A blog by Sister Isabel Smyth
http://www.interfaithjourneys.net/ 

Easter weekend and, in the interfaith world, the two great religions of Judaism and Christianity have been celebrating their foundational festivals. Both festivals tell stories of liberation and remember the values and beliefs on which their religion is founded. For Judaism the celebrations take place at home and are focussed on the ritual meal eaten on the first of the eight days of Pesach. The story is about how God intervened in their history to free them from slavery and set them on the way to becoming a people. The refrain throughout the story is “on this night…..” because the memory of this saving act is an eternally present reality.

The Christian celebration of Easter takes place in community – in Churches – and over three days enacts the last days in the life of Jesus, from his last supper with his disciples, to his death as  a common criminal and his resurrection on the third day. It too is a festival of remembrance which makes ever present the possibility of liberation from the slavery of selfishness to a life of love and service.      

Because Christianity grew out of Judaism it recalls the liberation of the People of Israel and celebrates God’s presence both in creation and in history.  It goes just that little bit further in that it also celebrates God’s presence in our very humanity and in our very human struggle to live a good and wholesome life. Like Pesach it is a festival of movement and journey from despair to hope, death to life, selfishness to love.  For Christians the story of Jesus’ passage through death to resurrection contains the truth of the continuing power and presence of Jesus and the possibility of new life that’s always a possibility.    

Easter isn’t a story about the past but an insight into a truth about the present. Who can doubt that we live in a world that’s in need of redemption?  Surely it’s obvious from the mess we’re making of the environment, from the violence that so characterises our race, from the growth of isolationist politics, from our growing xenophobia etc. etc. The bombings in Sri Lanka, coming at this particular time, bear witness to that fact. But the Easter story tells us that death and destruction don’t have the last word, that things can change, that peace is possible, that new life can come out of old if we pray for it, are open to it, welcome it and work for it. Northern Ireland is an example of that and there are examples in other parts of the world and in our own individual lives if we look for them. This can give us hope.      
                                             
One of the most moving moments during the Christian celebrations of the last days of Jesus is the washing of the feet. On Holy Thursday the priest presiding at the service washes the feet of 12 members of the congregation to re-enact the washing of the disciples feet by Jesus as they took their last supper together. It was an unusual gesture. Feet were washed on entering a house but never during a meal nor carried out by the master of the household. Peter protested and was told by Jesus that he could have no part with him unless he had his feet washed. It was for Jesus a sign of friendship. Then Jesus said ‘If I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example,  that you should do as I have done to you”.  In this action Jesus changes the order of things – the master has become the servant. There’s a way through the desire to dominate or the fear of being dominated, a way through competition for resources that leaves some overly wealthy and others impoverished, a way through the xenophobia that divides the world into ‘them’ and ‘us’. And that way is service.

​The Baha’i faith will celebrate “Naw-Ruz” or New Year, on March 20th through the evening of March 21st.
 
The Baha’i faith is a growing faith in Scotland. Scotland’s Baha’i history began around 1905. This was around the time when European visitors, met Abdu’l-Baha, who was the leader of the Baha’i religion at the time. The Baha’i religion has grown in Scotland in the last twenty years and now there are over 7,000 Baha’i’s across the entire United Kingdom, with a large percentage living in Scotland. The Baha’i faith was founded in 19th century Iran by Baha’u’llah, whose title means the Glory of God. The Baha’i religion is centered around the teachings of Baha’u’llah. In a quote by Baha’u’llah, he says, “The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God’s holy Will is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife.” The Baha’i faith teaches the fundamental worth of all religions. At the same time, the Baha’i faith also teaches about the harmony and equality of all people.
 
 The Baha’i new year, or Naw-Ruz is a special time of year for the Baha’i faith. While for Baha’is this holiday is part of their religion, in other countries it is considered a secular holiday. It is traditionally and currently celebrated as an Iranian new year holiday, however, many other countries across the Middle East and Central Asia have also adopted Naw-Ruz including, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Pakistan, Syria, and Tajikistan Kurdistan.
 
The words “Naw-Ruz” stand for “new day”, and it is a new year festival which falls at the spring equinox. It is a day which also symbolizes the new life of spring. The festival is usually observed with prayer and celebration. “The celebration is often combined with a feast, as the sunset before Naw-Ruz signals the end of the 19 day fast.”. The 19 day fast represents a spiritual preparation for Naw-Ruz, Music and dancing can also take place during the celebration of Naw-Ruz along with visiting friends and family and exchanging gifts.
 
 
We wish all our Baha’i friends a happy Naw-Ruz!  You can read Archbishop Conti’s letter of warm wishes and greetings to the Baha’i community of Scotland on our website. 

Blog by Sister Isabel Smyth

Pope Francis made a historic visit to Abu Dhabi, the first Pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula and by all accounts the visit seems to have been a success. At the Interreligious Gathering the Pope acknowledged that he was following in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi who had met the Sultan al-Malik al Kamil 800 years ago during the Fifth Crusade, a meeting during which each recognised the other as men who knew and loved God. It’s said that for twenty days they conversed with one another about the ways of God.  Like his namesake, Pope Francis came to Abu Dhabi as a pilgrim of peace, stating “I have welcomed the opportunity to come here as a believer thirsting for peace, as a brother seeking peace with the brethren. We are here to desire peace, to promote peace, to be instruments of peace”.  He called those present at the Interreligious Gathering at which he spoke to a new way of being together, “we too in the name of God, in order to safeguard peace, need to enter together as one family into an ark which can sail the stormy seas of the world: the ark of fraternity”
 
What a wonderful image - the ark of fraternity! So often the ark has been used as a bulwark against those who are different, protecting communities from the enemy, the only place that is secure and safe in a troubling world. Noah’s ark, to which the Pope refers, saved Noah and his family from the destruction of the rest of the population who were living a sinful life. The ark  was a place of  justice and goodness and only within it was one safe. This image was transferred to Christianity where Jesus was seen as the Ark of Salvation. Only within the confines of a relationship with Jesus could people be saved and protected from the forces of evil that raged not just in the world but in other faiths too. For the Catholic Church this ark came to be associated with the Catholic Church so that membership of that Church alone could guarantee salvation. Thank God this attitude has changed though many religions are still suspicious and fearful of religious proselytization and conversion which reflects a little of that mind-set.
 
Now we have the image of the ark extended and expanded to include all those who desire peace and recognise the common humanity of all.  We are quite literally in the same boat, members of the same species, interconnected with one another, facing the same hopes and joys, concerned about and vulnerable to the future of our planet and our world. As the Pope said, echoing his two predecessors, “There is no alternative: we will either build the future together or there will not be a future.”   
 
In his speech the Pope set out a full agenda for humanity if we are to establish this ark of fraternity and truly recognise one another as brothers and sisters. This includes an appreciation of plurality and recognition of difference, a sense of our own identity, while respecting the identity of others, a protection of the rights and freedoms of others especially religious freedom. What the Pope wants for all of us is an open identity that doesn’t in any way compromise who we are or closes itself off from others but is enriched by our relationships.

Dialogue of course plays a part in all of this. Religions, the Pope says, “cannot renounce the urgent task of building bridges between peoples and cultures. The time has come when religions should more actively exert themselves, with courage and audacity, and without pretence, to help the human family deepen the capacity for reconciliation, the vision of hope and the concrete paths of peace”.   And something not often mentioned in interreligious dialogue, but mentioned by the Pope, is prayer “as for the future of interreligious dialogue, the first thing we have to do is pray, and pray for one another: we are brothers and sisters!”  
 
During his stay in Abu Dhabi the Pope signed a document with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb. Its title is: On Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. It’s easy to dismiss these kind of initiatives. Often documents and statements are assigned to the bookshelf if not history and readily forgotten but the fact that two very prominent leaders from Christianity and Islam have signed such a document is significant and it’s always on hand to be used as reference for the best intentions of the two faiths, even if we, their members, don’t always live up to the ideal. So what do we do with it? Hopefully we Christians and Muslims, with others, will dialogue about it. Hopefully, we will take it seriously and begin to think in terms of an ark of fraternity and, as the document suggests, the document itself will become the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation". Now wouldn’t that be something?

A guest blog by Anthony Macisaac.

