassion . . . We do this by the way we live as disciples of Jesus, in the midst of those with whom we share our daily lives, joys and sorrows, suffering and hopes.” Pope Francis added that “the paths of mission are not those of proselytism which leads always to a cul-de-sac, but of our way of being with Jesus and with others”. The problem arises not from being few in number, but in being “salt that has lost the flavor of the Gospel or lamps that no longer shed light.” “Being a Christian is not about adhering to a doctrine or a temple or an ethnic group. Being Christian is about an encounter. We are Christians because we have been loved and encountered, and not as the result of proselytism. Being Christian is about knowing that we have been forgiven and are asked to treat others in the same way that God treats us”. The Pope explained that to enter into dialogue is not a strategy for increasing membership. The church does so “out of fidelity to her Lord and Master, who, from the beginning, moved by love, wished to enter into dialogue as a friend and asks us to enter into friendship with him.” Christians learn to dialogue by “following the example of Jesus, who is meek and humble of heart, with fervent and disinterested love, without calculations and limitations, and with respect for the freedom of others.” As examples of such dia-logue, he cited Saint Francis of Assisi, who, at the height of the Crusades, went to encounter Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil and Blessed Charles de Foucault, “so

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deeply impressed by the humble and hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth, whom he si-lently adored, that he wished to be a ‘brother to all’.” He said that, as consecrated persons, they are invited to experience this dialogue of salvation and friendship as intercession for the people entrusted to them, bringing “to the altar and to their prayer the lives of all those around them.” He added, “How beautiful it is to know that . . . through your voices, all creation can constantly pray ‘Our Father.’” “Dialogue then becomes prayer . . that does not distinguish, separate or marginalize, but embraces the life of our neighbour” and says to the Father: 'Thy kingdom come, not by violence, not by hatred, not by ethnic, religious or economic supremacy, but by the power of the compassion poured out on the cross for all man-kind'.” In this way, he said, “you will unmask and lay bare every attempt to exploit differences and ignorance in order to sow fear, hatred and conflict. For we know that fear and hatred, nurtured and manipulated, destabilize our communities and leave them spiritually defenseless.” He urged them “to make visible the presence and love of Christ, who, for our sake, became poor in order to enrich us by his poverty, (cf. 2 Cor 8:9): and by this love towards everyone, especially the most vulnerable, “build a culture of encounter”. In conclusion, he reminded them that they have a glorious history to remember and

recount, but also a great history to be accomplished. “Look to the future, where the

Holy Spirit is sending you” , he said. “May his Spirit help you to bear abundant

fruit: the fruit of dialogue, justice, peace, truth, and love, so that, here in this land,

which God loves, human fraternity may grow ever stronger. And please, do not for-

get to pray for me. Thank you!”

Why Jewish People Wear Fancy Dress on Purim In conversation with Moshe Freedman, Jewish Chaplain Once again, the East Winter Gardens played host to the Canary Wharf Purim party to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim. Elderly residents from the local Jewish nursing homes came together with professionals from across Canary Wharf for food (especially deserts!), fun and entertainment. Purim celebrates the events that took place in the 4th century BCE when God saved the Jewish people from the hands of Haman and the Persian king Ahashverosh. Yet God is conspicuously absent from the story. Our sages learn from this that although God is hidden from us during our day to day activities, looking back at where we have come from tells the story of our lives and reveals the influence God had at every step of the way.

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Therefore, we have a tradition to wear masks and fancy dress on Purim to hide the real person we are and remind us of the hidden nature of God. Of course, when the mask slips, the real person is revealed. However, I think many of us wear several masks as we go through life in order to hide the real person inside. These masks allow us to protect ourselves from per-ceived threats and social dangers such as feeling different or unusual. We may ‘put on a brave face’ after suffering a bereavement to appear strong and stoic, when secretly we are broken inside. We may hide the fact that we are unable to cope with the stress of work to impress our colleagues or pretend we’re happy when experiencing challenges in our private life. But wearing those masks can take their toll. It is difficult to keep up appearances; we all need an outlet to be ourselves. The Canary Wharf Chaplaincy is here to help people of any faith or none. We are a confidential listening service, provided by all the companies at Canary Wharf, which is free for those who self-refer to us. We are here to help with life’s chal-lenges and ensure that everyone has a safe time and place where they can take off their mask, be themselves and learn how to move forward in life.”

