Visitors from Berlin | Monday 30 January

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Catriona Robertson

berlin As part of our European strand of work, LBFN is delighted to host a reception for distinguished guests from the city of Berlin.

Join us at Collaboration House, 77 Charlotte Street, W1T 4PW, at 5-6pm on Monday 30 January. Register your place here.

We will hear from

Dr Thomas Schimmel, Director, 1219 Religions- und Kulturdialog, Berlin
Pasha Shah, Integration and Faith Division, Department of Communities and Local Government, UK
Katharina Smith-Müller, Inter Faith Advisor, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
Dr Thomas Wipf, Swiss reformed theologian and Moderator, European Council of Religious Leaders
Pastor Peter Jorgensen, Community of Evangelical Free Churches, Berlin
Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko, Director, Council of Christians and Jews, UK
Representative of Hartmut Rhein, Commissioner for Churches and Religious and Philosophical Communities, Mayor’s Office, Berlin (tbc)
Catriona Robertson, Convener, London Boroughs Faiths Network, and Interim Director, Christian Muslim Forum, UK

Interfaith, Cities and Government is a new project launched by the European Council of Religious Leaders (Religions for Peace), bringing together interfaith leaders and local governments from European cities, to share best practice, exchange knowledge, and explore collaboration. The visit to London follows a meeting at Berlin Town Hall in October 2016 which included London Boroughs Faiths Network, Faiths Forum for London, the Metropolitan Police and the European Council of Religious Leaders.

The reception ends at 6pm but our guests have kindly agreed to stay on for some informal networking until 6.30pm.

Winter Meeting 9 December

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Catriona Robertson

You are warmly invited to LBFN’s Winter Meeting on Wednesday, 9 December from 3:15pm to 5:15pm, at Collaboration House, 77 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4PW, followed by seasonal refreshments and lights to mark Advent, Chanukah, Bodhi Day & Human Rights Day until 6.30pm.

As COP21 in Paris draws to a close, we welcome Green Doctors: home visits, saving fuel, keeping warm, training for our communities – with Rebekah Phillips, Groundwork.

Following on from our October event at New Scotland Yard, an update on Safety & Security and on our training plans.

We welcome brilliant young artist Toby Melville-Brown to hear about Faith in London: art for the city.

LBFN chaired “Women & Faith” at WOW – Women of the World Festival last year. Ideas for 11-13 March 2016?

There will be time to share news and reflections at the end of the year and an update from the European Network for Religion & Belief.

Visitors are very welcome at the meeting and/or the reception. If you haven’t already been in touch, please register on Eventbrite or contact LBFN if you plan to join us.

Autumn’s coming!

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Catriona Robertson

For some, August is a chance to get a bit of work done without a cascade of emails and phone calls, for others it’s a well-earned rest and an opportunity to spend time with family and friends.

Either way, London springs back to life soon! Check your online calendar or paper diary now and don’t miss out . . .

Friday 21 August (deadline) Senior Policy Advisor – leading on Muslim community engagement at Department for Communities and Local Government. The Faith Engagement team is seeking an individual to fulfil the role of Senior Policy Adviser, leading on Muslim community engagement, helping to lead the faith team and, in particular, to help diversify and strengthen Government engagement with Muslim communities across a range of issues. More information here.

Until Sunday 23 August Utopia at the Roundhouse, Camden Lock. Life stories from ordinary and extraordinary Londoners from many backgrounds brought together in an installation by film maker Penny Woolcock and Block9 (Glastonbury), with video & evening performances.

Wednesday 26 August 6.30pm – 9pm at London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre. Eastern Faiths Scriptural Reasoning “seeking to engage the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Assyrian and Buddhist communities so that we may know one another without ignorance.” Scriptural Reasoning is where people from different faiths gather to read and reflect on short passages from their scriptures. Scriptural reasoning is not about seeking agreement, proselytising or ‘being right’ but rather increasing understanding about one another’s traditions and exploring the texts and their possible interpretations across faith boundaries. The result of this is often a much deeper understanding of ones’ own and others’ scriptures. Booking essential, contact Jayde at London Central Mosque.

Thursday 3 September to Saturday 3 October Our friends at International Alert are holding their annual Talking Peace Festival. This year’s line up includes ‘Peace in our cities’, looking at how urban conflicts erupt and what can be done to reduce potential flashpoints, ‘Peace from the street up!’ art show, Conflict Cafés (Middle East, Nepal), Peace Tracks, ‘Can an app stop a bullet?’ and much more, marking the UN International Day of Peace on 21 September. Details at talkingpeacefestival.org.