An interesting point was raised in the Interfaith Youth Conference earlier this year at St. Andrew's, which I was lucky to attend. It touched on a major issue among almost every religious community one could think of - that of inclusivity vs. exclusivity. That is, do we have an approach to our beliefs that recognises the worth and potential of those outwith our religion, or do we have the idea that those outside are somehow inferior and at a loss? This is actually such an important issue, especially in a society which is becoming both very secular and very pluralistic. Assuming we intend to try and work with both secularism and pluralism, we do need to think carefully about how we answer this question of inclusion and exclusion. It touches not just on how we treat our fellow people, it also touches on rather deep ideas.
Put simply, there are many among us who still believe those outside their faith are damned, and those within it are saved. Can such a stance possibly be productive for dialogue?  Is dialogue even possible if this is our perspective? I suppose there are different levels of discourse, but whatever the case may be such views probably don't gel at all with pluralism or secularism. They also probably don't bring together people of different religious backgrounds, in common works of charity and social justice. It seems  therefore, that in order to fully participate in effective and real inter-faith discussion and work, we need to be open to the idea that people outside our religious community have a good chance of attaining Heaven. That's putting it in a rather fundamental way, but perhaps getting down to the nitty-gritty is what we ought to do.
​
There are also a whole host of practical ways in which people can be included or excluded from our faith. Indeed, the vexed issue of inter-faith marriage still causes a wide range of problems touching on these very points. If we are truly humanist in our religious understanding, seeing God's presence in everyone, how can we possibly deny people the right to love and to marry someone coming from another faith? It was most refreshing to converse with one of the speakers at the conference, Imam Hasan, who is one of the very few Muslim clerics in the UK performing marriage ceremonies for Muslim women and non-Muslim men. Such witness is most inspiring, I think, and  shows what can be achieved by just having some dialogue with people outwith your religious tradition.
Coming back to the conference itself, there were even worse problems highlighted by Mike Jervis - another speaker - regarding exclusivism. Indeed, we need only look at religious extremism and some of the terrorism coming from that to see some of the dangers. Whether this be the type of extremism seen with the so-called ISIS, or with some of the Buddhist community against the Rohingya in Burma, the cancer is the same. An interesting aspect to all this, I think, is that religious exclusivism can often become tied to other forms of exclusivism. These other types of setting up an"us vs. them" scenario can involve racism, class prejudice, homophobia and misogyny. All are very ghastly phenomena, and this did admittedly give a rather depressing tone  to some of the discussion at the conference. However, it was good to be in company with similar ideas on these topics and discuss possible solutions.
 
Firstly, it would seem that the subjective nature of faith has to be understood if we are to move forward as communities of religion. While most religious traditions have leadership, how we comprehend that leadership can change with time. Viewing the Priest, Shaykh or Rabbi as more of a guide rather than dictator is important in my view.  Moreover, the ever increasingly connected world demands some individual thought. We see diversity around us and are challenged to understand it in the light of our own faith. We have to, in many ways, find our own answers. Not just to these big questions, but to our own lives also, as we meet more and more people who have entirely different faiths. In the Christian context, all this means that when we do worship together in community, it ought to be much more of a "Communion" rather than a  spectacle. Each person is called to give their own piece towards the whole. No doubt, this may seem overwhelming to some. Taking our own responsibility for our faith, and lacking what may once have seemed like absolute answers in our religion, can be a shock. I found my own faith develop along these lines when I began speaking of it to others, who were Atheist or Muslim or Protestant. It forced me to go deeper into it all. It also made me realise that it is really the choice to believe that keeps you going, because I didn't always have easy answers, but still felt drawn into my religious community. This kind of experience may well force us to become like converts within our religion.

The understanding that each community is made up of largely independent minds, helps us realise that perhaps that community is always in flux. It is always growing and developing. We're always converting to new understandings. Those absolute answers, they always elude us. They lie beyond the horizon. Maybe we'll be ready for them in Heaven, but it may well be a Blessing that we don't have them yet. Cleaving to perceived absolutes leads to the fundamentalism mentioned in the Conference, and a dangerous exclusivism. On the other hand, failing to communicate with others within your community and share one's ideas and spirituality is an exclusivism of the individual. Can such individualism be a good thing? Maybe for the solitary minded, but generally speaking it would seem to myself that we all ought to be working together, in the name of inclusion. Though, I suppose for a religious group to maintain its unique status, it has to be to some extent exclusive even if in name only. Most religions have dogma, and these dogma tend to be rigid. Our understanding of them does not have to be. This can evolve.
That's just some thoughts on a pretty difficult, but in my view pertinent, topic!

A blog by Sister Isabel Smyth

I recently visited our local Ahmadiyya Mosque with the Chair and members of the Scottish Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious Dialogue.  We were responding to an invitation that had come in response to a letter we had sent to the community for Ramadan and Eid. It was a very happy visit. We were welcomed most warmly and received generous hospitality which included a copy of the Qur’an.  It’s a privilege to be welcomed into another community’s place of worship as it is to be welcomed into someone’s home. Interfaith Glasgow’s Festival Exchange has shown how positive entering into another’s space can be and helps us to stand in another’s shoes in some little way though I find it’s quite hard to do it completely.

 In all my experience of interfaith work I have felt very at home visiting places of worship, being present at religious rituals and festivals, meditating with people of other faiths but I’ve not been totally at home. It’s been a bit like visiting an auntie - there’s a connection, a recognition in some instances of similarities and an understanding of the faith that’s at the heart of the community’s religious life.  But there’s also been a strangeness in it, it’s not quite home. Often it’s the culture in which the religion sits and I’ve been intrigued by people who are able to adopt not just the beliefs of another faith but its traditional language and culture.  I’ve never felt any temptation to convert though I have experienced what Krister Stendahl called ‘holy envy’.  That is I’ve found aspects of other faiths that I’ve admired and wished could be reflected in my own. And I’ve certainly learned a lot about faith including my own expression of it through interfaith relations.

The focus of the Ahmadiyya community on unity and harmony was impressive as was their joy and commitment to their faith. The Ahmadiyya see themselves as a movement within Islam. They were founded in India in 1889 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who wanted to revive the true spirit of Islam. He emphasised duty to God and creation, the equality of mankind and care for the needy, respect for all religions and the importance of keeping the law of the land and being loyal to the government of the country.  All of these are good things and, on the whole, it would be accepted by many of the Muslims I know and yet the Ahmadiyya are not accepted by Muslims and are seen as heretical in that their founder saw himself as a messiah, a prophet for this age. This is so heretical to the majority of the Muslim community both Sunni and Shia that they will not call the Ahmadiyya,  Muslim.

The right to self- definition has caused some debate, consternation in interfaith circles.  In Interfaith Scotland, as with other interfaith groups, any application from a group that comes under the umbrella of a major world faith needs the acceptance by other members of that faith before gaining membership. This meant that when the Ahmadiyya community recently applied for membership of Interfaith Scotland they didn’t get the approval of other Muslim groups but were offered associate membership which would allow them to engage in dialogue. They didn’t accept this and withdrew their membership. This isn’t the first time this has happened. 

At the very beginning of Interfaith Scotland the first faith group to ask for membership was the Pagan Federation. Some faith groups objected for all sorts of reasons but it was suggested that changing their name would make them acceptable. This didn’t hold water with the Pagans who wanted to reclaim an ancient name that they said had been harmed by the prejudice of later faiths.  They did accept associate membership. The same thing happened with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  While they declare themselves to be Christian they’re not recognised as such by other Christian denominations – mainly because they hold to a further revelation given to Joseph Smith which sets them apart from mainstream Christians. They see themselves as revivalist – reviving the true Christian Church – not that far from the Ahmadiyya understanding of themselves as the true Islam.  Because today the emphasis in on religion and belief there tends to be no judgement about what constitutes a valid faith or even religion – sure for some people Jedi is a valid religion.  Do groups have the right to self-define?  Are the major faiths also simply self –defining and do they have the right to say who belongs and who not?  Definitions and boundaries have their purposes and give a sense of belonging. Where the problem comes is when the newer groups think of themselves as the true faith so that part of their desire for  inclusion means a rejection of their parent faith or at least some parts of it. In their own way they are also being exclusive.The important thing is not to exclude them from the dialogue  but to keep the conversation going while understanding the complexities of identity and belonging. ​

A blog by Anthony Macisaac       

      It is hard to say precisely what feeds this sense of peace and serenity at Pluscarden. For a Catholic or indeed for a person of faith more generally, the obvious answer would be God, but the question remains as to why Pluscarden is special. It is for example, one of the few places that I would personally describe as having a supernatural feeling. Myself and the psychologist from Israel talked at length about all this - with both of us sharing our thoughts and beliefs more broadly as well. From a secular standpoint, his idea was that the order and routine of the whole environment gave great comfort to the monks and people within the Abbey. When we have ordered lives, he said, we tend to feel more secure and safe. It is also perhaps sometimes difficult to have this kind of order in the busy and competitive world outside, which is why somewhere like Pluscarden can be a haven of sorts for everyone and anyone. On top of the order and discipline of the monastic day, there is also all the accoutrements of Christian faith. Whether it be the Abbey walls themselves – eight centuries in age – or the brilliance of the stained glass, or the candles, or the white habits of the monks there is some effect on the human psyche. All the symbolism within the environment draws people of all faiths and backgrounds into something spiritual. I certainly felt this myself. Yet another retreatant put it very well – he felt that at Pluscarden, he was drawn into the company of Saints and Angels. Certainly, when walking through the transepts and nave of the Church, you are actually walking over the graves of dozens of people buried there centuries before. Often they chose the Abbey as a final resting place out of a great faith that the prayers said there daily would help them in the hereafter. Many of the tombstones have been preserved and now adorn some of the walls – their age is evident by the skull and crossbones design, usually found on graves sculpted around the 16th and 17th centuries.

