DELIGHT AS RIAZ GIVEN HONOUR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury: 

 

Delight as Riaz given honour

A charity working to strengthen interfaith relations has congratulated a member of staff who has received a major award from De Montfort University.

The director of St Philip's Centre, The Rev Canon Dr John Hall, expressed delight after Riaz Ravat, deputy director of the centre was honoured as Alumnus of the Year. He accepted the award at a graduation ceremony at Curve.

PIONEEERING YOUNGSTERS HELP TO FOSTER INTER-FAITH UNDERSTANDING IN COMMUNITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Pioneering youngsters help to foster inter-faith understanding in community

A group of 15 young people have completed a three-day stage of an inter-faith leadership programme designed to help them achieve their potential.

St Philip's Centre, Evington, which works to build and enhance inter-faith relations, ran the Catalyst bronze programme for 16 to 24-year-olds from Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College.

The course is funded by Near Neighbours through the Department for Communities and Local Government. It follows on from programmes already delivered to young people from Leicester College, Gateway College and Shree Sanatan Mandir.

Each day of Catalyst is based on a theme, including leadership attributes and styles, presentation and communication skills, running community projects and inter-faith understanding.

Another important module, decision-making, is delivered by Leicestershire Police.

Riaz Ravat, deputy director of St Philip's Centre, said: "Since Catalyst was launched in 2012, nearly 70 young people from Leicester and East London have taken part.

"These are young people in whom we have invested to develop their knowledge, skills and potential to make a positive difference to those around them.

"Catalyst specifically builds trust and good inter-faith relationships."

CATHEDRAL AM, MAY 2013

Canon Barry Naylor (left) & Riaz Ravat

It's a very short walk between BBC Radio Leicester and Leicester Cathedral, so hardly five minutes after my appearance on Jonathan Lampon's breakfast show, I'm sitting down to a breakfast of my own at Cathedral AM. Half a dozen attendees are seated already when I arrive. At least two of them tell me that they just heard me on the radio!

When I used to live this side of town I came to Cathedral AM often, but this is the first time I've made it in 18 months (literally; the last one was 30 November 2011).

Cathedral AM is an early morning networking event for people with particular interest in the city centre. From the start, the meetings have been hosted by Canon Barry Naylor and Julie Ann Heath. Breakfast is served from 0730 then there's a speaker from 0800. This morning it's Riaz Ravat, Deputy Director at St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society.

Just before leaving, I have a brief word with Jo Tallack, General Manager at Highcross. She asks me if we'll be coming back for our exhibition during Inter Faith Week in November. When I say yes, she asks me to send her the dates so she can put it in the diary.

LEARNING FOR LIFE: HOW ISLAM IS TAUGHT TO CHILDREN IN A MULTI-FAITH SOCIETY

 

At Madani High School and Community Centre, Evington Valley Road, this evening, for a meeting of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group. The topic is "Learning for Life: How Islam is taught to children in a multi-faith society".

 

There are 11 attendees. Fliers were produced six weeks ago which said that it was intended that at this meeting, "Members of Leicester's SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education") join us for a discussion on the theme". However, when SACRE met last week at Quaker Meeting House, it turned out that no invitation to this meeting had been received. I forwarded the flier with details of the meeting at Madani to SACRE's officers, and it was circulated to members on Friday morning.

 

Allan Hayes and I are here, both Co-opted Members of SACRE without voting rights (there's no place in the structure of SACRE for full representatives of Secular Humanism or any inter faith organisation). Later on, Stephen Thompson (Methodist representative on SACRE) joins us. We three found out about this meeting through independent channels, not at the SACRE meeting last week or through the last-minute mailing by SACRE. I'm sure that we can report to the next SACRE meeting, say what a good opportunity this evening presented for addressing such an important topic and that if the chance arises to cover this topic again, it would be hoped that SACRE members would support in numbers. I should say that the non-communication about this meeting was not the fault of anyone here this evening or any member of the Dialogue Group.