Mondays in September (dates tbc) Christian response to religious plurality past and present, and how other faiths deal with the issues of religious plurality.

A new module starts at the London Interfaith Centre, part of their programme on “Living Together in a Multi Faith World”. More information here. Contact Laurence Hillel for details.

Saturday 5 September Tour de Salah 2015 sponsored cycle ride, stopping off at London’s iconic Islamic centres for prayer, across London in support of humanitarian charities Human Appeal, Islamic Relief and Penny Appeal. Register here.

Saturday 5 September 10.30am – 4pm Lambeth Inter Faith Walk 2015 A two mile walk through Streatham, visiting 6 places of worship starting at the Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple. Download the map and directions here. Some walkers will be sponsored, raising funds for Faiths Together in Lambeth.

Wednesday 9 September 5pm – 7pm at the University of Chester: the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Work on Religion or Belief, organised by the Forum for Research into Equality and Diversity, the seminar will be led by Dr David Perfect (who has spoken at our European events) and will explore the EHRC’s policy, research and legal work on research or belief. Further details and registration here or contact Chantal Davies at chantal.davies@chester.ac.uk.

Saturday 12 September 10am – 4.30pm. Speakers and discussion on The Future of Faith in the UK – Evaluating Faith in a Secular Society with the Christian Muslim Forum, London Interfaith Centre and the Islamic Centre of England at St Anne’s and St Andrew’s Church, 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6RG (morning) and at the Islamic Centre of England, 140 Maida Vale, London W9 1QB (afternoon). Contributors include Shaykh Dr Mohammed Ali Shomali, Bishop Paul Hendricks, Aliya Azam MBE, Dr Chris Hewer and Revd Maggie Hindley. More information and registration here.

Monday 14 – Wednesday 16 September 9.30am – 4.30pm Understanding Islam Course with Dr Chris Hewer in Kingston. The course is designed for a small group of Christians who would like to learn more about Islam. Tuition is free but donations are welcome to cover costs. The course will take place in a private home. “Both Christians and Muslims have ‘wonderful ideals and awful realities’. We need to see the difference. Then we need to make sure that we compare like with like, ideals with ideals and realities with realities, and take care not to compare ‘my ideals’ with ‘your realities’.” There is a further three day course on 13 – 15 November. Tea/coffee provided; bring your own lunch. Booking and commitment essential. More info from Diana Mills.

Tuesday 15 September 4pm – 5pm Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group at the Hinsley Room, Morpeth Terrace, close to Westminster Cathedral. The speaker will be Karanodakasayi Visnu Dasa Adhikari (Man Mohan Gupta) who will be talking on Vedic culture and civilisation. More info from John Woodhouse.

Thursday 17 September 9.30am – 8pm at The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR. The Impact of Diasporas. The University of Oxford and the University of Leicester. The event is the culmination and conclusion of two innovative, multidisciplinary five-year research programmes. “Diasporas are not a modern phenomenon. Ever since the last Ice Age people have moved into the British Isles from the European continent. Our research focuses primarily on the cultural, linguistic, and genetic interactions between peoples known to history as ‘Celts’, ‘Britons’, ‘Anglo-Saxons’, and ‘Vikings’.” More info here.

Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 September All day. Open House London. Fifty-nine places of worship across the boroughs and many government and public sector buildings are open (free of charge) to the public during this annual architectural festival.

This year Open House includes BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the Buddhapadipa Temple, the Zoroastrian Centre For Europe, Friends Meeting House, Golders Green Unitarians, Lambeth Palace, Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue and The Queen’s Chapel (St James’s Palace). More info here.

Monday 21 September 7pm and four more Monday evenings. The Curse and the Promise: Religion and Violence St Martin-in-the-Fields (Trafalgar Square) Church Lecture Series reflects on both how faith can become the cause and perpetrator of conflict and persecution, and also the victim.

Monday 21 September Revd Dr Sam Wells, Monday 5 October Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, Monday 19 October Revd Giles Fraser, Monday 2 November Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Monday 16 November Karen Armstrong. Download flyer. More info here.

