Interfaith in Europe

Last week I spent a day at a meeting organised by the European Union discussing how local authorities across Europe can deal better with religious diversity. It was fascinating, though how they can hope to make rules that fit the whole of Europe I really don't understand!
Brian Pearce from the Inter Faith Network and also a member of our executive was also there, which was great! First of all, it meant that the three translators they had or the conference were not just there for me! But mostly because he is such an expert on local government issues here in the UK. I looked at the agenda, read some of the papers and wondered what I was doing there. after all, issues such as who pays for local mosques to be built, or how cemeteries are to be organised are really interesting, but I was really unable to comment too much.
Then I realised what my role was!

Apart from anything else, for that day I was the only non-Christian present at all the discussions. A Muslim delegate was going to join them for the next day. What an interfaith conference!

1. they needed to learn that not all people can eat the same food and proper vegetarian alternatives need to be provided.
2. they also needed to learn that different religious groups have different holy days and varying tasks that they can perform on those days. So I had to miss the last day and leave before breakfast in order to get back to London for the Sabbath which in November arrives very early indeed.
3. and my main task? To bring the spiritual into the discussion. I explained our raison d'etre at WCF and emphasised that behind all the local bureaucrats trying to solve specific issues, they really would benefit from keeping in mind that this was also an exercise in spiritual humility, in recognising that there are many ways to reach God.

It certainly helped put WCF on the European map. All my leaflets disappeared. Let's hope at least one of them becomes a member!

Rabbi Jackie Tabick