Revd Pete Hobson (Joint Co-ordinator of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group), Sheikh Shafi Chowdhury, Daud Sameja (Joint Co-ordinator of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group)

Apparently this is the first meeting of this group outside St Philip's Centre (although the April meeting, co-hosted with Leicester Council of Faiths, at which Bruce Kent spoke, took place in St Philip's Church Hall - though that would be splitting hairs). There was a short discussion about whether this evening's venue might have put off potential attendees, but I hope that's not true. This is the middle of Christian Aid Week, which might have drawn away some interested people, compounding the problems of lack of promotion.

The speaker this evening is Sheikh Shafi Chowdhury. He is an Imam, a qualified and experienced teacher, currently working in a multi-faith prison chaplaincy. He speaks for 20 minutes or so with compassion, humility, humour, knowledge and reflection. His talk is peppered with authoritative references to the Qur’án, Hadith and incidents from the life of the Prophet, his companions and early followers of Islam. He mixes personal experience with a historical overview of the meaning and role of education for the Muslim community (worldwide, in England and in Leicester), set within the broad sweep of the historical development of Islam in general.

Key to an understanding of this topic is the inescapable fact that Islam does not differentiate between the "sacred" and the "profane", nor does it categorise experience or phenomena as "spiritual" and "material" in terms of being complementary or oppositional. Such differentiation could be said to be central to the western idea of humanist, liberal, secular education. In classical terms, this meant that those figures whom we might identify as religious scholars in the Muslim world were also scholars of "natural philosophy", leading to innovation in the arts, humanities and sciences alongside insights in matters of faith, belief and religious practice. Of course there are many examples of the same thing happening within other faith communities, but it could be said that this was such a distinctive quality of Islam that when it became the exception rather than the rule, some 300 years ago, it exemplified  a radical change in the expansive and inclusive nature of Islam that had driven its success up till then.

Our speaker says many things that are worth mulling over beyond this meeting. Here are just two of them (quoted here with his permission):

"The curse of superficiality of faith is to be challenged by everything and to be frightened of everything. We cannot be fully Muslim unless we reach out and engage with our neighbours."

"Today all our communities are brought up with a heightened awareness of difference, of consciousness of the Other."

This is the first time I've attended a meeting of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group proper. I'm sure it won't be the last. I found it a stimulating, thought-provoking occasion in which a variety of view were welcome. With better promotion, I'm sure more people would enjoy these meetings and contribute to this important ongoing conversation.

OPEN MEETING: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

This evening the Council of Faiths co-hosts an open meeting on Weapons of Mass Destruction at St Philip's Church Hall, Evington. This meeting is being held in association with St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society and the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group.

This is the fifth in a series of such meetings, on topics of interest to people from all sorts of communities across the city. I've posted on this blog about the three earlier meetings:

• Hate Crime and the Criminal Justice System, 27 February 2013
• Faith in Family, 20 November 2012
• God in My Faith, 13 March 2012
• Open Meeting with City Mayor, 31 January 2012

The speaker this evening is Bruce Kent, who is in Leicester today on the latest leg of his Scrap Trident Tour.

There are more than 60 people in attendance, though you could count those who are members of the Council of Faiths on the fingers of one hand. Most of the people here would appear to be drawn from local CND or Leicester Secular Society.

Bruce Kent (in that jumper) with Revd Sonya Brown

We are welcomed by Revd Sonya Brown, Curate at St Philips Parish Church. This is followed by an introduction by Revd Pete Hobson, Co-Chair of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group.

I've not attempted to make a full record of Bruce Kent's talk. His position on this topic is well known, to put it mildly. Here are a few points, however, that stuck out for me:

• He emphasised that he is interested not so much in the elimination of nuclear weapons as in the elimination of war.
• He discussed how the idea of Weapons of Mass Destruction have a history that goes much farther back than Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• He asserted that the moral and religious arguments are barely worth discussing - self-evidently against weapons of mass destruction.
• He posited that the argument carrying most weight at the moment is the economic one - as a country, we cannot afford these weapons.