Thursday 8 October LBFN’s training event at New Scotland Yard on cooperation on safety and security for local places of worship, with Ecclesiastical Insurance, Tell Mama, the Community Security Trust, London Resilience and the Metropolitan Police. The training will include checklists and guidelines. Our previous session was very popular, so early booking is recommended. Priority is being given to churches, temples, Islamic centres, gurdwaras and synagogues which book in pairs or groups. Contact LFBN’s convener for further details and booking.

Thursday 15, 22 October and 5 November Community Reconciliation – working creatively with division at St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. A series of practical workshops to assist participants to develop strategies for bringing divided communities together. £150 for the three days and the workbook. More info here.

Sunday 15 November to Saturday 21 November Inter Faith Week 2015 – visit the website here to add details of your local activities this year. Download the flyer here.

Londoners may be interested in an initiative by the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham, enabling difficult conversations around lived faith in Birmingham post ‘Trojan Horse’. A series of conversations over six months explored the theme ‘What does Lived Faith look like in a 21st Century City?’ A group of 24 people from different faiths met once a month for three hours each time to talk through the way faith is lived in Birmingham. The group consisted of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Ravidassi and Sikhs. The topics were wide ranging and included issues such as evangelism and conversion, gender issues, young people and education, caste legislation, race and global conflicts. The aim was not, necessarily, to reach consensus but to find a way to talk constructively about these topics. “By ‘lived faith’ we are looking to move beyond a purely intellectual understanding of religion to see faith as something that not only affects the way each individual member of a religion lives out their faith, but also the way in which that living inevitably interacts with those who live around them.” Read more about the Birmingham Conversations here.

3FF is developing a Festival programme, What Women Believe, that will premiere in Winter 2015. At its heart an exhibition of portraits and histories will celebrate the contributions of amazing women from the diverse communities of Camden. “Do you know an inspirational woman in Camden? Nominate a woman who is older than you and tell us about her in 150 words. Email your nomination to exhibition@3ff.org.uk. Stories will be shared in our online gallery, and a selection will be featured in a book and exhibition to celebrate Camden women.”

The Berakah Project is starting a multi faith youth ensemble in west London – the first of its kind in the world. The ensemble will be led by the founder of The Berakah Project, Mohammed Nazam, a professional musician and music educator with over 25 years touring experience with bands, writing music and working with young people in a range of contexts. “We’re looking for young people from all faith backgrounds to take part and we are searching for the very best young musicians to take part in this ground breaking and vitally needed project. Whether you play guitar, drums, percussion, sing, saxophone or keyboards – get in touch at: theberakahproject@gmail.com.”

Read the latest Inter Faith Network for the UK bulletin here. The well known Shap Calendar of Religious Festivals (for 2016) is now available on IFN’s website here. Shap continues its printed format.

BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme in East London. Listen to this edition of the programme, recorded in East London on 26 July. It includes bee hives at East London Mosque, the Near Neighbours Programme, Ed Kessler from the Woolf Institute and Imam Yunus Dudhwala, head of Chaplaincy Services at Barts NHS Trust (who spoke at LBFN’s Multifaith Spaces event) on organ transplants.

Upcoming in London

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Catriona Robertson

Check out our new What’s On page for a full listing of London events for LBFN members & friends – email us with your news or add items to our Facebook page.

Thursday 21 May 3.30pm – 9pm Bridging Extreme Differences: Building Dialogue with Extremists at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, WC1A 2LP hosted by BIMA – Belief in Mediation and Arbitration. Download flyer.

Thursday 21 May 6:30pm – 8:30pm Death, Dying and Religion – Spirituality at the End of Life at Trinity Hospice, 30 Clapham Common North Side, SW4 0RN, on the role of spiritual care at the end of life, followed by Q&A. Rafi Fuchs, Spiritual Co-ordinator at Jewish care home Nightingale House, Eva Bellim, Trinity Hospice, Imam Suliman Gani, Tooting Mosque and Dennis Pearce, Bermondsey Buddhist Centre on their perspectives of death and dying, followed by a discussion on how we can work together to improve the relationship between religious communities and hospices. For healthcare professionals, community leaders and members of the public.

Tuesday 26 May – Saturday 6 June 7pm Like Mother Like Daughter at Battersea Arts Centre in partnership with Complicite, Women’s Interfaith Network and 3FF. If you could ask your mother one question about her life, what would it be? What is the most important thing a mother can pass on to her daughter? Performed by mothers and daughters from different religions, Like Mother, Like Daughter is a celebration of the traditions we inherit and what we pass on. LBFN is offered half price tickets (£7.50) – use the promotion code “FRIEND” when booking.