Point of View Thought this might be of interest. In these troubled times, with a rise in anti-Semitism and rampant Islamophobia, as well as the persecution of Christians in countries where Christians are a mi-nority, the more we all understand about the various religions, and how much all the major religions have in common, the better. Tragically, ignorance and a sense of people being 'other' than our-selves lies behind so much human wrongdoing and suffering. At the end of the day, we are all children of God, whatever our skin colour, ethnicity, socio-economic status, level of education, or religion / spiritual orientation, and what binds us together is very much stronger than that which divides us. If we don't all find a way to get along, we will destroy ourselves - as Mahatma Gandhi so very wisely said, 'An eye for an eye and all the world is blind'! Blessings to all, Naomi

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Dates for Your Diary

Saturday 11 May, 10.30am-4pm Meditation and Hope Amidst Climate Chaos Workshop led by Peter Musgrave, an Opera-tion Noah supporter, member of Faith for the Climate Network. (£30 Concessions £20) Please bring packed lunch. Coffee and tea pro-vided. Meditatio Centre, St Mark's Myddel-ton Square, London , EC1R 1XX Wednesday 5 June 2019 7.00pm 49th Annu-al Cardinal Bea Memorial Lecture Sion Centre for Dialogue and Encounter 10th Anniversary of Document: A time for Re-commitment: 12 Points of Berlin. Speakers: Dr Debbi Weissman; Fr Peter Cullen Tuesdays 30 April - 21 May, 8.00-9.30 pm Deep Calls To Deep - Transforming conver-sations between Jews and Christians

Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS), 28 St John’s Wood Road, NW8 7HA 30 April How do we experience modern Western culture? Dr Stephen Rober ts and Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah 7 May Religious Absolutism Revd. Alan Race and Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers 14 May How do we cope with our past? Rabbi Dr Michael Hilton / Bishop David Gil-lett 21 May Christian Particularity: Incarnation and Trinity and Jewish Responses Revd. Patrick Morrow, Rabbi Natan Levy and Rabbi Dr Michael Hilton Register with Debi Penhey education@ljs.org or phone: 0207 432 1284. Scripture Reasoning Tuesdays 6.30-8.30pm 30 April - Sacrifice at West London Syna-gogue (Marble Arch) 28 May Giving Money to Beggars, Hinde St Methodist Church (Oxford St) 12 November theme tbc at New Nor th Lon-don Synagogue (Finchley). Please contact Ra-chel: rachel.godfrey@wls.org.uk

London Fo Guang Shan Temple Saturday 11th May 11am ‘Bathing the Buddha’ Ceremony and Procession through Chinatown at Leicester Square Gardens, London WC2 E: blialondon2011@gmail.com; 1-2 June: The Big Lunch weekend https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/thebiglunchhomepage Saturday 8 June: 34th Annual Multi-Faith Pilgrimage for Peace and Friendship To book, email Jon: jondaldin@rcdow.org.uk 17 - 23 June: Refugee Week http://refugeeweek.org.uk/ 21-23 June: The Great Get Together https://www.greatgettogether.org/ Saturday 29 June 2.30pm Christian Muslim Women’s Prayer for Peace at ruined chapel of Our Lady, Jes-mond Dene, Reid Park Road off Osborne Road, NE2. Contact Veronica Whitty T: 0191 263 0920 / 07729730281. Limited free accommodation available. 7 -14 July Remembering Srebrenica Me-morial Week https://www.srebrenica.org.uk/ Sunday 6 October: Sewa Day An annual day of faith-based social action led by the Hindu community. http://www.sewaday.org/ 13-20 October Interfaith Week of Prayer for World Peace 20-27 October: One World Week 40th an-niversary www.oneworldweek.org 10 - 17 November: Inter Faith Week Eng-land, Wales, N.I.www.interfaithweek.org Scotland www.scottishinterfaithweek.org Sunday 17 November. Mitzvah Day Day of

faith-based social action led by the Jewish community, when people give their time, not their money, to make a difference to those around them. Many events and projects have an interfaith focus. www.mitzvahday.org.uk/

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Contacts, Courses and Events It is not possible to advertise all the courses and events nor can we include all the organ-izations offering training and events. Most events are free. Some ask for donations. For practical and security reasons, it is best to register in advance online. Please contact them directly for further information or check their website. Thank you.