Daud Sameja, Co-Chair of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group, invites questions and comments from the audience. This part of the session lasts more than 45 minutes.

Suleman Nagdi makes a contribution that brings to mind a speech given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá almost exactly 100 years ago. This is entitled, "The Cruel Indifference of the People Towards the Suffering of Foreign Races", published in Paris Talks.

The question of how to reach young people with this message comes up early. Amongst a flurry of comments about how young people are apathetic and not informed or interested in big issues such as nuclear disarmament, I ask how many of us had seen Doctor Who this weekend. "Cold War" was set on board a Soviet nuclear submarine in 1983. While not especially strong on historical veracity (with a Martian Ice Warrior on board, threatening to set off the submarine's arsenal) but it certainly would have foregrounded the subject in the minds of its more than six million viewers, by far the majority of whom will have been children and young people. Only two of those present has seen it (just Pete Hobson and me); there was a kind of positive bafflement on many faces, that something unexpected has happened to increase young people's awareness - and, potentially, their interest - in this issue.

When I get to the front and take the microphone in my own right, to ask Bruce Kent what single thing has give him the greatest personal satisfaction during more than 25 years of campaigning. He has to rack his brains for an answer and when he does come up with one, it would appear to be a surprise to most of us here. He picks the honour paid to Franz Jägerstätter (who refused to serve in the army under Nazi rule) recently in Linz Cathedral, Austria.

While at the microphone, I mention that the one previous occasion I had met the speaker was in 1984, when he undertook a peace march from Faslane to Aldermaston. This started off near where I lived at the time, in Dumbarton, and I walked with Bruce Kent on the first day, from the nuclear submarine base (and peace camp) at Faslane to the town hall in Dumbarton, where there was a small civic reception. On that occasion, I presented him with a copy of The Promise of World Peace, which was only recently published and which we had a good record of distributing around the town and district.

At the end of the meeting this evening, a couple came up to me and said that they had organised that walk in 1984 and had done the whole route themselves, so we must have met on that day, 29 years before. Unfortunately for me (and for you, faithful reader), they were whisked away when my back was turned, so I managed to get neither a photograph nor their names.

INTER-FAITH PROJECT IN AWARD JOY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Inter-faith project in award joy

An inter-faith project to improve a neighbourhood in Oadby has been given an award in the House of Commons.

In October, volunteers from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh backgrounds took part in a project to plant bulbs and clear shrubs around Fludes Lane, in Oadby.

The project was organised by the St Philip's Centre in Evington, which works to bring the city's different religions together.

The work took part [sic] on Sewa Day, an international day of selfless giving and the organisers went to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pick up their Sewa Pioneers Award.

Riaz Ravat, deputy director of St Philip's Centre, said: "This award is a tribute to the many volunteers who put Leicester and Leicestershire on the map.

"Projects from across the globe were nominated for this important accolade and our volunteers showed once again that serving important causes can be done by working with people of all faith and belief backgrounds."

Rupa Kanabar, an Oadby resident who took part in the project, said: "Sewa Day has proved that by bringing all the communities together, we can really make the environment and our world a better place."

SEEING IS BELIEVING: EXPOSING THEMES FOR DIALOGUE

At St Martins House this evening for a seminar accompanying the display of winners and finalists of the national photographic competition, Faith Through a Lens.

The seminar, entitled Seeing is Believing: Exposing Themes for Dialogue, is led by Revd Canon Dr John Hall, Director of St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society, which is hosting the Faith Through a Lens exhibition (under the title Faith in the Community) for a week here in Leicester.

John walks the group around the exhibition, leading and encouraging discussion and reflection on the twelve photographs in turn and how each of them fits into the three themes of the competition: Moments of Faith; Community Spirit Against the Odds; and A Year of Service.

John explains that this is the third in a series of touring exhibitions that St Philip’s Centre has put on in 2012-13 (one per academic term). The previous two were Religious Tolerance - Islam in the Sultanate of Oman (July 2012) and Multi Faith Spaces (October 2012). The Centre hopes to make this a regular part of its public programme.