However, there is a final way in which I think the calm and inviting aspect to Pluscarden is achieved: silence. After the final set of prayers, Compline, the monks enter into what is known as “the Grand Silence”. Conversation and noise in general are avoided as far as possible, with personal time for reflection and prayer encouraged. To many, including myself initially, this can seem austere. Yet, upon thinking about it some more and experiencing it, the whole idea makes some sense. Some readers may have heard of the recent craze in “mindfulness”, which advocates more time to be given for reflection and introspection away from the hustle-bustle of everyday life. In the typical Benedictine monastery the idea is very similar. If we but take time out, and retreat into our own minds, we can better understand ourselves and gain more control over our own actions and intentions. For me, this is quite a profound insight. The silence helped me think of the wider world around me, and shift my focus to ideas above and beyond my immediate surroundings. Too much silence could of course be a bad thing, causing people to brood and over-think their lives, but in small doses each day I think it can be a great gift. One of the monks actually said it also helps stop them fight one another! There are of course a whole range of personalities in a monastic community, and it is easy to imagine tensions rising if there wasn't some time out for each monk.

So after four days of relaxing in this peaceful and spiritual environment I came back home quite refreshed indeed. I do intend to go back next year if possible, and I wonder who I will meet the next time around. Perhaps I will take one or two of my friends along, as I've done before. Whatever the case, I hope some readers will consider a trip themselves. If anything, it's a good chance for inter-faith dialogue and an experience in which I believe anyone can take something good from.

A guest blog by Anthony Macisaac

         Last week I spent time on retreat at Pluscarden Abbey near Elgin. The journey was exhausting, around five and a half hours long and involving three train connections, not to mention a bus journey and taxi ride. It was good to finally arrive at the monastery for dinner. The food was delicious and all homemade - many of the ingredients grown by the monks on the grounds. Myself and the two other guests were served some kind of pie, it had all kinds of vegetables inside (meat is only served rarely at the Abbey) and we were all at a loss to name it. It was safe to say simply that it was tasty! During meal times, everything is very formal. Table manners are emphasised, and I felt like an odd one out when I saw everyone using knives and forks to eat their apples as I sat eating my own by hand at dessert. One of the monks goes to a lectern and reads from a book that has been selected, while everyone eats in silence listening. During the days that I was there, the book that was read was relating history of the American Civil War and all the ins and outs of the race relations that punctuated that whole affair. In many ways, some of what we heard was shocking and a world was revealed that seemed utterly alien and that was yet so close to our own in time. The sad reality of human trafficking continues the story into our present age which is well worth remembering, lest we consign the horrors of slavery to history texts and become blind to its modern existence. All these deep thoughts were had on my first night at dinner - this was going to be a deep experience! I went back to my room after the meal and took some time to unpack my bag. Each male retreatent stays in a guesthouse called St. Benedict's while women staying at the Abbey are based in a nearby building called St. Scholastica's. These two great Catholic Saints were brother and sister, and the founders of the Benedictine Order of monks and nuns back in the 6th century. Plans are being drawn up to create one guesthouse for everyone, but this may take some years to realise. Within the male guesthouse, there are around twenty cells (rooms), bathrooms and washing facilities with a few parlours. In the latter, people serve themselves breakfast and can enjoy tea or coffee whenever they wish.

       So after a bit of solitary time in my cell, which was dedicated to St. Dominic, I went to the main parlour to get a cup of coffee after my long journey. There I met another retreatant who had only arrived an hour or two prior to myself. He was a psychologist with a wealth of stories to tell, and he lived in Capernaum having married a Jewish woman some years before. Every year he tries to visit Scotland so he can enjoy some time at Pluscarden. What made this all the more impressive was that he doesn't know if he believes in God. All that distance to travel, and all that effort despite not being convinced of theism let alone Catholicism. The atmosphere at the monastery is such that it draws in people from all walks of life and from all faiths. There have been a few Buddhists visiting at times, in addition to plenty of folk from the Reformed Churches and more.

     Some people just go to listen to the Gregorian Chant - beautiful and fascinating to hear, Church music of the Middle Ages. The chant is sung in Latin, and performed eight times a day with Mass taking place around 9am. The various offices (times of chanting the Psalms) are known as Vigils, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. Vigils are at 4:30am with Compline at 7:50pm. The day is therefore very full and busy, with work also taking place between the offices and meal times. Some monasteries brew beer, but Pluscarden's speciality is honey. One of the other retreatants who arrived a day or two after myself, helped the beekeeper make some fresh honey. We all tried a little for the following breakfast and it was fantastic! Though I can't say I managed to get up for Vigils despite my best efforts - praying at 4:30am takes some doing.

      Across the grounds there are animals of many varieties, the most famous of which is the "Benedictine cat" Baxter. It must have been at the monastery for over a decade, and is well looked after. Bookmarks and pictures have been made with his likeness, sold at the shop, with Biblical verses printed underneath. For any cat lovers out there, some of the paraphernalia is hilarious. One bookmark I bought for a friend showed the cat sitting solemnly in the Abbey, with the verse "I will Bless the Lord at all times" quoted below him! More generally, another retreatant from Dunoon commented that the animals seem to sense an overall peace to the place. They simply don't seem to feel threatened by people at all. Hens are all too happy to walk alongside you when you go out for a stroll, and field mice pay no heed to passers-by. There was an inspiring story about a deer which had broken both its hind legs jumping over a fence into the Abbey precincts. People had asked the monks to call a vet, and they refused since it would likely be put down. What they did instead was tend to the deer themselves, and help it regain full health. That kind of compassion is very uplifting, and so very human. 

This blog was written by Anthony Macisaac.
 
In Glasgow, there are various examples of good work that help refugees and asylum seekers of all backgrounds. Much of this work is linked in with Interfaith Glasgow and Interfaith Scotland. Recently, there has been a new initiative called "The Weekend Club" which helps refugees and asylum seekers to feel at home in Glasgow, meet new friends and share their cultural experiences. The group began a few years ago, and was inspired by the fact that many people coming into Scotland from difficult situations and diverse areas have little to do at weekends – they risk becoming isolated and unheard in wider society. Therefore, the weekend club decided to host different events, usually on a monthly basis, to provide opportunities for recreation and dialogue for the refugees. So far, the Weekend Club has met with much success.
 
Recently, the Weekend Club took a group of people to the Museum Resource Centre in Nitshill, which houses over one million objects that cannot be displayed in museums elsewhere. Exploration is done only by guided tour, so a date was booked with the team in the Resource Centre, and the whole group was shown around the facility. There were many children who joined us, and they were fascinated by the taxidermy and fossils. The adults had time to converse with each other and share some of their experiences. We had people from Libya and Iraq among others, on the tour. The historical articles that were showcased came from many different time periods and cultures – thus providing opportunities for conversation. It was enriching not only for the refugees and asylum seekers themselves, but for the volunteers as well.
 
Our next and most recent event was at the Hidden Gardens in Pollokshields, a great spot for recreation if ever visiting the area. The spot was once known as the Tramway, the depot for Glasgow trams in decades past. Prior to that, the area was a stonemason's, working with the familiar sandstone bricks still seen across Glasgow's tenement buildings. I arrived quite early myself, and helped carry tables and food into the gardens. With the other volunteers, I assisted with putting out a spread of cuisine – all of it vegetarian to take into account the Halal needs of the Muslim people coming to the event. Indeed, the majority of refugees and asylum seekers coming to the Weekend Club are currently Muslim, from countries such as Syria and Iraq. We had booked for 30 people, and there was a good turn out. Another volunteer kindly got her friends from the LDS Church to provide the food and drink. Each of the volunteers was given an orange t-shirt representing Interfaith Glasgow, and I was asked to go along to the bus stop with another volunteer to beckon participants in the right direction. Being new to Glasgow, it is of course sometimes difficult for people to find their way to different events. We therefore always try to start about 20 minutes early to give them time to arrive. Contact is made with potential participants via mobile phone, and this is often the only way people are invited to our events.
 
The role faith-sharing can have in all this charity work is sometimes unclear. However, it was revealed most in my experience with a programme of ESOL classes based at the Ogilvie Centre working with St. Aloysius' Church in Garnethill. People of all nationalities, creeds and language proficiencies have come for the past 2 years or so to improve their English each day of the week from 10am to 12noon. A turnout of around 30-40 people can usually be expected and there are many volunteers working hard to ensure success. Lessons can range from grammar and textbooks to how to read a clock or count money. Whilst the classes do have a clear aim, which is met with exams based elsewhere, they have an informal feeling too which puts everyone at ease. As opportunities for teaching the refugees or asylum seekers will often share some of their own experiences of their home country or culture. It is as interesting for the volunteers as it is for them – typically classes can be made up of up to 6 different nationalities, including Iranian, Sudanese, Iraqi, Syrian, Ethiopian and Eritrean. Around Easter time last year, many of the people attending – who were of the Tewahedo Orthodox Churches – went to the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion in the Catholic Church next door. This highlighted a real sense of inter-faith work coming alive. During the Christmas holidays in 2016, a party was organised for both the students and the volunteers. Over 25 people turned up, and everyone seemed to have great fun – whether from playing musical chairs, or listening to Kurdish music played especially for the occasion, or from dressing up as Santa Claus. Some of the students brought their children, and this was a special time for them to celebrate a festival many had heard nothing of in their home countries. This whole initiative is therefore one which has a practical aim, but which also develops strong bonds of community and fellowship among people of disparate backgrounds.
 
