Mauricio Silva (right) with Muslim leaders - Shi'a and Sunni. Photo: Mauricio Silva
I attended various events and gatherings late last year, marking Interfaith Week (IW) 2024 (10-17 November). IW aims to strengthen good relations among communities, increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities, and foster understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.
Echoes and images of the suffering in the Holy Land and beyond have been in the hearts and minds of those attending these events this year.
Local and national interfaith relations have been particularly strained over the past year because of conflict in the Middle East. In this challenging context, any effort to bring diverse communities together represents an opportunity to repair relationships and start building a better future again.
The celebration of IW started with a reunion of an interfaith group of 16, which I accompanied to Dublin in September 2024. The aim of the meeting was to review and remind each other of this fruitful experience. That evening, the group decided to keep in regular contact and commit to a common action. The most important outcome of the meeting for many in the group was the acknowledgment that a "safe space" had opened among us, where participants could express themselves with honesty and freely address the "elephant(s) in the room." Members shared their views on current affairs, recognising that openness to others’ perspectives is key to building further trust and friendship.
In November last year, I participated in a radio interview on the Connecting Communities program at Unity FM, the UK’s largest Muslim community radio station. I had the opportunity to explain why Christians (and Columbans in particular) get involved in interfaith dialogue, as well as how Interfaith Week highlights the efforts of so many people of goodwill across the city to build unity. A very constructive conversation ensued with my co-interviewees, who were Baha’i and from the Universal Peace Federation, regarding the need to involve younger generations in dialogue.
Listen to the show:
Mauricio Silva is the Columban Interreligious Dialogue Coordinator in Britain.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban Interfaith eBulletin