In the photo above, Revd Canon Dr John Hall and Maureen Hebblewhite (Centre Manager at St Philip's) are shown with the overall winner of Faith Through a Lens Photography Exhibition 2012, “Brothers in Arms” by Paul Tiller.

I'll pick out a couple of the photos we looked at and talked about this evening.

Ayyam-i-Ha

by Ronnie Bindra

This photo was taken at the National Bahá'í Centre in Knightsbridge during Ayyám-i-Há, a short period that precedes the Bahá'í period of fasting every March. During Ayyám-i-Há, acts of charity, generosity and hospitality are emphasised. In this photo, people of many faiths and traditions are collecting toiletries to distribute to vulnerably homed people as part of a Year of Service project. I spoke about Ayyám-i-Há to the group this evening - and the Fast that follows it and Naw-Rúz that brings the Fast to an end. Perfect timing too, as we were looking at this photo if not right on sunset, as close to it as makes no difference. So I said that it was Bahá'í New Year right now. Everyone was very nice and wished me Happy New Year. Except I realised soon after that I was a day early! I didn't own up though; didn't want to be a buzzkill!

Helping Hands

by Bobbie Cook

This one gave me pause for thought. When I was younger, I hoped I would be the guy on the left, lending a helping hand. Nowadays, I begin to hope that when I'm the guy on the right, someone else will be there to lend me a helping hand!

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY: AN EXHIBITION

All this week at St Martins House, St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society  presents a collection of inspiring images from winners and finalists of Faith Through a Lens, an annual photographic competition attracting entries from all over the UK. Profiling faith in the community, entrants were judged across three categories:

• Moments of Faith
• Community Spirit Against the Odds
• A Year of Service

Judges for the 2012 competition included renowned photo journalist Don McCullin, Minister for Faith and Communities, Baroness Warsi and the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP.

All copy below comes from the exhibition catalogue. All images are the property of  Congregational & General Insurance Company, sponsors of the competition.

Brothers in Arms

by Paul Tiller
OVERALL WINNER

This winning entry was praised by all the judges as an exceptional photograph focusing on two Romanian drug addicts who were helped by a Christian ministry. As an image it has immediate impact and was praised for clearly conveying the message of a moment of faith. It has fantastic use of light and has been closely cropped to create a real intensity in its composition. The New Testament seems almost luminous and there is a sense that the two men are in a world of their own as they read these words from the Bible. The photo was a unanimous favourite amongst the judges, with its compelling subject matter and excellent composition making it a worthy winner indeed.

Alfred's Lunch

by Sarah Phipps

Sarah's photograph was highly praised by the judges for profiling the work of unsung heroes who do so much "behind the scenes" in society. it's a simple act of giving someone a meal, but it's a powerful act nonetheless and portrays a positive community spirit message. It's a photograph that has both warmth and visual interest.

There but for the Grace of God

by Bob Boler

Excellent composition and good tonal balance makes this image stand out. There is a connection between the two people and the expressions on their faces are very well caught. it was judged to be powerful, with a sense of movement and several points of interest around the central characters. It's not just a case of "down and out" or a negative portrayal of homelessness. The photograph clearly portrays a service.

Receive

by Angela Broadberry

Singled out for its clear Eucharistic overtones, this photo was praised by the judges for its quality and tone of light. The composition was well liked there is a softness to the photo and calmness much like a still-life painting. The clarity of the lines on the person's hands gives the photo added character and depth.

Hands of Love

by Jennifer Humphreys

This photo was judged to have a strong composition and was well like by the judges with an overall image that symbolises community and openness. The photo speaks of an openness to receive and the strong bonds that exist between members of faith communities across the UK.

Eyes On Me

by Elija Paul Villanueava

A visually interesting image created through the use of colour. This photograph was praised for having a painting-like appearance, much like a Canaletto. The composition was also highlighted being strong with St Paul's Cathedral central to the image conveying a message of faith.