Wednesday 27 – Thursday 28 May European Network on Religion and Belief AGM in Brussels, Belgium. LBFN has been involved in setting up ENORB from the start. The AGM is free of charge and open to all. The focus this year is “Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion and Belief and Solidarity: what limitations are acceptable in a plural Europe?”

Thursday 28 May 1pm – 8pm Bridge the – GAP Musicians, artists and poets from all backgrounds are invited to to contribute. “This project aims to bring together residents of Camden, from all backgrounds to participate in an event to celebrate and enhance community harmony regardless of your background or beliefs. This will be achieved by designating a day to recognise and repair relationships which may have broken down, or by reaching out to someone not in our normal circle. It is a day in which we attempt to bridge the many gaps that have occurred in our relationships and community.” At Camden Lock – find details here.

Sunday 31 May 1pm – 3.45pm Lewisham Inter Faith Walk for Peace with Lewisham Police and Lewisham Council, including Catford Synagogue, Lewisham Civic Centre, Lewisham Islamic Centre (where lunch will be served), Lewisham Methodist Church, Lewisham Sivan Temple and Lewisham Police Station. Download flyer.

Monday 1 June 9am – 7pm Moving Beyond “Us” and “Them”: Challenging Discourses of Religious Otherness and Building a More Inclusive Society at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park – a forum to challenge the ‘us’ and ‘them’ divide – which is not a simple binary, but a complex relationship in which religion intersects with many other social divisions. Participants will discuss possibilities for reducing social divisions within and across groups as well as opportunities to build a more inclusive society in which the voices of Muslim and other minority religious groups are not simply heard, but also understood on equal terms to the majority religious and secular groups. LBFN’s Convener is one of the speakers along with Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour, Islamic College of Advanced Studies, Justine Huxley of St Ethelburga’s Centre, Fiyaz Mogul, Faith Matters, and Revd Dr James Walters, LSE Chaplain.

Monday 1 June 7pm – 9pm Planting Seeds for Hope at St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ. Join in solidarity with people across the planet as we fast and pray for the climate, leading up to the UN Climate Conference in Paris, December 2015. An evening of silence, prayer and collective action. Download flyer. LBFN is supporting multifaith & intercultural involvement in the lead up to the Conference. Walking and cycling pilgrimages to Paris are being planned.

Wednesday 3 June 6.30pm Examining the Extreme: Radicalisation among Muslim Youth – Mediums and Tools with Alex Krasodomski-Jones, Demos, Naveed Sheikh, Keele University, Anthony Richards, University of East London at the Dialogue Society, 402 Holloway Road, N7 6PZ.

Saturday 6 June 10am – 4.30pm Westminster Interfaith 30th Annual Multi-Faith Pilgrimage for Peace with Hounslow Friends of Faith, starting at Laxmi Narayan Mandir, 60 Neville Close Hounslow TW3 4JG.

Sunday 7 June 4pm South London Inter Faith Group AGM at Brixton Hill Methodist Church, SW2 2TX. Download flyer.

Monday 8 June 10.30am-3.30pm Day seminar on Migration with London Churches Social Action at The Abbey Centre at St Margaret’s Church, North Street, Barking, IG11 8AS. Lunch provided. “It promises to be an excellent day with fantastic contributions and plenty of opportunity for discussion. A timely opportunity for London Churches to develop some key “Common Voice” messages on this topic.”

Monday 8 June 6.30pm LBFN’s Frontline Film Club led by 18-30s at Collaboration House, 77 Charlotte St, W1T 4PW. Intercultural discussion group provoked by documentaries and film. Come along & have your say. Booking essential.

Tuesday 9 June 10am – 1.15pm Feeling secure, keeping safe and countering hate – We Stand Together. Following on from LBFN’s meeting at New Scotland Yard last month, Hounslow Friends of Faith have organised a morning with the Metropolitan Police, Tell Mama and London Resilience at Hounslow Jamia Masjid, Wellington Road South, Hounslow TW4 5HU. Download details.

Tuesday 9 June 6pm-8pm Westminster Faith Exchange: Child Safeguarding at Lord Mayor’s Reception Rooms, 18th Floor, Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, SW1E 6QP. Panel event looking at the work being done by local authorities, faith groups and charities to help improve the safeguarding of children. Download flyer.