Around a month ago, the manager of the Weekend Club – Lynnda – came along to the ESOL classes at the Ogilvie Centre to meet with the students there. We gave a presentation on our work, and everyone seemed keen to find out more. Within 15 minutes we collected the names and contact details of 60 people who were interested to join the club for future events. Hopefully some of these new faces will be joining us soon.
 
Probably the main difficulty the Weekend Club faces is with funding. Each year there is a push for fundraising, as without the necessary money it would be impossible to pay for the transportation costs involved in each event. Last month, myself, the organiser, and another volunteer attended a meeting at the Virgin Money Foundation, securing at least £250 of funding. Three local charities, of which we were one, were showcased and promised money from Virgin who are seeking to help smaller and more local charities flourish. In a few weeks’ time there will be a further fundraiser at my local Church in Eaglesham – St. Bridget’s. The Church hall has been booked and a quiz night arranged. We hope to raise another couple of hundred pounds at this event. The work is always on-going in trying to keep such initiatives as the Weekend Club alive, but such work is so valuable in reaching out to vulnerable communities and living out our commitment to interfaith. 

            Ramadan has begun. It is a time of fasting and praying for Muslims all across the country and across the world. It is the holiest time of year in Islam. Ramadan is an Islamic holy month of fasting which takes place every year for a month to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad. During this month, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and do not eat or drink anything between these times. There is a saying, “nothing must pass the lips”. That means Muslims cannot even drink water. There are certain exceptions to this, including age limits and if you are currently under the care of your doctor and taking medication. Women who are menstruating do not need to fast, but they are required to make it up at some point in the following year.  However, for everyone else that is of age and healthy, dawn to dusk in Scotland would be from 4:30am to almost 10:00pm.That is almost 18 hours of fasting in a day. This current fast is one of the longest for Ramadan. Shorter fasts happen during winter when Ramadan falls in the months of December and January. This is because Muslims follow a lunar calendar and each year the month begins nine days earlier than the previous year. With the long fast, many may ask the question: “what is the point of fasting?” Why should someone fast for that length of time?

​The term fasting is defined as the “willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast or dry fasting is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually 24 hours or a number of days. Water fasting refers to abstinence from all food and drink except water, but black tea may be consumed.” In this definition, Ramadan would fall under an absolute fast or a “dry” fast from dawn until dusk. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan occurs during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and is known as “swam” or fasting.  The observance of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, which are the five basics principles of Islam. Therefore, observing Ramadan is an essential act of being a Muslim and living out the faith. The month usually lasts between twenty-nine and thirty days. Fasting is more than just refraining from eating and drinking for Muslims, it is a holy time of year to reconnect, or connect on a deeper level with God.

Fasting is a practice in many other religions including Christianity, Judaism, the Bah’ai’ faith, and others. In Catholicism, fasting occurs on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday which marks the beginning and end of Lent, the holiest time of year for Christians worldwide. In Judaism fasting occurs during Yom Kippur, which is The Day of Atonement. Fasting for these religions brings believers closer to God, by having people focus on prayer and God over material things likes food. For example, the hunger that a person will feel from fasting in Catholicism on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is supposed to remind Catholics of the millions throughout the world who are without food everyday. It is also a way for Catholics to centre their prayer life and focus on God as well as in part on those who are suffering. For Muslims, fasting is a way for many to remember that everything is a gift from God who alone is the one who sustains us. Fasting is never to be done out of spite or with drudgery, but instead is an act of faith, an act which brings them closer to God.

Fasting is a way in which certain religions use hunger as a way to connect on a deeper level with their faith, and ending a fast is also an important time for the faithful. For Muslims, Ramadan ends with the feast of Eid. The feast of Eid marks the end of this holy month, and is a celebration with friends and family. Today in Scotland, Muslim groups invite others to break the fast with them and to celebrate Eid. 

            Rome is the eternal city, and the city for interreligious dialogue. This past May I took a research trip to Rome for three weeks, not knowing at the time that interreligious dialogue would play a huge role in my time there. I had come to Rome to work on my Ph.D. research for one of my chapters of my dissertation which concerns Pope Francis. During my time in Rome, I stayed at ‘The Lay Centre’—a place for lay people from around the world to come and work on their research and academic work. It is a centre which promotes interreligious dialogue and ecumenical dialogue. It was the perfect community to engage with during my research. For me there was an added value as I met a group of Muslim students from Cambridge Muslim College.
Before I came to Rome, I thought I had a strong understanding of the prayer life of Muslims. I grew up with Muslim friends and have met many Muslims in my personal life as well as in my work life. However, I had never participated in Muslim prayer. I had the special opportunity at The Lay Centre to participate in afternoon prayers, which has now given me a deeper understanding and respect for daily prayers in Islam. The group of Muslims had come to Rome for five days to learn more about Catholicism and to have a greater understanding of interreligious dialogue by gaining a first-hand experience of meeting with Catholics and traveling to historical and religious sites in Rome. The students from Cambridge Muslim College were a mixture of men and women. During their stay at The Lay Centre, I found myself mostly talking with and getting to know many of the women in their group. I was pleasantly surprised by the openness of these women and their willingness to teach me about the prayers and the reason why they pray five times a day. I was struck by their devotion and reverence to God and how they talked about the importance of faith and devotion in their life.

I first found myself wanting to pray with these Muslims because I could hear them praying near my door in my hallway. I asked the women, who were seated behind the men in the hallway, if I could pray with them, and they joyfully said yes and all moved over to give me space. I did not have a prayer mat so a woman named Ashrem gave me her own mat. This to me was a sign of pure generosity. She then moved over to her friend’s mat to pray. Although all of the daily prayers are said in Arabic, and I have no knowledge of the language, I prayed silently and participated in their body movements. After the prayer was over I felt a sense of kinship with these women. We all believed in one God, a God who is merciful and loving.

Praying together led to discussions between myself and seven of the women in the group. We discussed many topics from our Abrahamic tradition to our love of music, food, and the stress of academic life. Although we were from two different religions our common heritage in faith and praying to God became the keystone in our conversations. Prayer is a way in which we talk with God as well as pray to God. Different religions have many forms of prayer, and I experienced that firsthand with these students. We had different  ways of praying, but our intentions were the same in that we all wanted to praise and thank God. As a Catholic woman, I have chosen a life dedicated to God in my faith life and in my academic career, and these women have also done the same. Our cultures may be different, but our respect, admiration, and love of God is something that unifies us.

During the time I spent with these Muslim women I learned how important interfaith dialogue is on an international level. No matter where you are in the world or what faith you represent, dialogue between faiths in very important. It is when we dialogue with one another about faith that we then build bridges and can continue our journey together in faith. 

           Radicalisation and Reconciliation.  What do these two words have in common? The answer: interfaith dialogue. This past weekend I attended the Scottish Youth Interfaith Conference at St. Andrew’s University and the theme was “Radicalisation and Reconciliation”, a theme that intrigued and stirred conversation from the minute I walked in the door. Radicalisation is a word that is often seen in newspapers, and heard on television. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when reading or seeing this word? Too often many people wrongly assume that the word “radicalisation” refers to a religion, especially Islam. This prejudice is unacceptable, and needs to be discussed in dialogue today. I was delighted to attend this day in St. Andrews because I believed it gave a chance for millennials to discuss this issue and prejudice in an open way.

       The Oxford Dictionary defines prejudice as, “Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.” In 2018 there is a lot of preconceived opinions about Islam, which leaves many associating Muslims with extremism and violence. This ignorance must be discussed, and dialogue is a great way to begin this conversation. The conference at St. Andrew’s opened a way for students, and other young people in attendance, to listen to different speakers on this inviting topic. We must start with the questions: what is radicalisation, and why do many people associate this unfairly with predominately one religion? What is reconciliation and why does it matter? These questions are important to consider for steps towards tolerance, empathy and reconciliation.