Love of Faith

by Ravin Mehta

The judges felt that this lively image reflected a positive powerful force. There is good colour balance and the setting of Trafalgar Square, the scene of many gatherings over the years, adds dynamism to the scene.

Interfaith Iftaar

by Riaz Ravat

A strong photograph demonstrating the cohesion in society as represented by many different faith and community groups coming together. It communicates diversity and multi-faith strongly and speaks of community spirit too.

Ayyam-i-Ha

by Ronnie Bindra

There is a great deal of vibrancy and activity within this photograph, with people giving, talking and sharing. This was thought to be a good representation of the category as well as being pleasing to the eye. It has a positive image of everyone working together. [I should add here that this photo was taken at the National Bahá'í Centre in Knightsbridge during Ayyám-i-Há, a short period that precedes the Bahá'í period of fasting every March. During Ayyám-i-Há, acts of charity, generosity and hospitality are emphasised. In this photo, people of many faiths and traditions are collecting toiletries to distribute to vulnerably homed people as part of a Year of Service project. - GMB]

Realisation

by Gary Watson

This was thought to be a nicely composed photograph which captures a poignant moment that speaks about faith. The photographer has chosen to highlight certain elements of the scene with colour which draws attention and invites the viewer to question why?

Hope, Faith & Love

by Kamal Mostofi

The image portrays a very strong and dramatic image depicting uncomfortable subject matter. The central character's face shows the pain that homelessness can bring. The power of this photo comes from its clear and gritty portrayal of humanity, but its clear and gritty portrayal of humanity, but its photographic beauty comes from the fact that there is always hope, even in the midst of despair.

Helping Hands

by Bobbie Cook

This simple almost self explanatory street scene was singled out for its very powerful composition; in particular the figures of the elderly man stooped and walking with crutches in juxtaposition to the young helper. It portrays a sense of humanity and the prospect of hope in humanity and the prospect of hope in society too. This was judged to be an uplifting and poignant image.

Faith in the Community runs till 1200 on Friday 22 March. Revd Dr John Hall, Director of St Philip's Centre, presents Seeing is Believing: Exposing Themes for Dialogue, a reflective seminar discussing  themes of the exhibition's imagery and exploring the possibilities for further inter faith dialogue at 1800 on Tuesday 19 March in The Wycliffe Suite at St Martins House.

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

MEET IAIN STEWART, GENERAL SECRETARY, EDINBURGH INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION

A lunchtime meeting in Brucciani's, Church Gate, with Iain Stewart, General Secretary of Edinburgh Interfaith Association. Iain is taking the MA in Inter Religious Relations at St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society and is down here for one of the course sessions tomorrow.

Iain and I met for the first time almost exactly a year ago at an  second Open Meeting sponsored by Leicester Council of Faiths. The topic was "God in My Faith" and the meeting was held in in the Parish Hall of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Mere Road, Highfields. At that time, Iain was in his previous post as Interfaith Worker for the Church of Scotland. On that occasion we had barely enough time to introduce ourselves one to the other and promise to make time to meet again later. So here we are!

We know many of the same people and places that feature strongly in the inter faith work in Scotland - although my experience there is mostly historical. It's good to hear about the current scene in my home country - and home town of Glasgow in particular.

At the end of our hour or so together, I take Iain into Highcross, to show him the site of our annual Inter Faith Week exhibition and the Faith Room nearby. I can tell he's impressed - I hoped he would be! 

MEET WILL BALDET, PREVENT COORDINATOR

At St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society this morning for a meeting with Will Baldet, Prevent Coordinator for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

I first met Will last month, at a Knowledge Exchange Seminar in the Multifaith Centre at the University of Derby on the topic of Islam and Higher Education. We've been looking for the chance to get together for this conversation since then.