Wednesday 10 June 10am – 4.30pm Fundamentals of Project Management Community and voluntary organisations are working hard to improve the lives of their members, users and the neighbourhoods they live in. There is never enough time or resources to do everything we would like to. Brush up on how to use your time wisely.

The project life-cycle
Attributes of an effective project manager
Building a diverse team
The project constraint triangle
Risk assessment
Finance and budgets
Communication and engagement
Tools and techniques including network analysis, Gantt charts
Project evaluation – soft and hard measures

An intensive day of training (reduced cost £50 for community groups) led by Steve Miller of Faith-based Regeneration Network. This series is a joint project of FbRN, LBFN and Faiths Forum for London. It will take place at our new offices at Collaboration House (Goodge St tube).

Wednesday 10 – Thursday 11 June Mental Health First Aid Training with Faiths Together in Lambeth, TOPAZ and South London & Maudsley NHS Trust. Two day Mental Health First Aid course, free for members of FTiL, others welcome to inquire. Download flyer.

Saturday 13 or Sunday 14 June **details tbc** – contact Bethan for latest plans. 10.30am at Imperial War Museum Peace Garden & 12.30pm at Battesea Park Peace Pagoda Road to Peace Pilgrimage Walk sets off from London to Glastonbury in tribute to the Dalai Lama’s 80th year and his advocacy for Global Peace and Interfaith Harmony. “Like troubadours and pilgrims of old, we will offer screenings of Road to Peace and musical performances to local community and faith groups in towns and villages, in exchange for traditional hospitality by way of food and lodging,” Download flyer

Wednesday 17 June 4-5pm Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group Guest speaker is Joan Salter “Being saved from the Holocaust”. Download flyer.

Wednesday 24 June 10am – 4.30pm Community Reconciliation: Collaborative Inquiry at St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation & Peace. Full-day conference. Speakers from Search for Common Ground, Community Resolve, Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland and Bradford University. The day will include a) Reviewing the scale and nature of the need for community reconciliation work around the UK, b) Looking at what theoretical ideas can helpfully inform practice, c) Examining approaches that have proved most useful & d) Taking stock of what resources are available to support local action. £20 including lunch. Download flyer.

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion & belief

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Catriona Robertson

Two upcoming ENORB events in May.

LBFN has been closely involved in the European Network on Religion & Belief since its inception.

Tuesday 12 May 1-2pm, a lunchtime event at Europe House, 32 Smith Square, SW1P 3EU, to say au revoir to Kishan Manocha who is leaving for Warsaw soon. Kishan (currently Director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Bahá’í Community in the UK) is taking up a post with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and will be talking about his new role and the changing European context for freedom of speech and freedom of religion & belief. Europe House requires registration; to add your name to the guest list, please email LBFN.

Wednesday 27 May – Thursday 28 May. ENORB’s AGM takes place in Brussels and the focus this year is Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion and Belief and Solidarity: what limitations are acceptable in a plural Europe?

There will be a full programme, with speakers from ‘laiciste’, religious and non-religious perspectives. The AGM will start at 13:15 on 27 May after a shared lunch, with speakers and group discussions in the afternoon, followed by an evening meal. Workshops and discussion will continue on the morning of May 28, when we shall also be agreeing policy directions for the next two years, finishing at 13:00.

ENORB meetings in Brussels are conducted in English (& a little French, which is interpreted). They draw a wide range of people from across Europe, as well as EU officials and MEPs. There is no charge for attending, overnight accommodation is available for around €50 and Eurostar train tickets from London start at £69 return. Download the invitation here and register online at www.enorb2015.eventbrite.co.uk.

European links

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Catriona Robertson

Two upcoming meetings in Brussels, Belgium, organised by our European friends at Religions for Peace and European Network on Religion & Belief.

Thursday 19 March at the European Parliament. Welcoming each other in Europe: a call for non-discrimination, with Religions For Peace Europe & the Global Network of Religions for Children. This meeting falls within a larger RfP gathering this week, with over 60 participants from 14 European countries. Download the programme here, which includes booking details.

The President of Religions for Peace Europe is Yolande Iliano, whom some of us will remember as one of our guest speakers at ENORB UK. The Secretary General of the European Council of Religious Leaders, Jehangir Sarosh, spoke at our London Peace Conference last September.

