One Family The Newsletter of the World Congress of Faiths April, 2006 Website: http://www.worldfaiths.org Charity Number:244096 SEVENTIETH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
Faith Meeting Faith: a rich resource for life The World Congress of Faiths seeks to bridge the almost unbridgeable: to make bonds of friendship based on knowledge and understanding and to celebrate the differences between religions. While accepting the differences of history and belief between faith communities, we affirm and support each of the faith groups represented at our gatherings. We seek to bring together those who are firm adherents of their own faiths, and who wish to learn from others in a non-judgemental and supportive fashion. In this way, hopefully, we work towards ending the destructive enmity that so tragically dogs the relationships between so many people of faith.
2006: World Congress of Faiths 70^th Anniversary Year Events: April 27: 5.00 p.m. WCF annual general meeting 6.00 p.m. Light Refreshments 6.30 p.m. Younghusband Lecture by Tariq Ramadan: ‘Interfaith Dialogue: a “Lokahi” approach. WCF members £5.00; non-members £7.00. St John’s Church, Waterloo, London. (Opposite Waterloo Station) May 12-14: Medical ethics: an interfaith discussion. Speakers from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities at Fintry House, Nr Godalming, Surrey. Full board and conference: £90 WCF members; £110 non-members. June 22: 6.00 p.m. for 6.30 p.m. Trading Faith: Global Religion in an Age of Rapid Change. A book launch in the presence of the author, David A Hart, India Secretary of WCF. At the Martineau Room, Essex Hall, 1/6 Essex Street, London. Contact: Dr Richard Boeke: telephone (after 15 May) 01403 257 801; e-mail r.boeke@virgin.net. July 23: Day Conference on Forgiveness: a panel of speakers discuss forgiveness in their traditions. Speakers include: Dr Anne Primavesi: ‘Can the planet forgive us?’ and Ms Alexandra Asseily: ‘Creating a garden of forgiveness in Beirut’. September 5: 5.30 p.m. to 7.45 p.m. Visit to the British Library to see Hebrew manuscripts. Cost: £6.00. Numbers are limited so advance booking is necessary. Contact jtabick@lineone.net September 10: 3.00 p.m. An interfaith celebration of animals. Golders Green Unitarian Church. Contact: Rev Fergus O’Connor, telephone number 020 7837 4472; e-mail: ggunirev@aol.com October 23-24: WCF Anniversary Conference jointly with Birmingham University: ‘Seeking Transformation of a Fractured World’. Contact: Dr David Cheetham; e-mail d.cheetham@bham.ac.uk November 20: 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.: Moral Maze debate: Morality without religion? Contact: jtabick@lineone.net For more information of these, and other WCF activities, see our website: www.worldfaiths.org or contact the WCF administrator, Tony Reese, at tony@worldfaiths.orgor by post at 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6RG

Sheikh Dr M. A. Zaki Badawi, May his memory be a blessing to us all.

If it hadn’t been for Zaki Badawi’s and Sir Sigmund Sternberg’s encouragement, I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this obituary, for it was the two of them that somehow managed to persuade me to stand for a place on the Executive of the World Congress with the hope that eventually I would take over the Chair of the organisation, and could I do it soon please!

I had known Zaki for many years as he was a colleague and good friend of my rabbinic mentor, Rabbi Hugo Gryn. I saw him often in the corridors of West London Synagogue and occasionally even on the Bimah (the reading desk) when he took part in Interfaith services. He was an interfaith dialogue enthusiast, and highlighted Islam's history of flexibility and tolerance - particularly of Judaism - speaking of the common Abrahamic roots and Hellenistic heritage of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. "Their ethical principles are not in conflict," he would say. "Past and even present conflicts between them originate in territorial ambitions and over the acquisition of resources." This realisation led him to be one of the co-founders of the Three Faiths Forum.

He was born in Cairo in 1922 where he obtained his first degree in theology, then an MA in Arabic and later a doctorate from Al-Azhar University where he became a much respected professor. He went on to teach in Singapore and Malaya. Moiving to London for a few years in the early 1950’s, he obtained a further degree in psychology and then another doctorate in Modern Muslim thought. There he met and married a fellow student, Mavis. For a few more years he again went abroad to teach and, while in Nigeria (1964-76), he established a reputation as a tolerant figure, giving Christian Ibos sanctuary from Muslim gangs in his own home during the civil war.