I'm grateful to Will for clearing a couple of hours so close to the international conference that he's organising at De Montfort University this Saturday. "Virtual Voices, Real Lives" will consider the realities of radicalisation and the role of social media in Islamophobia, extremism and social change. As you can imagine, faithful reader, I'm excited at the prospect of social media being taken seriously in this context and am looking forward to taking part in the conference myself.

Will was appointed Prevent Coordinator for Leicester in October last year. He talks me through how Prevent has changed, what it means now and how it relates to the distinctive circumstances of our city. I, in turn, walk him through the structure, function and relevance of Leicester Council of Faiths. We map out areas of overlap between Prevent and the Council of Faiths, complementary aspects of his work and mine, particularly regarding social cohesion. It would make sense for him to meet the Board of Leicester Council of Faiths to brief them on Prevent. I hope we can make that happen soon. I also offer to help him make contact with other appropriate organisations and agencies, such as Network for Change and Leicester SACRE.

The appointment of a Prevent Coordinator at S Philip's Centre was funded by the Home Office and is designed to co-ordinate the preventative strand of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST in Leicester. The aim of Prevent is to help communities develop the resilience to counter the national threat in all its forms, and to empower the community itself with the support of partner agencies to address these difficult challenges.

As we're wrapping up our two-hour meeting, we discover a shared interest in comics. Will favours Marvel (particularly Daredevil, the Man Without Fear), while I'm more firmly DC. Those who get such things may see what that might tell us about Will - and about how he and I could work together.

Follow Will's Twitter feed, @Leics_SafeSPACE: challenging religious and political extremism and providing the space for Leicester's communities to debate the issues online.

Follow Leicester SafeSpace on Facebook: An online forum to discuss and debate issues of political or religious extremism, share ideas on making our communities more resilient to extremist voices and publicise local and national events of interest.

HONOUR IS CAUSE FOR CELEBERATION

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Honour is cause for celebration

The New Year Honours gave us special reason to celebrate the new year with a renewed sense of hope and optimism.

For among the many worthy local recipients was Riaz Ravat, deputy director of the St Philip's Centre, who has worked tirelessly to combat faith prejudice, sectarianism and bigotry.

He is one of the few Muslim community figures who has reached out to our community and made efforts to tear down the barriers and counter misinformation about Ahmadiyya Muslims. Our group has been ostracized by some of the faith communities for decades and his efforts have given us all hope for the future.

The battle against extremism, ignorance and prejudice is a long and hard one, but with people like Riaz, and the work of the St Philips's Centre, the new year gives us all cause for celebration.

Dr Habib Akram, President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Leicester

HELPERS GET HANDY AS PART OF SEWA DAY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Helpers get handy as part of Sewa Day

Dozens of volunteers from Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities teamed up for a day of service to the community.

The came together with the St Philip's Centre in Evington, Leicester, to mark Sewa Day and helped clean up Fludes Lane, in Oadby, on Sunday.

The 40 volunteers cleared the area – a walk-through from the A6 to a group of houses – of litter and planted flower bulbs to spruce it up.

Rupa Kanabar, from Oadby, said: "Material things and money alone cannot bring groups together, so our project, as well as caring for the environemnt, aims to create inter faith understanding and friendships."

Riaz Ravat, deputy director at St Philip's Centre, said: "Sewa Day is a special time of the year when Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities work collectively for the good of all.

"These communities have a rich tradition of carrying out Sewa every day of the year, but Sewa Day is an event which co-ordinates charity efforts across the globe.

"We are delighted to be involved yet again in this important initiative."

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council provided jackets and equipment for the clean-up.

SPECIAL MEAL MARKS END OF RAMADAN

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury (some nine days after the event):

Special meal marks end of Ramadan

Members of different religions in the city gathered for a meal together.

Bishop of Leicester, the Right Reverend Tim Stevens, and assistant city mayor Manjula Sood were among the guests who joined Muslims marking the end of their day of fasting for Ramadan.

The event, at St Philip's Centre [St Philip's Church, in fact], in Evington, Leicester, on Wednesday, August 15, was organised by the Federation of Muslim Organisations in Leicester.

