A National Inter Faith Week was observed in England and Wales from 21 November to 27 November, 2010. It was the second year that this Week was observed to strengthen good inter-faith relations at all levels; increase awareness of different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to the wider society, and increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (CLG), Eric Pickles, kicked off the Inter Faith Week by urging everyone to get involved in inter-faith activities and make connections with people of different beliefs. Eric Pickles said, "Inter Faith is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the fantastic practical work of faith communities - and also to recognise that it's when they pull together in a shared endeavour that they can make the biggest difference in their community."
"Collaboration builds stronger understanding and helps people to concentrate on the values they hold in common - without ever losing their unique strengths," Pickles said.
The Rt. Revd Dr. Alastair Redfern and Dr. Manazir Ahsan, Co-Chairs of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, said, "Good inter faith relations and practical cooperation between different faith communities are vital to the wellbeing of our society in the UK. Faith communities have enormous amount to offer to their local communities and to national life: working both independently and together in ways which respect their distinctiveness."
Events and Projects
Among the events and projects arranged to mark the Week were: dialogues and debates; school activities and youth faith forums; inter faith football; exchange visits between places of worship of different faiths; faith and social action projects; special focus events on topics such as faith in the workplace, faith and family; aging and spirituality, spirituality and health, faith and disability, faith and the Big Society, freedom of speech, and compassion and social justice.
It also included a national photography competition, plays, arts and music festivals; story telling evenings; faith trails and interfaith walks visiting different places of worship; an interfaith exhibition on science and religion; bring and share meals and 'faith and food' events; inter faith salsa; youth evening exploring faith and diversity through film and tree planting.
ICC hosted and MINAB celebrated National Inter Faith Week
The Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) hosted and the MINAB (Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board) also organised an Inter Faith Seminar entitled "Faith & Phobia in Modern Britain" which was held in the Library Hall of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, on 21 November.
Fuad Nahdi, the Executive Director of the Radical Middle Way and a Senior Fellow at the Muslim College, London, was the keynote speaker. The meeting was also addressed by Revered Canon Guy Wilkinson, the Secretary for Inter-Religious Relations to the Archbishop of Canterbury; Rabbi David Hulbert, Rabbi of Bet Tikvah Synagogue, Berkingside; Sudarshan Bhatia, President of The National Council of Hindu Temples and Harmander Singh, who was awarded an Honorary Fellowship for outstanding achievements in community development and champions a range of issues concerning injustice, identity and social policy.
While opening the Seminar, Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, the chairman of the MINAB's Inter Faith Committee and the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, said, "It's great privilege and honour for me, for MINAB and the Islamic Cultural Centre. It is a day actually, when we talk about dialogue, interfaith, connections, relations and we believe these are really very important. Dialogue and relations between the faith followers is of course not something new. I am sure that in the histories of all the religions we will find many examples of relations, dialogue and connections between the faith communities."
While speaking about the importance of religion in the present century, Dr. Al-Dubayan mentioned, "Many political analysts have made reports and books have been written, all saying that it will be next century that we can call "The Century of Religion". Since the last decade of the last century, of course, everybody has realised that the issue of religion has been raised everywhere in the world. Many countries and nations are starting to get back their identities and to think again about their faiths and their religions. This means that religion is really coming back to play its role in society and communities everywhere. I believe also the Church and the Vatican can talk about this point because they ask for more of a role for religion within societies and communities in the world."
Communities Secretary hosted Inter Faith Week Reception
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles hosted a reception for faith leaders and faith-based community activists to mark Inter Faith Week (22-27 November) on 25 November at Admiralty House, London.
The reception was addressed by Rt. Revd Dr. Alastair Redfern Bishop of Derby, the Co-Chair of Inter Faith Network for the UK, reminded by saying that this faith is collateral and we contribute to the society for its development. "Let me tell you the faith landscape is a very complex society. Therefore we have to work hard for the betterment of the society," he said.
Dr. Manazir Ahsan, the Co-Chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, while addressing the reception, said, "This celebration is not only a one week celebration. This gives us an opportunity to explore how we can engage in more work. The work has been done locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally so important that we learn lessons and we try to support them."
Communities Minister
The Communities Minister, Andrew Stunell, mentioned that during the Week he had the opportunities to take part in number of interfaith events and observed, "They are all of high quality and great interest to me."
The Minister also mentioned that we are looking at various opportunities to work with faith groups as being some kind of problem-solving forums. "We are very keen to make sure that those links are strengthened and we have very positive relationships with you and elsewhere.
Interview with Communities Secretary
I have the opportunity to interview Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, M.P. who said, "I was brought up in a large Muslim community in the area. I do not believe that certain bombers; they are not typical of your children, not typical of Muslim with whom I grew up with, still common friends." The Communities Secretary also mentioned, "What we have to concentrate now is that we have to look to those things which unite us."
"If we see every Muslim as a potential terrorist, that route leads to madness," observed Communities Secretary.
"Big societies take part in faith communities, but goes beyond that faith communities;" said the Communities Secretary in an interview with me and added, "I want to tap into the pastoral side of the religious communities and to try and get into a kind of inter lapping way in which we can address a number of social issues together."
