Interfaith

Connecting & Networking Communities: A Challenge for Britain
1) Interfaith Network UK and Brighton & Hove Interfaith Group (IFCG): This is a part of Rabbi Hugo Gryn Project. We have been member of the local interfaith group since 1985. We help to produce its Annual Directory of Faith Communities, which can be seen at www.brighton.co.uk/commune/ifcg. IMAM Sajid represents the group at National Interfaith Network UK. He was elected a member of its National Executive Committee for the year 2000-2003.

IMAM Sajid attended National Interfaith Network UK’s various National meetings and many of its National Executive meetings. We supported Derby University Project of Multi-faith Directory. We supported Interfaith Network and Local Government Association’s booklet on “Faith and Community: A good practice guide for local authorities”. We were invited at 10 Downing Street on 17 January 2002 to meet Shiekh Al-Azhar and other eminent Muslims visitors to the United Kingdom. We had a chance to meet the Prime Minister

2) Cooperation with other organisations: During the previous years we have been supportive of main activities and participated some of the activities of the following organisations and groups:
1.Three faith Forum
2. Jewish Racial Equality Council and Black Jewish Forum
3. The Strenberg Centre
4. The Memondies Foundation
5. The Leo Baeck College
6. Rabbi Hugo Gryn – Interfaith project
7. Jewish Representatives Council
8. Ethnic Minorities Representatives Council (EMRC)
9. Black and Minority Ethic Community Partnership (BMECP)
10. Brighton and Hove Interfaith Contact Group (IFCG)
11. Ethnic Minority Foundation
12. Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations (CEMVO)
13.Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP)
14. Agenda for Reconciliation – Caux Foundation
15. Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)
16. World Congress of Faiths (WCF)

3) British Muslim and Jewish Communities: Prospects and Challenges Ahead:

IMAM Dr Abduljalil Sajid delivered The Rabbi Rosenblum Memorial Lecture on Sunday 3rd March 2002 at Brighton and Hove New Synagogue at 3pm. !
He said, “Killing is an evil act, and must be condemned. Jews and Muslims have a common root in the belief in One God and in their fatherhood in Abraham. They share Holy Places and common morality, while accepted in principle is not always easy to put into practice. He instanced times in history when, for instance, control of Jerusalem passed into the hands of Muslims and the Jews were not only allowed back in the city out of the conviction that it is sacred to all but also helped them to keep their identity. It was Muslims throughout the history when they protected Jews. He acknowledged that Jews had been in Britain long before Muslims. However, the root causes of terrorism must be found. He told of his own seven visits to Israel and Palestine. Suicide is forbidden in Islam. Extremism is common to many religions. He admired those Jews, including Rabbis for Human Rights group, who have protested against these acts and suffered punishment for doing so.

Each of us must take responsibility for our own community, declared Sajid. “I must do so for you and mine for yours”. Reconciliation and forgiveness is the only way forward. He gave examples from his visits to conferences in Caux, including a Bosnian from the tiny Jewish minority in Sarajevo to create a Truth and Reconciliation commission for his country. Michael Henderson’s book on Forgiveness showed the effectiveness of this approach. He said the problem is political recognition of the weak and their natural rights to be recognised.
There will be no peace unless Palestinians get their homeland as a viable sovereign state. This is a question of human dignity, respect and honour. In reply to questions about unrest in Oldham & Bradford, etc, he had visited these places. A common feature among Muslims, particularly the younger generation, was feeling excluded - no jobs or housing. Expressing his appreciation, Rabbi David Meyer wrote, it is an important task for religious leaders, like you and like me, to try to bridge the gaps, even if sometimes this is a difficult task. We met both Foreign Secretary Rt Hon Jack Straw and the under secretary of the State Mr Ben Bradshaw to discuss the vital issues.

4) Work with Local Authorities: We worked with our Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council in the following areas to cater for the educational, social and welfare needs of the Muslims for the area:

1. Inter-agency Racial Harassment Forum
2. Standing Advisory Conference on Religious Education (SACRE)
3. Working Together Project
4. Celebrating Diversity project
5. Workability: Training needs: research project
6. Community Voluntary Sector Forum
7. Govern!
orship of Patcham High School and BAHVIC sixth form College