         Radicalisation is a word that many hear on the news at night or when scrolling through their newsfeeds on Facebook or other social media outlets. It is a word that is often associated with different people and groups, claiming some sort of religious association.  “He/She was radicalised”. “He/She became a radical after joining this group”. These are the statements we usually read online. The word radical is defined by the Oxford dictionary as: “relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.” This can be a positive effect or a negative effect, depending on the outcome. It does not have to be associated with a negative connotation. Radicalism could easily be associated with political parties or social groups, not just religions. One of the topics discussed at the Scottish Interfaith Youth Conference zoned in on this topic. A PowerPoint slide was presented that pictured a couple photos of “radicalisation” which were present in other religions outside of Islam including: Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and others. For example, there was a photo of the Klu Klu Klan, which gained its notoriety as being a radical Christian group promoting white nationalism. In another slide presented, there was a photo of Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi. These men were radicals in their time and they promoted justice and peace, and yet they were still associated with the word “radical.” It is only recently within the last ten years, that Islam has become associated with radicalisation in a negative way. This prejudice needs to be stopped. However, where do we begin to stop this prejudice? This was one of the many questions asked at the conference on Saturday. How can young people help and end this prejudice? Answer: this can be done through reconciliation. 

        Reconciliation is a restoration of friendly relations. It is a chance for grieved parties to come together and end their conflict. However, reconciliation cannot become a veil to hide behind. Reconciliation must include a restoration or even a revolution. Sometimes people or groups of people can become consumed by the “peace and harmony veil” and use this as a cover for real change and acknowledgement of past struggles and a sincere future of peace. Young people need to be present in interfaith dialogue, whether it be in their own neighbourhood or classroom. Breaking down prejudice and starting the process of reconciliation begins with a conversation. If you hear prejudice being spread by someone you know then you should speak up. Words are powerful. Young people have the power to change a generation of prejudice. By educating against ignorance and by working to break down prejudice we are living in a world of respect and love and not fear and hate.
Let’s hope and work together to help dispel prejudice which leads to intolerance. Let’s do as Jesus instructed us, and “love our neighbour”. I hope that in the future more events like the Scottish Interfaith Youth Conference are held in order to educate young people and help them lead future generations to reconciliation and promote peace between religions. 

Millennials are the young generation of today. They are known for their love of avocados, coffee trends, social media presence, and travel. The youth of today are in many ways similar and different to the previous generations that existed before them. Young people across the world hold protests, campaigns, forums, and online movements which have challenged and already called for change in different areas across the social and political spectrum. They are the future of interfaith dialogue and they have the power to change the world in more ways than one. However, what is their role and why is it important to have young people involved in interfaith dialogue? These questions and many others are important to ask and that is why I attended a focus group the other week for the Interfaith Network UK. I wanted to help understand as well as answer the questions: why is it important to have young people involved in interfaith dialogue?

I attended the focus group at Interfaith Scotland which addressed some questions concerning the role of young people in interfaith dialogue. The purpose of this focus group was to gain insight from young people of different faith backgrounds who were interested in interfaith dialogue. The focus group had many faiths represented by young people including: Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. Many questions were posed to the group and many different topics concerning how to reach out to young people were discussed. One question remained constant: why is it important to have young people involved in interfaith dialogue? After giving my own answer and hearing the responses of others, who are millennials like myself, I realized that our social and cultural awareness of other faiths comes from a place of compassion and genuine interest. Some answers pointed to the role and responsibility that young people feel for their personal impact to society and the world. In the focus group the topic of interfaith experiences at a young age was also discussed. Family and experiences shape a young person’s outlook on life and their interactions with others, which can inform them about interfaith and how to dialogue with others. I had several experiences as a child which opened up my experiences to people of different faiths. I will share one such experience.
My first interfaith experience that shaped me was when I was only six years old. I attended an all girls’ secular school in the suburbs of Philadelphia in the United States and the school was predominately of a Christian protestant background. However, one of the first songs I ever learned at this school was a song called “Sevivon sov sov sov”, (I still know the song today, even the Hebrew part!). This song is a traditional Hanukkah song. Another one of my favourite’s was “Hanukah O Hanukah”, to my mother’s surprise. I loved these two songs as a six year old more than anything else. I would belt out singing them at home and in the car. I however, didn’t even realise that these were Jewish songs until our holiday concert at my school where our music teacher explained the songs my class would be singing for the school. Our music teacher at the school was Jewish. He told the school that since Hanukah was usually celebrated at the same time near Christmas, he wanted the Jewish children at our school to feel included, as well as teach the other non-Jewish children about Hanukkah and Judaism during this time of year. Music was the first avenue of interfaith dialogue in my life.

Since this music class, my interfaith interactions and interest in dialogue has grown. My interactions with children from other faith backgrounds at my secular school set the stage for my awareness and comfortability in conversing with people of other faiths. I realise now even after living in another country, that the quest for millennials and interfaith stems from their foundation which their parents have set for them as well as their access to social media and a 24/7 news cycle which allows the youth to be constantly updated and informed on what is taking place around the world. With one click or swipe, we all have access to information about interfaith including religious festivals, celebrations, places of worship, prayers and interfaith relationships between world leaders.   

However, the question still remains: why is it important to have young people involved in interfaith dialogue? When answering this question, I can’t help, but think of Pope Francis’s remarks from his homily on Palm Sunday mass. He said, “Dear young people, you have it in you to shout…Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders – so often corrupt – keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out?”. In his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Francis was referencing the role young people in this world and the importance of their voice when referencing the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. His message resonated with many youth across the world. Young people have the resilience, tenacity, and empathy to look beyond past societal constructs of islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and overall religious intolerance. This generation has seen said to be the most culturally aware generation that has ever lived. The youth across the world, and especially in Scotland have a voice and as we can already see, they are using it! The youth have an important role in interfaith dialogue, and I look forward to seeing more of what they can and will do in the future.

This week Jewish communities across Scotland will celebrate Pesach or “Passover”. It is the same time where Christians in Scotland will be participating in the Paschal Triduum, in which Christians celebrate Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. For both religions, this is a special and holy time of year. For the 6,000 Jews living in Scotland, this week symbolizes a commemoration of a special event in their religion and cultural history. This year the holiday begins on the evening of Friday March 30th and ends the evening of Saturday April 7th. The word “pesach” come from a Hebrew word which refers to the “passing over” or “omission” of Jewish houses which were passed over in the story of Exodus.
 
Pesach commemorates the liberation of Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt by God. It also celebrates their freedom and independence to worship and live under the Jewish leadership of Moses. The reference to “passing over” refers to Jewish households around 1300 BCE who put lambs blood over their doors so that the angel of death could “pass over” their house. This was to prevent the death of their first born sons, which God warned Pharaoh about in request to free the Jews from slavery and listen to Moses.
 
Rabbi Johnathan Sacks, an interreligious leader, philosopher, and respected moral voice in Judaism has given an important account of what Pesach means to Jews living across the world today. He says, “Pesach is the oldest and most transformative story of hope ever told. It tells of how an otherwise undistinguished group of slaves found their way to freedom from the greatest and longest-lived empire of their time, indeed of any time. It tells the revolutionary story of how the supreme Power intervened in history to liberate the supremely powerless. It is a story of the defeat and probability by the force of possibility. It defines what it is to be a Jew: a living symbol of hope.”
 
Pesach reminds Jews across Scotland and across the world of the history their ancestors have lived through. Rabbi Sacks discusses this further in his own views. He says, “Once a year, every year, every Jew is commanded to relive the experience of Egypt as a constant reminder of the bread of oppression and the bitter herbs of slavery—to know that the battle for freedom is never finally won but must be fought in every generation.”
 

Today Jewish people celebrate Pesach as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt by celebrating with their families at a traditional “seder” or traditional Jewish meal which marks the beginning of Pesach. During the time of Pesach, it is a tradition that Jewish people do not eat food with chametz (leaven grains). Today chametz would include foods like bread and cakes and other foods which have a leavening agent (or yeast) in them. Many Jewish people will eat Matzah during Pesach which is an unleavened flat bread. Matzah itself reminds the Jewish people of their ancestors who did not eat leaven bread during their Exodus from Egypt because they did not have time to plan and bake bread to rise, therefore matzah or other substitutes for unleavened bread has a historical and religious significance to this holiday. There is a special dish called a “seder plate” in which specific food are served. During the beginning part of the dinner, there will be prayers and well as blessings and readings said. It is a tradition to also have wine at the seder dinner and the seder will usually end with a song. During the rest of the week, Jews will refrain from eating unleavened bread and will usually attend a synagogue service, depending on their religiosity.


We would like to wish all Jews across Scotland warm wishes during their celebration of Pesach this week. 

​March is a busy time of year for many reasons. For many of us in Scotland, it is the start of Spring. The days are getting longer and many of us are trading in our winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves for lighter jackets and even sunglasses. It is also a time where many of us may start to see new life emerging in our gardens. However, for some other people in Scotland, March is a time to celebrate the New Year. The Baha’i faith will celebrate “Naw-Ruz” or New Year, on March 20th through the evening of March 21st.
 