MCB celebrated Inter Faith Week
The Muslim Council of Britain held a Seminar on Inter faith dialogue and engagement on Wednesday 24th November at the House of Lords in Westminster as part of the National Interfaith Week 2010 celebrations. Dr Manazir Ahsan, Chair of the Inter Faith Relations Committee of MCB stated that "Partnership should not be only face to face and side to side, but heart to heart as well".
Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, who hosted the event, said "Let's have a nice civilised discussion and dispel misunderstanding". He highlighted the importance of inter faith interaction and went on to say "I believe there is more similarity than difference between faiths".
Mr Brian Pearce, Former Director of the Inter Faith Network for the UK expressed his deep appreciation of the Muslim Council of Britain's commitment and contribution to inter faith work.
Professor Tariq Ramadan ended the evening by delivering the keynote speech on "Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) Role in Inter Faith Relations". He highlighted many occasions during the Prophet's (pbuh) time where he showed equality and fairness in diversity. The Prophet (pbuh) "taught us about diversity". Tariq Ramadan stated that "Through this life, tolerance is not enough, tolerance is a rational positioning. The very meaning of tolerance is suffering the positioning of the other" (For the elaborate keynote speech of Professor Tariq Ramadan on Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Role in Inter Faith Relations, see the earlier despatch in this blog).
Dr Harriett Crabtree, Director of the Inter Faith Network, who rushed all the way from North England to join the meeting, highly commended the MCB's contribution in the Inter Faith Field.
Farooq Murad, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said "Creation is the family of God. We need to take care of all the things as it is very much our responsibility". He encouraged discussion as a 'faith community' and added "Lets work together on all our communities". He stated, "Let us all close our eyes and realise one thing, that we are all part of the same family".
The Tawaf area was tiled with heat-dissipating marble, doors were replaced and the Mosque's library was established at a total cost of SR. 80 million. There are 55,000 lighting lamps connected by wires, whose combined length totaled 35,000 metres.
Expansion of Masa'a
The Masa'a in the first Saudi expansion consisted of two stories, a futuristic approach taking into consideration the annual increase in the number of pilgrims.
It was 394.5 meters long and 20 meters wide. The first story was 12 meters high and the second 9 meters high. This not only made Sa'i easier but also provided wide space accommodating big numbers of worshippers, thus easing the overcrowding in the mosque. The building of the Masa's upper story was approved by a religious ruling.
A barrier was built to divide the Masa'a into two parallel parts: one for performing Sa'i toward the direction of Safa and the second toward Marwah. A two-way narrow path between the two parts was established for the disabled and those who could not walk or stride.
There are stairs for ascent and descent at both Safa and Marwah
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The Masa'a has 16 gates on its eastern side. At the second floor, two gates, one at Safa and the other at Marwah, lead to the Holy Haram from outside. The two gates are raised above the ground to the level of the praying surface. Inside the mosque, two stairs lead to the second floor, one at Safa Gate and the other at Al-Salam Gate. Below the first floor there is a 3.5 meters high basement with its roof at the level of the ground.
King Abdullah took expansion projects of Masa'a. Masaa, the area between Safa and Marwa, which is located inside the mosque has been expanded to help pilgrims perform the sa'ie ritual more easily and comfortably.
Stoning at Jamarat
King Abdullah initiated the improvement and development of facilities for pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah. This included the building of a new five-storey Jamarat Bridge in Makkah as well as a mororail between the key sites of the new Haram Railway.
The symbolic stoning of Satan at Jamrat is no longer a nightmarish task for pilgrims. The construction of a four-story high-tech bridge in the area and the expansion of its surroundings have made things much easier for them.
The Jamarat is the area where ritual stoning of Satan takes place during Haj. The building of helicopter landing pads at the highest level of the Al-Jamarat Project, including other construction works, have been completed. The helipads will be used in emergencies.
The company carrying out the Jamarat project started to erect oval tents on its fifth floor a week ago. The project will be finished in mid-October this year and will be used for the next Haj season. "All floors have been air-conditioned. An advanced cooling system will be installed on the fifth floor through which water will be sprinkled over the main and surrounding areas. This is expected to lower the temperature by about 29 degrees Centigrade,” it is reported.
The Arafat expansion has also been finished, it is also reported that the project, which started last year, provides a capacity for a further 900,000 pilgrims. The additional area is equivalent to about 25 percent of Arafat's total initial area. The project involved paving main and subsidiary streets, establishing drainage and trimming trees, the deputy minister said.
Makkah Monorail
Development of the Haramain railway which will link the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah is to be speeded up.
Work is going on round the clock to complete the $1.74 billion monorail project linking Makkah with the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.
The project was ready for use to 35 per cent of its capacity at the Hajj season in November 2010 and should be fully operational in two years. The 18.1 km railway will transport about 72,000 passengers an hour. It will help withdraw about 53,000 buses and other vehicles being used by pilgrims coming by land from within the kingdom and neighbouring countries. There will be three railway stations in each of the holy sites.