But it was his appointment in 1978 as the first chief imam at Regent's Park mosque, as well as director of the Islamic Cultural Centre, that made Zaki realise that his primary task was to help British Muslims become part of British society. "I was horrified that none of the other imams could speak English," he recalled. "I was amazed that they didn't understand anything about other religions and were so unfamiliar with western culture." He worked tirelessly for an expression of Islam in which younger generations, brought up and educated in Great Britain, would feel at home. In 1986 he founded the Muslim College in Ealing to train Imams to serve in Great Britain. It was to this college that he invited the WCF just a few years ago for our AGM where he welcomed us and proved, as ever, to be the gracious host.

I shall never forget a meeting he and I attended under the auspices of Oxfam. Representatives of all the main charitable organisations involved in the Middle east, plus a small group of interested Muslims and Jews, were invited to talk about how the organisations can best involve the communities here in the work they carry out in the Palestine/Israel areas. Zaki challenged us to really put ourselves into the position of the other. He then presented a brilliant, perceptive and empathic description of how an Israeli might feel about the situation Israel faced, and challenged me to do the same for a Palestinian.

And that was typical of the man. He really listened to others; he was always courteous but never afraid to challenge others to face the truth. And his words were always so apposite, so learned, so helpful. And so often he released the tensions present at a gathering with his smile and gentle sense of humour. In these last troubled years he always had the ear of the government and the media and did much to ensure that calm and reason largely prevailed in both the Muslim communities and the British public as a whole when facing such difficult situations as 9/11 and the London bombings. He always stood for tolerance, understanding and peace, rejecting violence and extremism of all kinds.

He bridged so many gaps, between faiths, between cultures, between generations, between traditional and modern Islamic learning; he will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife Mavis and their son, Faris and daughter, Laila. To them we extend our sympathy and condolences and pray that God will grant them comfort.

Rabbi Jackie Tabick, chair of World Congress of Faiths.

World Congress of faiths: 70^th Anniversary Younghusband Lecture

“INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

- a Lokahi approach”

by the internationally acclaimed writer and commentator

Tariq Ramadan

On Thursday 27 April at 6.30pm

St. John’s Church, Waterloo

opposite Waterloo Station on Waterloo Rd

London SE21 8TY

The World Congress of Faiths AGM is at 5.00 p.m.

Light Refreshments are available at 6.00 p.m.