The Baha’i faith is a growing faith in Scotland. Scotland’s Baha’i history began around 1905. This was around the time when European visitors, met Abdu’l-Baha, who was the leader of the Baha’i religion at the time. The Baha’i religion has grown in Scotland in the last twenty years and now there are over 7,000 Baha’i’s across the entire United Kingdom, with a large percentage living in Scotland. The Baha’i faith was founded in 19th century Iran by Baha’u’llah, whose title means the Glory of God. The Baha’i religion is centered around the teachings of Baha’u’llah. In a quote by Baha’u’llah, he says, “The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God’s holy Will is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife.” The Baha’i faith teaches the fundamental worth of all religions. At the same time, the Baha’i faith also teaches about the harmony and equality of all people.
 
 The Baha’i new year, or Naw-Ruz is a special time of year for the Baha’i faith. While for Baha’is this holiday is part of their religion, in other countries it is considered a secular holiday. It is traditionally and currently celebrated as an Iranian new year holiday, however, many other countries across the Middle East and Central Asia have also adopted Naw-Ruz including, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Pakistan, Syria, and Tajikistan Kurdistan.
 
The words “Naw-Ruz” stand for “new day”, and it is a new year festival which falls at the spring equinox. It is a day which also symbolizes the new life of spring. The festival is usually observed with prayer and celebration. “The celebration is often combined with a feast, as the sunset before Naw-Ruz signals the end of the 19 day fast.”. The 19 day fast represents a spiritual preparation for Naw-Ruz, Music and dancing can also take place during the celebration of Naw-Ruz along with visiting friends and family and exchanging gifts.
 
 
We wish all our Baha’i friends a happy Naw-Ruz!  

         Winter is coming to an end in Scotland. You can hear the birds chirping and feel the warmth of the sun starting to return. It is a time in many of our lives for “spring cleaning”. During this time we might clean out our loft or shed or go through things like clothes or clutter that need to be thrown away or donated to a local charity. It is a time of renewal in many ways. Lent is also a time for Christian renewal and a time to focus on our relationship with God, in a way that is different from any other time of the year.
 
     During Lent Christians from all over the world will fast as well as give up something, like eating chocolate, or watching television as a sacrifice to bring them closer to God. For example, I have given up watching my favourite shows and will replace that time with reading Scripture.
 
      There are two important fasting days for Christians during Lent, which are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these two days Christians are asked to fast by eating two small meals and one larger meal that does not equal their two smaller meals combined. This may seem miniscule in comparison to the fasting Muslims partake in during Ramadan. Ramadan is known as the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and it is a time when Muslims fast from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. The Bahá’í’s also have a similar fast. Their fast takes place during the month of ‘Ala which takes place during the same time every year. Their fast is nineteen days and it occurs immediately before the Bahá’í New Year. In the Jewish religion, Yom Kippur, also known as the day of atonement, and is a twenty-four hour period in which Jews fast. The fast has its own name, Ta’anit, which Jews abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset for one day.
 
     Fasting in the religious context is a way in which a person is brought closer to God. It is a physical action which represents a sacrifice. Religious fasting can also be exercised as a means of solidarity. I recently read an article that mentioned a Muslim Scottish government minister, Humza Yousaf, who is  giving up Irn-Bru this lent in solidarity with Christians to raise money for Aid to the Church in Need. He chose this charity because it is a “Catholic charity which prioritises support for persecuted Christians in the Middle East and other Muslim-majority regions.” When speaking at an Aid to the Church in Need youth rally in summer 2015, Yousaf described religion as a fundamental human right for all.
 
    Fasting in solidarity with other religions is not a new concept and many religions have been taking part in this action across Scotland. For example, last year Interfaith Glasgow offered the chance for non-Muslims to observe the Ramadan fast from  sunrise to sunset. After sunset there was an opportunity for everyone to gather at the Al Furqan Mosque and see the Maghrib prayer and experience iftar (breaking the fast).
 
      Interfaith fasting is a way in which different religions can be brought together in solidarity and show respect for one another. Currently Pope Francis is invoking a fast for this upcoming Friday (February 23rd). Pope Francis is calling Christians and other faiths worldwide to pray and fast for peace. This fast is especially for people suffering in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
 
    Fasting is a time of retreat for many different religions. A time of more awareness of God, others, and one’s own prayer life. As the fasting Lenten journey begins now for Christians, I hope it spurs an interest into the interfaith connections fasting has and the possibilities of learning about fasting between other faiths and not just our own. 

 This blog comes from Sister Isabel Smyth's own blog at www.interfaithjourneys.net 
​
 27th January, the date of the liberation of Auschwitz, marks Holocaust Memorial Day. It began at the turn of this century when representatives from 46 governments around the world met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance and research and in many parts of the world it has become an annual fixture. Here in Scotland I’ve been attending several events – the national one organised by Interfaith Scotland, one organised by children from three secondary schools in Glasgow and presented to their primary feeder schools and a further service at the Reform Synagogue. There will be many more throughout the country. 
Stories are at the centre of the events – from survivors but more commonly now their children and  from young people who have visited Auschwitz. Each year two pupils from every secondary school in Glasgow have the opportunity to do this and for them it’s a life changing experience, one which they are able to share at Holocaust Memorial events.  This year we heard two stories. The first story we heard was of Rostov-on-Don, a town in Russia where 27,000 inhabitants, more than half of whom were Jewish women and children, were slaughtered by the Nazis while their husbands, sons, brothers and fathers were fighting for Russia in the war. What made this story so compelling was the similarity between Rostov-on- Don and Glasgow and the presence of some citizens from there.   This atrocity happened over two days in August 1942.
The second story was that of Rabbi Meir Lau, a former chief Rabbi of Israel who now serves as the chairman of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. By video Rabbi Lau told us of how, as a young boy of 7, he was separated from his family apart from his brother who saved him from certain death by carrying him in his backpack. They were both sent to Buchenwald concentration camp and Meir was put in barrack 8 which housed young people and children. There he was befriended by 16 year old Feodor who looked out for him, stealing potatoes, lighting a fire and cooking them for the little boy, even knitting ear warmers to protect him from the freezing cold. "Feodor, the Russian, looked after me in the daily life like a father would for a son. His concern and feeling of responsibility gave me a sense of security."  Rabbi Lau never knew Feodor’s family name so was never able to find him until 65 years after liberation he discovered that Feodor had died but survived by two daughters. One of his daughters was with us at the Scottish National event, proudly displaying a picture of her father and moved to tears by the reception she got.
The Holocaust is a terrible blight on the history and memory of our race. It fundamentally challenges the foundations of our civilisation and yet though, as the Stockholm Declaration tells us “the magnitude of the Holocaust, planned and carried out by the Nazis, must be forever seared in our collective memory, so too we must remember the selfless sacrifices of those who defied the Nazis, and sometimes gave their own lives to protect or rescue the Holocaust's victims.”  The Holocaust is like a mirror – it reflects the best and the worst of our species. It shows our capacity for evil and for good, for all of us are capable of such things. If one human being can commit such atrocities then we can all do it but if one human being can rise to the heights of heroism then we can all do that too.
One of the reasons, perhaps the main reason, for remembering the Holocaust is that it should never happen again. And yet it has happened again. Now we remember at these events the subsequent genocides of Cambodia, Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda and the previous one of the Armenian people. History shows that there have been many attempts at genocide. I read recently of a call to recognise the Irish Famine as attempted genocide and at the moment we see the result of the persecution of the Rohingya on our television screens as they flee the land of their birth. This, and the hardness of heart shown to the plight of refugees and those seeking asylum, does not show our species up in a good light.
The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘The Power of Words’ – for good and for evil. It recognises the propaganda that called fellow human beings animals and vermin; it recognises the words of protest, support, reflection and analysis and the words which helped people survive dehumanising horrors.  Words can open up new horizons and liberate us but they can also condition us to see the world in a particular way.  They can take us into the life of another, allow us to stand in their shoes for a moment and challenge us to reflect on what we might have become or might have done in similar circumstances. Each year the stories from survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides speak to our hearts in a powerful and haunting way.  They remind us of the power for good and for evil that resides in each one of us. Please God we might make our own the prayer of Pope Francis: May our words be seeds of goodness for the world: 

​Mercy is a virtue which encompasses forgiveness and compassion. Famous Catholic theologian and Doctor of the Church, Thomas Aquinas, writes in the Summa Theologiae,  “mercy is heartfelt sympathy for another’s distress, impelling us to succour him if we can. For mercy takes its name ‘misercordia’ from denoting a man’s compassionate heart [miserum cor] for another’s unhappiness.” Mercy is non-conditional, and it is something that comes from the heart.
 
Pope Francis dedicated the early part of his papacy to the virtue of mercy, even declaring a jubilee year of mercy which began in 2015 and ended a year ago in December 2017.  In Pope Francis’s letter calling for a Jubilee of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis wrote a great deal about the meaning of mercy. He says, “Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life. All of her pastoral activity should be caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy. The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.” Furthermore, Pope Francis wrote on how the virtue of mercy in Christianity relates and is important in both Judaism and Islam.
 