Thursday 26 March Equality for all! EU equality legislation against hate speech & discrimination on grounds of religion, belief, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

This is a joint event by ILGA-Europe and ENORB in Brussels looking at existing and proposed equality legislation in Europe and exploring areas of potential tension in a spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding.

Download the invitation and full programme here. Book by emailing Anusha Dakan. LBFN was one of the networks which brought the European Network on Religion & Belief together a few years ago and convenes ENORB UK. Alan Murray, President of ENORB, said a few words about this event at our last meeting at Church House, Westminster.

Unity after Paris attacks

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Catriona Robertson

Muslim, Jewish and multifaith leaders after the unity event at Regent’s Park.

LBFN helped to organise an event at London Central Mosque last Friday to demonstrate unity in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain took the initiative, inviting senior figures including Vivian Wineman (President, Board of Deputies of British Jews), Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner (Senior Rabbi, Movement for Reform Judaism), Commander Mak Chishty (MPS), Jehangir Sarosh (Religions for Peace), Dr Harriet Crabtree (Inter Faith Network for the UK) and Mehri Niknam (Joseph Interfaith Foundation).

Cate Tuitt

Several LBFN members attended, including Bessie White (Hounslow Friends of Faith), John Woodhouse (Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group) & Cate Tuitt, Justice & Peace Commissioner for the RC Archdiocese of Westminster, who shares her reflections here.

“Expressions of unity and hope were delivered in a meeting called by Dr Shafi & attended by Vivian Wineman, President of the Board of Deputies.

Commitments and dedications were expressed by all faith leaders and community advocates. A calling to be more motivated and engaged following the tragedy in Paris were made by the assembled dignitaries.

Shalom Salaam was the offered greeting to reflect the Jewish and Muslim days of worship, united in their grief for the loss of life of Jewish, Muslim and secular brothers and sisters.

Catriona of LBFN recalled visiting the Jewish Museum in Brussels after the shootings last summer, saying how important it is for Jews to be able to be Jews, for Muslims to be Muslims and for everyone to be who they are. She reflected on the passage from the Qur’an chosen by Sheikh Khalifa (49:13) on living well together while remaining different. She welcomed strong leadership as well as essential grassroots work.

Sorrow was balanced with the courage and dignity to continue to work tirelessly in support of one another, our faith communities and beyond to overcome those who try to divide our unity and peace.

Dr Shafi said this was a time for unity and engagement. He expressed sadness at the recent backlashes against Muslims.

Vivian Wineman reminded us of the wonderful religions of peace and love, the common bonds they hold and of the need to protect both Islam and Judaism as minorities in Europe.

The overall consensus was that we must not fall prey to what terrorism wants by reacting in a hostile manner to those of different traditions.

We must reinvigorate our efforts, build confidence and raise trust in renewed covenants for peace.”

The Home Secretary spoke today on government measures to end anti-Semitism.

The Metropolitan Police will be holding a joint meeting with LBFN’s crime and security social lab soon. Mosques, synagogues and others wanting to work together to improve safety are welcome – please get in touch if you are interested.

The Peace Café (continuing discussions from the London Peace Conference) meets six-weekly – contact LBFN for details.

The next LBFN meeting on Tuesday 20 January will include local reflections on the Paris attacks.

Humanism, atheism, secularism across Europe: 12 November

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Catriona Robertson

To mark Inter Faith Week 2014, LBFN and ENORB UK have invited Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, to speak to us at Europe House, Smith Square, Westminster, SW1P 3EU on Wednesday 12 November 10am – 12pm.

Download the invitation here.

Andrew will be talking about the varieties of humanist, atheist and secular thought across Europe and how religious and secular groups can work together to promote fair treatment for people of all religions and beliefs.

There will be respondents from different traditions, followed by discussion. Coffee and refreshments will be served from 9.45am. Registration is necessary to clear security at Europe House, so please email LBFN’s convener by 10 November if you would like to attend.

London Boroughs Faiths Network

connecting local practitioners & public agencies across the capital

Category Archives: Europe

Visitors from Berlin | Monday 30 January

Winter Meeting 9 December

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion & belief

Humanism, atheism, secularism across Europe: 12 November

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Mondays in September (dates tbc) Christian response to religious plurality past and present, and how other faiths deal with the issues of religious plurality.

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