Trading Faith: Global Religion in an Age of Rapid Change 22 June, 2006 at 6.00 p.m. for 6.30 p.m. The Martineau Room, Essex Hall, 1/6 Essex Street, London. Attend the launch of this important new book and meet the author, David A Hart, India Secretary of the World Congress of Faiths. Other speakers include: Revd Dr Marcus Braybrooke, President WCF Rabbi Jackie Tabick, Chair WCF Revd Dr Richard Boeke, Secretary WCF Note: members of the Religious Press will be in present and those attending may be filmed. When replying please specify if you do not want your presence recorded on camera. RSVP to Dr Richard Boeke, e-mail: r.boeke@virgin.net, or telephone 01403 257 801 after 15 May. RSVP by 31 May, please.	'''' “Many Faiths – A Common Trust” ZXBY Brighton/Hove, Crawley, and Horsham Interfaith invite you to: Interfaith Day on 10 June 2006 from 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. at Worth Abbey Morning Theme: “Holy Living” Chair: Bonnie Evans-Hills, Brighton/Hove Interfaith Rt Rev Christopher Jamison, Abbot of Worth Abbey Kadeer Arif, Brighton/Hove Muslim Forum Jay Lakhani, Vivekananda Society Afternoon Theme: Faith & Multi-faith in Britain. Chair: Steven Innes, Crawley Interfaith Speakers: Rt Hon John Battle, MP, “Multi-faith in Britain.” Rosalund Birtwhistle & Heather al-Yousif, “Interfaith Marriage and Families” Please bring packed lunch, drinks provided. There is no charge, but donations welcome. Please register in advance toc@worthabbey.net or mail to: Rosemary Sanders, The Open Cloister, Worth Abbey, Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill, Crawley, W. Sussex, RH12 4SB
Local Interfaith Events: Alister Hardy Society April 22: ‘Writing the Story of a Life’, speaker: Shirley du Boulay. 10.30 a.m. at Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford. Cost: £15; AHS members £10, concessions £5. May 5: ‘Religious Implications of Psychic Phenomena’, speaker: Bill Eyre. 7.30 p.m. at 11A Whittington Moor, Chesterfield. June 2: ‘Children’s’ Past Lives’ video and discussion. 7.30 at 11A Avenue Road, Whittington Moor, Chesterfield. June 10: Study Day: ‘The Priest and the Medium: the interface between spiritual and psychic experience’ and ‘Spiritual, Religious and Psychic Experience: what do they mean and where do they lead?’ At Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford. Cost £15; AHS members £10, concessions £5. June 27: ‘Near-Death Experiences across World Religions’, speaker Prof. Paul Badham. 7.00 p.m. at Cliff Tucker Lecture Theatre, University of Wales, Lampeter. Ammerdown Centre, Radstock, Bath, BA3 5SW April 29: Authority – Divine and Human. Speaker: Kevin Tingay [former Treasurer of WCF] Contact: Peter Jarvis: 01747 826623 May 24: Different Families, Different Needs. Led by Liz Gardner and Christine Tuffnell of ‘Care for the Family’. May 26-28: A Taste of Islam. Speaker: Dr Azzam Tamimi of Markfield Institute of Higher Education. June 3-9: In Praise of the Divine: Interfaith Art Festival. June 12-16: Creative Calligraphy Summer School. Led by James Skinner. June 16-18: Jewish Christian Study Weekend: in search of Holiness. Led by Jonathan Gorsky and Sister Margaret Shepherd. June 19-23: Jewish Christian Study Week: the way of Abraham. Led by Jonathan Gorsky and Jane Clements. June 23-25: Exploring the Mysteries of Kabbalah: a Journey of Mind and Spirit. Led by Rabbi Mark Solomon and Janet Berenson-Perkins. June 24: Authority in Islam. Speaker: Prof Iftikhar Malik. Contact for all courses: Telephone: 01761 433709; e-mail: centre@ammerdown.org		Christian Interfaith Practitioners Association May 23-25: Engagement with our Faith and our Society. Hebron Hall Christian Centre, Cross Common Road, Dinas Powys. Contact: Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, URC Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RT; e-mail ktw@urc.org.uk Horsham Inter faith Forum April 22: Speaker: Rt Hon Frances Maude, MP Followed by AGM at Unitarian Church Hall, Worthing Road. May 20: ‘Advanita: a Philosophy of Unity’; speaker: Graham Skelcey, Principle, School of Economic Science, at United Reform Church, Springfield Road. Contact: Revd Dr Richard Boeke, telephone 01403 257 801 after 15 May, or e-mail:r.boeke@virgin.net INFORM May 13: ‘Spirit Possession and Exorcism. At the New Theatre, London School of Economics and Political Science. Cost £35, students/unwaged £14 before 2 May, then £40/£20. Contact: e-mail: inform@lse.ac.uk telephone: 020 7955 7654. Modern Churchpeople’s Union July 11-14: Global and faithful perspectives on human sexuality. Conference chair: Elaine Graham, Professor of Social and Pastoral Theology, University of Manchester. At High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon, Herts. Contact: Mrs E Darlington, 1 The Woods, Grotton, Oldham, OL4 4LP; e-mail: conference@modchurchunion.org Neve Shalom ~ Wahat al-Salam: May 24: A concert for Peace. At 7.30 p.m. at the Holywell Music Room, Oxford with Margaret Fingerhut (piano), Wissam Boustany (flute) and the OxfordShire Choir. Tickets £10 adults, £5 students from The Quaker Centre, 43 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LW. Cheques payable to ‘British Friends of NS~WaS’. Centre for Dialogue and Encounter. 34 Chepstow Villas, London, W11 2QZ. ‘Prophet Voices in Religious Tradition from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. April 9: Speaker: Rev Timothy Radcliffe O.P. May 21: Speaker: Rabbi Dr Michael Shire June 18: Speaker: Dr Attaullah Siddiqi