Courageous Conversations: Nurturing Community Relations in Light of Events in the Middle East

We recently held the second meeting in this series of carefully facilitated dialogues with Jews, Muslims and Christians – in recognition of the alarming recent rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia and the great strain placed on interfaith relations by the devastating events in the Middle East.

Interfaith Glasgow and Interfaith Scotland are working in partnership to provide a space where board members and close supporters can share honestly about these issues which are deeply impacting our communities, to ensure that we can continue to build positive relations in these testing times.

We have been heartened by the genuine commitment and mutual concern of all involved, with many indicating that this is the only forum they know of where they are supported to have these difficult but vital conversations; and emphasising how valuable they are finding this opportunity.

Far from shying away from the hard stuff, they asked for more time together to explore key areas of contention — such as the marches / rallies and the intention and impact of the use of certain words and phrases. They are also committed to identifying practical ways in which we can continue to build positive community relations — such as public acts of solidarity, combating misinformation, promoting empathy, and strengthening lines of communication between our communities.

Thank you for your support.