Inter Faith Network UK 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 0410 Email: ifnet@interfaith.org.uk Web: https://www.interfaith.org.uk; Ammerdown Conference & Retreat Centre Ammerdown Park, Radstock, Bath, Som-erset BA3 5SWT T: 01761 433709 E: info@ammerdown.org; centre@ammerdown.org; Lots of interesting retreats and courses, view the 2019 programme online at: www.ammerdown.org/courses Book via website or ring Tina Hartnell: 01761 433709. For free paper copy of the pro-gramme ring Tina or email cen-tre@ammerdown.org Sion Centre for Dialogue and Encounter 34 Chepstow Villas, W11 2QZ Tel: 020 7727 3597 / 020 7313 8286 E: sioncentrefordialogue@gmail.com; Web: www.sioncentre.org; London Interfaith Centre 125 Salusbury Rd London NW6 6RG http://londoninterfaith.org.uk/ Enquiries to info@londoninterfaith.org.uk Central London Inter Faith Meetup Westminster Quaker Meeting House, 52 St Martins Lane WC2 N 4EA Every Friday from 6.50pm website: https://www.meetup.com/Central-London-Inter-Faith-Meetup

Drop In Silence, 5.30-7pm Details: DropInSilence.org;

Christian Muslim Marriage Support Group

Open to all interfaith couples and families

Meet Sundays 28 April, 7 July, 13 October 2-4pm Contact Rosalind or Heather confidential-ly through the inter faith marriage web-site: www.interfaithmarriage.org.uk; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/185782491456844/ Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group Meets 3rd Wednesday of month 4-5pm in Hinsley Room, Morpeth Terrace, Victo-ria, SW1P 1QN From Westminster Cathedral Piazza, walk to your right, past St Paul’s bookshop and the school, to a fenced garden between the playing fields. May 15 Diana Mills on her visits to Pales-tine

June 19 Jeremy Rodell of the Br itish Hu-manist association on Secularism and our plural society

Contact John Woodhouse 0790 8888 586 (by text) or Email: woodhousesop-ten@btinternet.com St Ethelburga’s Centre 78 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AG;T:020 7496 1610 www.stethelburgas.org; E: tent@stethelburgas.org

See events page on their website Pax Christi St Joseph's, Watford Way, London NW4 4TY Pat Gaffney, T: 0208 203 4884 E: info@paxchristi.org.uk www.paxchristi.org.uk; Christian Muslim Forum http://www.christianmuslimforum.org/.

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South London Inter Faith Group 12.30pm Lunch meeting on last Thurs-day of the month at Streatham Friends Meeting House, Redlands Way, Roupell Park Estate, Brixton Hill, SW2 3LU For details contact: secre-tary@southlondoninterfaith.org.uk North London Interfaith Group Meets monthly to discuss questions in the news about faith, festivities and prac-tices of other faiths. Contact: Sr Elizabeth: 020 7272 8048; E: eodonohoe@btinternet.com Marylebone Scriptural Reasoning Contact: marylebonesr@gmail.com; Faith and Belief Forum Contact Director, Phil Champain, 3FF, Star House, 104 Grafton Road, London NW5 4BA London Peace Pagoda Battersea Park Contact: Rev. G. Nagase Tel: 020 7228 9620 Email: londonpeacepagoda@outlook.com Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple Brickhill St, Willen Lake, Milton Keynes MK15 0BG T: 01908 663 652; E: mkpeacepago-da@gmail.com Ham Faithful Friends Contact: Diana Mills dianamills@phonecoop.coop Kensington Council of Churches Contact: Chris Luxton, chrislfriends@aol.com; Hounslow Friends of Faith www.hounslowfriendsoffaith.org Welwyn Hatfield Inter Faith Group c/o Paul Gateshill, 2 Kingsley Court, Wel-wyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4HZ T: 01707 695351 E: paulghill@hotmail.com; Web: www.whifgroup.co.uk;

Grassroots - Luton Council of Faiths 47 High Town Road, Luton, Beds, LU2 0BW T: 01582 416946 admingrassroots@btconnect.com St Martin-in-the-Fields Trafalgar Square London WC2N 4JJ www.smitf.org Gandhi Foundation Contact: William Rhind, william@gandhifoundation.org; Website: www.gandhifoundation.org; The Islamic College 133 High Road, London NW10 2SW +44 (0) 20 8451 9993 info@islamic-college.ac.uk Woolf Institute Wesley House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge CB5 8BJ T:01223 741038 www.woolf.camb.ac.uk Christians Aware 2 Saxby Street, Leicester LE2 0ND T: 0116 254 0770 Amanda@christiansaware.co.uk www.christiansaware.co.uk Multi-Faith Centre (MFC) University of Derby T:01332 591285; E: mfc@derby.ac.uk Brahma Kumaris Global Co-operation House, 65-69 Pound Lane, Willesden Green, London NW10 2HH Westminster Synagogue and Scrolls Museum Kent House, Rutland Gardens, London SW7 1BX T:020 7584 3953 secretary@westminstersynagogue.org; W: www.westminstersynagogue.org Wolverhampton Interfaith T: 01902 427 601 E: admin@ifwton.org.uk; For up-to-date details, check website: http://ifwton.org.uk/diary.html