Pope Francis writes, “There is an aspect of mercy that goes beyond the confines of the Church. It relates us to Judaism and Islam, both of which consider mercy to be one of God’s most important attributes. Israel was the first to receive this revelation which continues in history as the source of an inexhaustible richness meant to be shared with all mankind. As we have seen, the pages of the Old Testament are steeped in mercy, because they narrate the works that the Lord performed in favour of his people at the most trying moments of their history. Among the privileged names that Islam attributes to the Creator are “Merciful and Kind”. This invocation is often on the lips of faithful Muslims who feel themselves accompanied and sustained by mercy in their daily weakness. They too believe that no one can place a limit on divine mercy because its doors are always open.”  
 
 Mercy is very important in Islam and it is spoken of in the Qur’an many times. Raḥmān is an Arabic term that is commonly translated as "compassionate" or "beneficent" which is interchangeable for the word mercy. The word mercy is mentioned throughout the Qur’an in different sections and referencing not only moral codes of Islam, but mercy is sometimes used as an introduction for God in the beginning of a text. For example, every Surra apart from one begins with, “in the name of God, most compassionate.” There are many examples of God’s mercy in the Qur’an, for example, if a Muslim cannot do a task which was commanded of him/her, God will show him/her mercy and accept from this person what they can do. In the Qur’an it says, “There is not upon the weak or upon the ill or upon those who do not find anything to spend any discomfort when they are sincere to Allah and His Messenger. There is not upon the doers of good any cause [for blame]. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful (At-Tawbah 9:91).” Another example is when a Muslim commits a specific sin unintentionally, God shows him/her mercy. In the Qur’an it says, “But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.(Al-Baqarah 2:173).”
 
Mercy is also prevalent in Judaism. The word hesed or rachamim are the two Hebrew words associated with mercy in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the Torah. In Judaism there are prayers called the Selichot prayers. “The core of the Selichot prayers is the 13 Attributes of Mercy, the very words that God taught Moses for the people to use whenever they needed to beg for divine compassion.”
 
“The 13 Attributes of Mercy are found after the incident of the Golden Calf, when God threatened to destroy the people of Israel rather than forgive them (Exod. 32:10). According to the Talmud, Moses felt that Israel’s sin was so serious that there was no possibility of intercession on their behalf (Rosh Hashanah 17b).”
 
“At this point, God appeared to Moses and taught him the 13 Attributes, saying: “Whenever Israel sins, let them recite this [the Thirteen Attributes] in its proper order and I will forgive them.” Thus this appeal to God’s mercy reassures us that repentance is always possible and that God always awaits our return.”

 
Mercy is a common theme in all three Abrahamic religions and I think today, especially with the current circumstances facing Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Middle East and across the globe, mercy should be the virtue that binds us together and is something that we all strive to bestow upon one another in our daily lives.

Below is a blog by David Stewart SJ on the Pope's Prayer Intention for January 2018. This blog has been borrowed from David Stewart's article on the ICN (Independent Catholic News) website. 

​Pope Francis constantly invites us to think about specific concerns and challenges that face all of humanity and the Christian's mission in the world. We are not only to think about these issues but to take them into our prayer then, from there, to try to be more open to whatever action we might be drawn towards, in the power of the Good Spirit. His Prayer Network, which anyone can join, is the principle means by which the Holy Father shares these prayer-requests with the rest of us, indeed with all people of good will.
In 2018, the Network will share, each month, not only these prayer requests but also suggest some challenges connected with them.

Following his highly successful apostolic journey to Myanmar and Bangladesh late last year, it's apposite that this month's intention concerns Asia. It embraces a wider, larger question at the same time, that very basic concern about religious freedom. Pope Francis asks, this month, that we pray about Religious Minorities in Asia: "That Christians, and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practice their faith in full freedom". The focus is on the Asian continent while the question of religious freedom arises in so many other places too, often accompanied by hatred and bigotry, violence and bloodshed. There are some in our world who use religion, somehow, as an excuse to treat others terribly; but theirs is no valid religion, despite their frequent claims to be its only authoritative followers.
Our "Living Prayer 2018" booklet (some copies still in stock - see below) contains some very helpful thoughts on this matter from a Jesuit who comes from that continent. Fr Mark tells us that, in some Asian states, some political and economic liberalisation has eased Christians' situation while in other countries religious freedom has diminished. He asks, in his reflection, hat we recognise and celebrate diversity, seeing it as "a sign of God's abundant blessing" that should lead to "mutual respect and sincere dialogue" rather than "hostility and intolerance".
Jesuit Father Frédéric Fornos, International Director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, told us from our Rome office that "just a few weeks ago, the Pope visited Asia-specifically, Myanmar and Bangladesh-and while there, he emphasised how important it was that different religious creeds be able to live in peace and harmony." Fr.Fornos added, "Asia is a very important continent for the proclamation of the Gospel: a continent in which people of widely diverse cultures and beliefs live together, including many religious minorities. I think that's why Francis decided to dedicate this month to pray for the religious freedom of all."
Just as in 2016 and 2017, Pope Francis begins 2018 sharing his monthly intentions through The Pope Video, prepared and distributed by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. This month, he notes that "in the vastly diversified cultural world of Asia, the Church faces multiple challenges. Her task is made more difficult by the fact of her being a minority. These challenges are shared with other minority religious traditions, with whom we share a desire for wisdom, truth and holiness."

​Making interfaith – a work in progress
 
Thank you Your Grace for your kind words of welcome and to my dear friend Sister Isabel for asking me to share some thoughts about Interfaith this evening.  As you know the theme of this year’s Scottish Interfaith Week is ‘Creativity and the Arts’.  The scope of this theme is summarised on the Interfaith Scotland website as follows:
 
‘Religion and faith has been an inspiration for the expression of beauty, witnessed in creative activities such as architecture, art, music and dance.  This year gives an opportunity to celebrate the diverse expressions of this creative activity in different religions and cultures.’
 
The range of activities already planned across the length and breadth of Scotland is encouraging and I hope will inspire people of all faiths and none to engage in all sort of wonderful and creative dialogue.
 
The St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art reaches a milestone next year as we will be marking the 25th anniversary of the opening of the museum in April 1993 – 1st of April to be precise – yes we opened our doors on the 1st of April!!  Some of you might remember the controversies that raged in the Press around that time (I certainly do!).  These included public condemnations to accusations of ‘bending over backwards to please the ethnic minorities’! It therefore feels appropriate in the context of this year’s theme to share with you some personal highlights from St Mungo’s last 25 years.
 
The St Mungo Museum is indeed full of beautiful and fascinating religious objects; crafted and created, used and lovingly cared for by men and women across the world and across time. The individual objects on display are perhaps not as significant or as important as many of the more world-famous examples of religious art to be found in say, the Louvre in Paris or the Prado in Madrid and of course in the Vatican Museums – whose collection of contemporary religious art is still unrivaled in the world today -  however what perhaps makes St Mungo’s stand out as a unique space is the way the collection is  arranged, the personal stories the displays communicate and the themes explored and interpreted – from the importance of faith throughout the human life cycle -  from birth to death -  to displays that  attempt to unravel and make sense of the subject of sectarianism and religious tribalism in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
 
The building was, of course, never meant to be a museum.  It was built by Glasgow Cathedral (our next door neighbours) as a Visitor Centre but unfortunately for them their funding dried up and the building was taking over by the Museums Department of the Council.  I recall a conversation  years later after the museum opened with the late Dr. William Morris who was minister of the cathedral at that time when I asked him how he felt about raising all the money and then losing the building.  He said ‘Yes Harry it was challenging – but looking back I realize now that God had other plans for the building!’
 
Two events over the past 25 years have shaped my understanding of the museums role - 9/11 and when sectarianism became a hot political topic. The museum has certainly played a role in these debates and the formal school workshop we still offer tackling sectarianism is more popular than ever.  Indeed such a workshop would have been unthinkable 25 years ago when - what Professor Tom Divine exposed as ‘Scotland’s Shame’ - was not even publically recognized as a problem.  Even some politicians of the day were uneasy with our ‘Catholics and Protestant’ display where this is explored fearing this was a negative ‘washing of dirty linen in public’ kind of unsavoury display case  on a subject best left untouched.
 
I was on holiday in Cyprus when the horror of 9/11 unfolded in 2001.  Back in the museum was working on an exhibition about Islam at that time and I pondered how these terrible events would impact on peoples’ perceptions of this great world faith.  The show was called ‘In the Shade of the Tree’ which beautifully documented the Islamic world in photography spanning from the Western Sahara to Western China. I knew visitors would be asking lots of questions about Islam in the wake of what had happened and with the support and encouragement of the Muslim community in Glasgow we planned events to help people come to terms with the events as well as challenging some of nonsense and hatred being fueled by the press.  There were certainly barriers and ignorance to be challenged and this - to my surprise – included some of my own museum colleagues.  Having to convincing a colleague that removing the names of members of the Jewish community from the exhibition preview guest list was not a good idea was a conversation I never expected to have.  They sincerely believed the Jewish community would be grossly offended at being invited to a Muslim exhibition and if invited they would surely would not want to come anyway.  In the end our Jewish friends and supporters were invited and of course turned up in good numbers and along with Glasgow’s other faith representatives stood shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with a Muslim community feeling under siege from abuse and attack.  You see the Jewish community unfortunately knows all too well what that’s like – I had pointed out to my colleague.
 
