I'm appearing on John Florance's show this morning on BBC Radio Leicester. He’s interviewing me on the subject of Inter Faith Week, which begins today. I've been asked to come on just after the 8 o'clock news. I walk to the studio from home in Stoneygate. It's much too early for the first bus and I seem to have spent a small fortune on taxis recently.
It's a pleasant misty autumn morning and I arrive at the studio a few minutes before the hour. I enjoy the walk (even if the city centre doesn't look its best this time of a Sunday morning, before the debris from the night before has been cleaned away). Tomorrow, however, I'll be getting a cab here. I don't cover this route as quickly as I think I do and I have to be here a full 90 minutes earlier to read my Thought for the Day at 0630 on Ben Jackson’s Breakfast Show.
I'm brought into the building, then into the anteroom to the studio by John's producer, Becca Bryers. Three years ago, I was in the same spot with Shaikh Ibrahim Moghrah and Noel Singh, speaking with John on air about the first Inter Faith Week to be held in England and Wales. Back then, in November 2009, we didn't really know what to expect - or whether Inter Faith Week was going to be more than a one-shot deal.
John interviews me for a quarter of an hour or so, in which I get to explain the purpose of Inter Faith Week, promote some of our activities for it and announce the launch of Leicester Council of Faiths' 25th anniversary, which we're tagging on to this week. We were hoping to have someone from Phoenix Square here today, to talk about the Faiths Film Festival that’s running there this week, but I couldn't persuade any member of staff to come out at this time of the morning. But I hold my own on this too.
John raises that hoary old chestnut about whether we're doing no more than preaching to the converted during this week. I'll credit him with playing Devil's Advocate on this one. I make what I’d like to think is a spirited response and point out that all the activities sponsored by Leicester Council of Faiths during Inter Faith Week are outward-facing, aimed at the general public and that they’re taking place in venues not normally associated with religion or belief. The accusation that we might be "preaching to the converted" certainly doesn't apply to what we're doing this year (or, hopefully, in either of the past two years, for that matter).
Before I leave, I fix a time during the week when Becca can come to Highcross and gather some information about the Multi-Faith Prayer Room there, for next Sunday's show. I’ll have to clear that with Highcross management first, of course.
Then it's off to Bishop Street, to round up everything we need to set up the exhibition in Highcross - and to await Rosemarie Fitton and her little van.
PS: Later this evening, the interview was broadcast again.
This evening is the official launch of National Inter Faith Week for the city and county at County Hall, Glenfield (seat of Leicestershire County Council). Since I stayed at Highcross for the change of shifts at 1800, I arrive at County Hall after most of the food and drink has gone. Thanks to Sugra Ahmed, for guiding me to some vegetarian items that were left. Thankfully there aren't many vegetarian Muslims here this evening.
This is a well supported meeting, in the Council Chamber, in the presence of the Leader of the County Council, Councillor Roger Wilson, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leicester (for the second time today) and the Bishop of Leicester. It’s chaired by the Venerable Paul Hackwood, Archdeacon of Loughborough and Chair of the Interfaith Forum for Leicestershire. There’s an interesting mix of speakers and topics: Islam Awareness Week; Faiths Forum for the East Midlands; an “inter-faith recipe book”; an extract from a panto staged by Loughborough Council of Faiths; the signing of an “Inter-Faith Charter” by faith community leaders and representatives. Resham Singh Sandhu (Vice-Chair of Leicestershire Inter-Faith Forum and former Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths) delivers a typically rousing closing address. The evening concludes with a solo musical performance by Naim Cortazzi. I find out later that this was the first time a guitar had ever been wielded in the Council Chamber at County Hall!
Noel Singh gets a well-deserved ovation for his work in co-ordinating the week’s events and for being directly involved in organising this evening. In his own presentation, introducing the County Council’s small grants for community cohesion work, he's clearly conscious of the schedule running over by almost half an hour; I’ve never heard him speak so fast!
The keynote speaker is Dr Maureen Sier, Interfaith Development Officer for the Scottish Government. Scotland has had its own annual National Inter Faith Week for several years (theirs starts next week) and Maureen was speaking about the Scottish experience, how it has developed over the years and what we might learn from it as we hold the first such week nationally in England. I’ve known Maureen for over 30 years and I’m glad she was able to come down from Glasgow to speak at this event. She’s given me a lot of encouragement and support in the two-and-a-half years I’ve been at Leicester Council of Faiths and has been something of a touchstone to me in this important work that I'm fortunate enough to be doing.
In the evening, a choice: either I go to Shree Sanatan Mandir for the last of the Diwali celebrations, or to Secular Hall, to hear Resham Singh Sandhu speak on "Sikhs in British Society". This isn't an official part of the programme for National Inter Faith Week, but it's an auspicious day for it. I imagine that most members of the Council of Faiths will be going to Shree Sanatan Mandir - and there's no denying the obvious attraction of that. I opt for supporting Resham, since I reckon he'll probably be at Secular Hall on his own. This isn't an official part of the programme for National Inter Faith Week, but it's obviously a good day to have this talk. I arrive at Secular Hall a few minutes late and Resham's already speaking, to an audience of 20 or so. He gives an eloquent and wide-ranging presentation on Sikhs' relations with British society, its people and institutions, past, present and future. He has to leave promptly, before Q&A. On the way out, he pauses to ask me, "Aren't you coming to Hindu temple?" but he doesn't wait for my answer.
I decide to stay for Q&A, in case my meagre knowledge of Sikhism might help. Noel Singh is sitting beside me and responds to questions from the perspective of being a Sikh by birth, culture and upbringing – but having chosen not to follow the religion himself. A Sikh mother and daughter also speak there, mostly about gurdwaras in Leicester and a little bit about Sikh funeral practices. It's all conducted in an amiable atmosphere and several of the members of the Secular Society tell their own tales about acts of kindness and generosity shown to them personally by Sikhs at one time or another. They seem to conclude that the only trouble with Sikhism is that it's a religion and not a social movement - that they'd find it perfectly acceptable if it weren't for the fact that Sikhs believe in God. I tell them that that's their problem, rather than the Sikhs'! I leave the meeting (after tea and biscuits and the customary convivial chat with their President, Allan Hayes) with a distinctly warm feeling about this evening.