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Calendar of Religious Festivals:

2 May YOM HA-SHOAH (Holocaust Day) Jewish Day to remember the 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazi holocaust. Closest date to Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

6 May

to

4 June

RAMADAN Muslim Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting (sawn) is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. It is the holiest month of the year. Muslims dedicate them-selves to spiritual renewal, prayer and devotional reading of the Qur’an. The fast is traditionally broken each evening by taking dates and water. During this month, the

12-18 May

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK Christian Initiated in 1945. Members of var ious churches fundraise to help the needy throughout the world, regardless of religion or race, to improve their own lives and tackle the causes of poverty and injustice.

19 May VESAKHA PUJA / WESAK / BUDDHA DAY Buddhist Theravadin Bud-dhists celebrate the birth, the enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and the final pass-ing away of Gautama Buddha. Mahayanist Buddhists have separate days for each of these events but on Buddha Day they celebrate both the birth and the enlightenment

20 May LAG B’OMER Jewish a per iod of 49 days from Pesach to Shavuot - a time of sadness, relieved on the 33rd day, which recalls the end of a plague in Roman times. Many weddings take place, which are not permitted on the other days.

24 May ZARATOSHT NO DISO Zoroastrian (Shenshai; Parsi) 26 December (Iranian) Death anniversary of the Prophet Zarathushtra.

24 May DECLARATION OF THE BAB Baha’i The Bab heralded the arrival of Ba-ha’ullah and was co-founder of the Baha’i faith.

28 May LAILAT-UL-QADR / THE NIGHT OF POWER / HONOUR / DIGNITY Muslim (Shi’a) commemorates the night in 610 CE when the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received his first visit from the angel Jibril (Gabriel) and his revelation of the Qur’an.

29 May ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASCENSION OF BAHA’U’LLAH Baha’i commem-orates the death of Baha’u’llah in 1892. His shrine is the holiest place on earth for Baha’is and is the focus towards which all Baha’is face when praying.

30 May ASCENSION DAY (40th day after Easter ) Christian (W estern Churches)commemorates the last earthly appearance of the Risen Christ.

31 May LAILAT-UL-QADR / THE NIGHT OF POWER / HONOUR / DIGNITY Muslim (Sunni) See 28 May

4 June END OF RAMADAN (Muslim)

5 June EID-UL-FITR / FEAST OF FAST BREAKING (1st Shawwal) Muslim It is a time for gifts to the poor, for new clothes, good food, and presents for children and family gatherings. The community assembles for Eid prayer and a sermon at the mosque. The traditional greeting is ‘Eid Mubarak’ – ‘a happy and blessed Eid’.

7 June DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL/DUANWUJIE/TUAN YANG CHIEH Chinese Boat races between boats shaped like dragons and picnics on the river. Remembers the suicide by drowning of poet and statesman Ch’u Yuan in 279 BCE.

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9-10 June

SHAVUOT / FEAST OF WEEKS / PENTECOST Jewish a two day festival which falls seven weeks (50 days) after Pesach. It celebrates the revelation of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai and the time when the first harvest was taken to the Temple. Synagogues are decorated with flowers and dairy foods are traditionally eaten. For Orthodox Jews work is not permitted throughout the festival.

9 June PENTECOST Christian (W estern Churches) often seen as the ‘birthday’ of the Church, when the disciples of Jesus first proclaimed the Gospel after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Jewish festival day of Pentecost (50 days after Easter).

16 June MARTYRDOM OF GURU ARJAN (1606) Sikh The fifth Guru was executed on the orders of the Moghul Emperor, Jehangir, for refusing to pay a fine. Guru Arjan made the first compilation of the Sikh Scriptures, called the Adi Granth, and super-vised the completion of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. A gurpurb is held on this day including a continuous reading of Adi Granth.