The meal, known as an Iftaar, was attended by guests representing Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and other faiths and non-faith communities.

The federation also organised regular meals for the homeless and hungry during Ramadan.

Federation spokesman Suleman Nagdi, said: "The blessed month of Ramadan is a time for sharing and giving.

"However, there are many Muslims and people of other faiths who are vulnerable and lonely and do not get to enjoy the togetherness of Iftaar. It is our hope that we are able to bring hope and happiness to those who desperately need it."

MAPPING FAITH & PLACE IN LEICESTER CONFERENCE

The Grand Hall in St Martins House is the venue for this conference, concluding the first phase of the University of Leicester's Mapping Faith and Place project. I haven't been in the Grand Hall before, but it's a setting that lives up to its name, one fit for a queen. Literally, in this case, as HM Queen Elizabeth II was served lunch here on her recent visit to Leicester which kicked off her Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Some of those attending today were guests on that occasion.

Deirdre O'Sullivan (Lecturer in Medieaval Archaeology at the University of Leicester) welcomes attendees and introduces the project. The rest of the day is taken up with a number of presentations:

Heritage and Multi-Faith in Leicester, Canon Dr John Hall, Director, St Philip's Centre for Study andEngagement in a Multi-Faith Society

English Heritage Policy on Faith Buildings, Dr Lind Monckton, English Heritage

History and Interpretation, Surinderpal Rai, Chair, Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara

Leicester Perspective, CllrManjula Sood, Assistant Mayor (and Chair, Leicester Council of Faiths)

Jain Heritage in Leicester, Dr Atul Shah, CEO, Diverse Ethics

The Church of St Mary de Castro: a Document in our Midst, David Lamb, St Mary de Castro

An Archaelogical Approach to Understanding Religious Buildings, Neil Finn, Archaeological Consultant

The Story of Leicester, Sarah Levitt, Leicester City Council Arts and Museums Service

An interesting variety of presentations, to be sure, but it wouldn't be unfair to say that they're something of a mixed bag. Although the conference is sponsored by the University of Leicester, it's not, strictly speaking, an academic occasion, so it would be wrong to hold all the contributions to the kind of rigorous standard. Let's just say that the standards of preparation and delivery vary today.

Mapping Faith and Place in Leicester has been funded by the Art and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) within their funding stream, "Care for the Future: Thinking Forward Through the Past". After the end of this initial period of funding, the project moves into a new phase, focusing on the past, present and future uses of one faith-related site in particular: Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara on East Park Road.

The Council of Faiths has lent a hand at various stages of the Mapping Faith and Place in Leicester project (although if we'd grasped how significant it is, we'd surely have done more to help). I've posted entries about the launch event in October 2011 and the first, second and third seminars for the project in this blog. We borrowed the project's pop-up banners for our display at Highcross during Inter Faith Week 2011, when we also distributed many copies of the Leicester Faith Trail booklet (the second, updated edition of which is published today). Members of staff Deirdre O'Sullivan and Dr Ruth Young (Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Director of Distance Learning Strategy) and students from the School of Archaeology and Ancient History took part in that exhibition. There are several members of the Council of Faiths here today and, of course, our Chair, Cllr Manjula Sood, is one of the platform speakers. But I can't help wishing we'd been able to make a more formal presentation. There were some questions from the floor about inter-faith issues in Leicester that some of the platform speakers were unable to answer, that would have surely been part of a proper presentation by the Council of Faiths (regarding consultation with the city's decision-making bodies, for example).

I've enjoyed being involved in this project. It's opened some doors for me and introduced me to some good people I might otherwise never have met. I hope that I (and Leicester Council of Faiths) can play an active part in the project's future development and even find new ways to contribute and collaborate.

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

ACCLAIMED EXHIBITION COMES TO CITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Acclaimed exhibition comes to city

An exhibition about religious tolerance which is touring European cities has come to Leicester.

The St Philip's Centre, in Evington, is hosting the "Religious Tolerance – Islam" in the Sultanate of Oman exhibition.

