The Government’s new Minister for Faith, Lord Khan of Burnley, addressed an evening conference of inter-faith activists at Coventry University on Tuesday, 12th November 2024. Lord Khan highlighted the Midlands’ role in encouraging and promoting inter-faith dialogue, reflecting upon his discussions with various faith leaders since taking his position in government earlier that year. He shared his learnings and discussed how all could move forward to build stronger inter-faith relations and communities.
The ‘Midlands Interfaith Conference’ was designed to re-energise inter-faith activity in the East and West Midlands. As in other parts of the country, those working on dialogue and social action involving different faith groups had been demoralised by factors including the closure of the Inter Faith Network for the UK following the cancellation of its funding earlier that year. The situation in the Middle East and the unrest in British cities during the autumn had also left inter-faith groups reeling. One activist remarked, “Some who’ve spent years working in interfaith have stepped away. It’s too fraught, the fault lines are too volatile, and the danger of personal blowback is too great.
The United Religions Initiative UK, a registered charity that acted as a platform for various multi-faith projects, organised the Midlands Interfaith Conference. It was part of the international United Religions Initiative, a movement of around 1,200 grassroots multi-faith groups across 113 countries. Aside from the Minister, speakers included Thought for the Day regular Julie Siddiqi; Rabbi Michael Hilton, Scholar in Residence at London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue; and the Dean of Coventry Cathedral.
The conference featured an Interfaith Fair where local and national interfaith bodies showcased their activities. It was preceded by a workshop for young adults, where they were trained in practical ways to address issues like online hate in a proactive, multi-faith manner. URI UK Chair, Deepak Naik MBE, stated: “There was a clear demand for an event that would bring inter-faith activists, public sector organisations and others together to begin rebuilding trust and partnerships between people of different faiths in our region. I was delighted that, with the help of the National Lottery Community Fund, URI UK was able to make it happen.”Around 90 interfaith activists attended the conference, with places still available for journalists or additional activists.