People and faith communities give our collections meaning but its people who make interfaith happen. I am proud that here in Glasgow and beyond St Mungo’s has played a part in this.  Who can forget the early days of the annual Meet Your Neighbour event when so much was done on a shoestring but with such fun and good will!  Making interfaith is sometimes not easy - and yes – we get things wrong from time to time - and there are still barriers within or own institutions and faith communities that we still need to be address.  Embracing the possibilities of interfaith does not take away or compromise that what we dearly hold to be real and true.  I’d like to finish with a quote from His Holiness Pope Francis who summed this up in his address to an interfaith gathering during his visit to Sri Lanka in 2015. He says                 
 
“As experience has shown for (inter-religious) dialogue and encounter to be effective, it must be grounded in a full and forthright presentation of our respective convictions. Certainly, such dialogue will accentuate how varied our beliefs, traditions and practices are. But if we are honest in presenting our convictions, we will be able to see more clearly what we hold in common. New avenues will be opened for mutual esteem, cooperation and indeed friendship.
 
May Interfaith Week 2017 continue to be a celebration of the rich diversity of our faith traditions in Glasgow and beyond.  So let us keep making interfaith and let’s keep it real. 
 
Harry Dunlop
Learning Curator
St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
Glasgow

A blog by Sister Smyth from her blog found at http://www.interfaithjourneys.net/ 

Alon Goshen-Gottstein from the Elijah Interfaith Institute in Jerusalem has recently published a new book – Religious Genius, Appreciating Inspiring Individuals  Across Traditions. It’s been many years in the making and is the result of a project funded by the John Templeton Foundation. While it’s academic in its approach its purpose is to advance interfaith relations and engagement. I haven’t read the book and am unlikely to do so given its cost but the idea of religious genius is intriguing.  What exactly is it and is it associated with the idea of sainthood with which all religions are familiar?
 
Being an academic project it’s interested in definitions and categories. It recognises the importance of saints within religious traditions but hopes to extend an appreciation of religious figures beyond their own tradition and perhaps even beyond the confines of religion at all. This is not something new to those of us involved in interfaith relations of course. The journey into the faith of others opens us to the wisdom, strength and courage found in the stories of significant figures in other faiths, though not all of them would be categorised as geniuses. For me an element of genius would have to be a new insight into reality or religion, the impact of the message and the lasting effect of its inspiration.  The founders of many of the world religions could fall into this category.
 
This month Baha’is the world over are celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of their founder Baha’u’llah.  The Baha’i religion is a young faith, seen as heretical by Shia Muslims in Iran, sometimes categorised as a new religious movement rather than a world faith by others such as the Vatican for within the history of religion two hundred years is a short time. It’s only recently that the Vatican has entered into a formal dialogue with Sikhism which was founded in the sixteenth century.  It’s interesting though to see a religion in its early days when institutionalisation doesn’t seem to have taken over or debates about the truth of its teaching divided its followers. There’s a freshness in its approach and a beauty in its prayers. An advantage it has over most other religions is that Baha’u’llah was prolific in his writings and Baha’is have a record of what he said. These have been collected into over a hundred volumes which makes studying the Baha’i scriptures a bit difficult. It’s good to have the exact words of the founder but no doubt there will come a time, and perhaps it has already come, that some of these writings will need to be interpreted for another age for insightful and beautiful as they are, they are conditioned by the context in which they were written. A Baha’i friend of mine was quite surprised when she learned that Christians don’t have verbatim reports of the words of Jesus.  
 
The story of Baha’u’llah’s life follows a pattern that is common in the founders of other faiths. His message was foretold and prepared for by a herald, known as the Bab, which means gate in Arabic, a bit like John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus or the hanifs preparing the way for Mohammed’s message.  The Bab, however, is regarded as more than just a messenger, being recognised as a manifestation of God and as such is a co-founder of the Bahai faith.  Baha’u’llah, like the Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Guru Nanak spent some time in the wilderness, alone in meditation after which he announced his message for the world. Like other founders his message was a challenge to the prevailing culture in which he lived and he proved his fidelity to God’s call by his willingness to suffer for what he preached.   
 
The similarities in the lives of religious founders in no way invalidates their stories but shows, perhaps, that religious geniuses, if indeed they were that, will be a challenge to the  culture and religion in which they live, will have to suffer for what they believe, will inspire others to continue their teaching and keep their memory alive. It’s possible to respect and admire the centrality of their teaching, accepting their goodness and significance without believing in their claims of uniqueness. So many people can and do admire Jesus and his teaching without believing that he is the unique Son of God, many people can and do admire Mohammed without believing that he is the last and final prophet and many people can and do admire Baha’u’llah and not accept that he is a unique manifestation of God.
 
The idea and contribution of the idea of religious genius might be that it is a category that allows us to accept and admire the force of a person’s life, the importance of his or her teaching, the impact of their message on the life of their followers and yet bring with it a sense of detachment which does not require commitment or conversion.  It allows us to see humanity at its best and do what Pope Francis encouraged us to do at a recent gathering for peace in Al- Azar University, that is welcome one another as fellow-travellers “in the genuine conviction that the good of each resides in the good of all”  

Blog from Sister Isabel Smyth's website, http://www.interfaithjourneys.net/​ 

This has been a busy week on the interfaith front. We were very lucky and privileged to have Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald with us this last week in Scotland as the guest of the Scottish Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious Dialogue.  Archbishop Fitzgerald is a missionary, an expert in Christian – Muslim relations and the past president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.  We worked him hard. He gave talks in Edinburgh and Glasgow, gave the Time for Reflection at the Scottish Parliament, met university students and participated in a schools’ conference.

As someone who worked at the heart of the Catholic Church Archbishop Michael informed us of some of the formal dialogues set up by the Church. One was a dialogue set up in 2003 on Exploring Spiritual Resources for Peace which produced a statement read out by Pope John Paul before thousands of people in St Peter’s Square. If such a statement was needed in 2003 it’s surely more needed today, though many people would say that the conflicts between religions are more political than religious. In some parts of the world religious and national identity have become confused. Religion is identified with nationalism and used as a reason for denying civic identity, encouraging conflict and violence. At their best religions teach the way of peace and their scriptures are, as the Vatican document states, important resources for peace but it also acknowledges that scripture has often been and continues to be used to justify violence and war. The document says
”Our various communities cannot ignore such passages which have often been misinterpreted or manipulated for unworthy goals such as power, wealth, or revenge, but we must all recognize the need for new, contextual studies and a deeper understanding of our various scriptures that clearly enunciate the   message and value of peace for all humanity”.

Is this suggesting that scriptural study might be necessary for dialogue? It can be difficult to dialogue around a passage of scripture when one conversant takes the scriptures literally and the other understands it within the context in which it was written. Sometimes literal readings can be negative and cause embarrassment while understanding the context can make a difference. For example to know that the Islamic injunction for a Muslim man to have four wives was given in the context of war when many women and children would have been left unprotected in a patriarchal society makes it an expression of compassion more than oppression, as is often thought. All faiths have texts that are difficult. It’s in sharing them that we come to see them in the light of another’s self-understanding. It was only through dialogue that I came to see that the Christian text which suggests that in Christ Jesus there is no Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or freeman  could be seen as denying Judaism an identity rather than a text about unity and inclusion. Certainly not suitable for an interfaith service!

More than once Archbishop Michael mentioned that were the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to be set up now he would prefer it to be called the Council for Interreligious Relations as interfaith is more than dialogue. While formal dialogues are important good relations include working together on social projects, living together, establishing good friendships. In the end good interfaith relations depend on friendship and it’s friendship that helps us face the difficult questions and be honest in our conversations. It’s friendship that cultivates the trust that’s necessary for  interfaith encounters to progress and contribute to peace in our world. It’s friendship that will help us develop our own spirituality and engage in the spiritual adventure of our age which is to pass over into the religion of another and come back to our own changed. It helps us be religious interreligiously. And while formal high powered dialogues are important good relations at grass roots level are vital – often, the Archbishop admitted, sustained by local interfaith groups which are often managed and kept alive by interfaith enthusiasts. In a sense enthusiasts are like prophets, witnessing to the importance of interfaith and encouraging the involvement of others. A friend of mine who has recently got involved a little in interfaith admitted that before this she had never met, talked to, had coffee with someone of another faith – and she will not be the only one for many of us still live within our cultural and religious bubbles.

A good number of people met Archbishop Fitzgerald. Many have said how inspired they were by him and impressed to know how much is going on in interfaith relations at a global level. I hope the Archbishop was equally impressed by what he learned of interfaith work here in Scotland. We may be a small country but we are proud of our good interfaith relations and the many opportunities that we have to develop them even more and to make links with the wider world.