16 June TRINITY SUNDAY Christian (W estern Churches) celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost (or Whitsun). Christians reflect on the mystery of God, who is seen as One but is understood in and through God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

16 June PENTECOST Christian (Orthodox Churches) see above 9 June.

20 June CORPUS CHRISTI Christian celebrates the institution of the Euchar ist. It falls 60 days after Easter, on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Many Church cele-brate it on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. Processions of the Blessed Sacrament.

21 June MIDSUMMER SOLSTICE W iccan Pagan SUMMER SOLSTICE (Alban He-ruin or Alban Hefin) Druid The festival of Midsummer, sometimes called Litha. The light of the sun is at the height of its power.

21 June WORLD HUMANIST DAY is a day for spreading awareness of Humanism as a philosophical life stance and for effecting change in the world. It is also a time to gather socially and promote the positive values of Humanism.

22 June WINDRUSH DAY National / Interfaith commemorates the ar r ival of HMT Empire Windrush with hundreds of British Caribbean people, who landed at Til-bury Docks in 1948

21-23 June

GREAT GET TOGETHER WEEKEND National / Interfaith celebrates Jo Cox’s belief that we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us. She was killed in 2016 for expressing her views.

1 July JASHN-E TIRGAN Zoroastrian Festival is devoted to the divinity Tir . It is customary to visit the Fire Temple to give thanks to Ahura Mazda and participate in community activities.

4 July RATHA YATRA Hindu ‘Chariot journey’. Thousands of devotees pull huge wag-ons (rathas) supporting images of Krishna. He is known under the name of ‘Jagannath’, (Lord of the Universe), from which the English term ‘juggernaut’ comes. Krishna is attended on his journey by his brother and sister.

5 July BIRTHDAY OF GURU HAR GOBIND (1595-1644) 6th Guru Sikh (Nanakshahi)

6 July CHOKOR / CHO KOR DU CHEN Buddhist Tibetan and Nepalese commemo-ration of the first teaching given by the historical Buddha.

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8-17 July

FARVARDIGAN / MUKTAD Kadmi. Zoroastrian (11-20 March, Iranian), (7-16 August, Shahenshai) Muktad (All Souls) commences 10 days before No Ruz [See 11 March]

10

July

ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARTYRDOM OF THE BAB Baha’i The Bab was executed by firing squad in Tabriz, Persia, in 1850. His death is commemorated at noon with readings and prayers from the Baha’i Scriptures.

13-15 July

O-BON Japanese A festival when the spir its of the depar ted are welcomed back home with feasting and dancing. Fires are often lit to illuminate their arrival and de-parture. Celebrations in rural areas may take place one month earlier.

16

July

ASALHA PUJA / DHAMMA DAY Buddhist Theravada celebration of the Fir st Proclamation by Gautama to five ascetics on the Middle Way, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths.

18

July

NAVROZE / NO RUZ Zoroastrian (Kadmi) New Year ’s Day on the Shenshai Calendar. In 10th century a group of Zoroastrians fled Iran and were given sanctuary by the Hindus of Western India, where they became known as Parsis (or Persians).

23

July

BIRTHDAY OF HAILE SELASSIE I Rastafarian This is one of the holiest days of the Ethiopian year. Wherever Rastafarians live they rejoice to honour the birthday with Nyahbinghi drumming, hymns and prayers.

23 July KHORDAD SAL Zoroastrian (Kadmi) 26 March (Iranian) 22 August (Shenshai) The Birthday of Zarathushtra is an important Zoroastrian celebration. It falls on the sixth day following NoRuz. Visit to the Fire Temple is customary to give thanks to Ahura Mazda, the Persian name for the one God, for giving humanity the ideal gift of the Prophet Zarathushtra.

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UNDERSTANDING “How shall I get the grace of never

judging my neighbour?”

“Through prayer.”

“Then why have I not found it yet?”

“Because you haven’t prayed in the right place.”

“Where is that?”

“In the heart of God.”

“And how do I get there?”

“Understand that anyone who sins does not know what he is doing and deserves to be forgiven.”

*******

ILLUSION “How shall I attain Eternal Life?”

“Eternal Life is now. Come into the present.”

“But I am in the present now, am I not?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because you haven’t dropped your past.”

“Why should I drop my past? Not all of it is bad.”

“The past is to be dropped not because it is bad but because it is dead.”

“You will have grown accustomed to it.”

*******

From: ‘One Minute Wisdom’

by Anthony de Mello SJ. By kind permission of the publishers,

Gujerat Sahitya Prakash Anand, India.

De Mello