Leicester is the next stop on the tour after the exhibition visited Madrid.

Riaz Ravat, deputy director at the centre, said: "It is a great coup for us to be selected to host this exhibition."

The exhibition details how in Oman, which is a predominately Muslim country, the rights of minorities such as Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Jews are guaranteed by the state.

The Rev Canon Dr John Hall, director of St Philip's Centre, said: "We are proud and honoured to be hosting this exhibition."

The exhibition, which is free, is being staged in St Philip's Church at the centre in Evington Road, Evington, from 10am until 4pm up to and including this Friday.

BISHOP OF LEICESTER'S GARDEN PARTY

At Bishop's Lodge, Springfield Road, this evening for the annual garden party hosted by the Bishop of Leicester. Bishop Tim holds this event at a similar time each year, extending his hospitality to members of his Faith Leaders Forum. This particular gathering is dedicated to celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of Leicester Council of Faiths. This has meant that many people who are not normally invited to attend the Faith Leaders Forum have been asked here this evening. Representatives of the eight member communities which constitute the Council of Faiths are in attendance, as are friends and supporters, including those who don't identify with any particular faith - or, indeed, any faith at all.

After we've enjoyed some food together, Bishop Tim gives a welcoming address, in which he mentions the major events which have happened during his tenure: the millennium; 9/11; war in Afghanistan and Iraq; 7/7. All these events played their part in leading to the establishment of the Faith Leaders Forum and the St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society, both of which have strengthened the Diocese's presence in inter-faith engagement.

We hear a message from Dr Atta'ullah Siddiqui, former Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths, followed by a speech from Cllr Manjula Sood and current Chair. She recognises the endeavour of founding figures and early members of the Council of Faiths, some of whom are here, some of whom are now too old and inform to be present at this occasion, some of whom have passed away.

There's a convivial atmosphere with a lot of praise for the progress that the Council of Faiths has made over the last quarter of a century, as well as recognition of some of the big challenges ahead. Much confidence is expressed that the Council of Faiths will meet the tests of the future, as it has the tests of the past. Such confidence is all very well, but from my point of view, with my sleeves rolled up, doing the day-to-day work of the Council of Faiths, I'd have liked someone to acknowledge that our biggest challenge will be meeting those forthcoming tests with less funding, fewer committed members and potentially (and most damagingly) no staff. I would deny that that's lack of faith on my part. I don't believe that all those who have the opportunity to speak this evening are actually aware of the oncoming difficulties in terms of resourcing and sustaining the work of Leicester Council of Faiths.

In the photo above: The Right Revd Dr Tom Butler (the previous Bishop of Leicester), Kayhar Singh, Tony Nelson, Minou Cortazzi and Cllr Manjula Sood cut the 25th anniversary cake. I get a lovely corner bit, which has the best icing coverage.

BBC RADIO LEICESTER: DISCUSSING RECONCILIATION WITH MONICA WINFIELD

On BBC Radio Leicester this morning with Monica Winfield, talking about reconciliation. John Florance contacted Jan McDonald, Secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Leicester earlier this week to ask if a Bahá'í could take part in the show, speaking to the topic from a Bahá'í point of view. Jan asked me and I said yes. Our topic arises from the "highly symbolic" handshake between the Queen and Martin McGuiness that took place on Her Majesty's recent visit to Northern Ireland as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration.

The other two guests on the panel are Canon David Monteith from Leicester Cathedral, who was born in Northern Ireland and is newly appointed Chair of Trustees at St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society and Denise Carter, who is a director of local company, AIM, which offers mediation services to families in crisis. They're in the photo below with Rebecca Bryers, producer of Monica's show. I'm introduced on air as both being a Bahá'í and working for Leicester Council of Faiths. Monica asks me questions that draw on both those threads.

I appeared on Monica's Sunday morning show back in February this year, on a panel of three discussing the topic of forgiveness (blogged here). When we're off-air, I tell her that next time she has to get me on to speak about something juicier, such as - vengeance!