The Interfaith Alliance UK is a family of people united in friendship, from diverse progressive and liberal faith communities, working together to promote the love of the One Same God, witnessed in social justice and parity of esteem for all God's children, regardless of race, gender, creed, disability, orientation, social or economic status.

We are a Registered Charity with the Charity Commission of England and Wales (Charity Registration Number: 1123638), and a Registered Charitable Limited Company (Company Number: 05914374)

A STATEMENT BY THE TRUSTEES OF THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE UK IN RESPONSE TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY'S LECTURE ON CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LAW (London, 13 February 2008)

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent lecture, Civil & Religious Law in England: A Religious Perspective, was a legitimate attempt to consider how the legal codes governing the internal structures of various faith communities might engage with civil law and vice versa. As Trustees of the Interfaith Alliance UK, we reject the unfounded interpretations placed upon the Archbishop’s lecture but welcome the ensuing debate, including his further clarifications.

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent lecture, Civil & Religious Law in England: A Religious Perspective, was a legitimate attempt to consider how the legal codes governing the internal structures of various faith communities might engage with civil law and vice versa. As Trustees of the Interfaith Alliance UK, we reject the unfounded interpretations placed upon the Archbishop’s lecture but welcome the ensuing debate, including his further clarifications.

The Interfaith Alliance UK is committed to expressing liberal and progressive views, rooted in the diversity of Abrahamic faith traditions, on a range of contemporary social justice and ethical issues. We regret that the questions raised by Dr. Williams’ Lecture might suggest that those seeking exemptions for faith groups from equality legislation and other Government guidelines have a legitimate basis for their woeful strategies. A false opposition has been stated between the rights of faith communities to order their internal policies and procedures and the promotion of ‘the common good’. The Archbishop’s reflections should not be used to advance a reactionary agenda, seeking ‘opt-outs’ on matters which do not relate to central tenets of Abrahamic faith.

Vital to the well-being of human society is that it should hear and give voice to those who are frequently marginalised in the corridors of both religious and political power, including vulnerable children, oppressed women, and those subject to prejudice on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. Misogyny and homophobia should no more be institutionalised than should racism. The principles of mercy, compassion and justice are as paramount to secular law as they are to the internal ordering of faith communities, and are not the sole preserve of the religious. Many people of faith see hopeful and joyful signs of the times in political commitment to civil rights which are entirely consistent with the values of our faith traditions, and are often more obvious in secular realities than within faith groups.   

Let the leadership of our faith communities listen first to the voice of the voiceless, both in their midst as well as in wider society, seeking any structural integration of their juridical principles and codes in secular frameworks only where secular law fails in its commitment to the dispossessed.

Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk, Revd Richard Kirker, Martin Pendergast, Rabbi Mark Solomon, Tamsila Tauqir (further information: Martin Pendergast - 020 8986 0807 martinjp@btinternet.com)

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE LAUNCHES THE SCRIPTURAL REASONING SOCIETY (London, 26 March 2007)

The Interfaith Alliance UK is proud to announce the launch today of its flagship project "The Scriptural Reasoning Society" at the British Library, which is wholly funded by the Interfaith Alliance..

Scriptural Reasoning is the shared reading by Jews, Christians, Muslims and others of their sacred texts in order to promote understanding and respect for each other's important differences, and to build understanding and civic justice in our shared communal life.

As lead organisation in this project, the Interfaith Alliance is honoured to work in conjunction with Camden Faith Communities Partnership, the British Library, Westminster Abbey, Liberal Judaism, the Liberal Jewish Synagogue and Leo Baeck College, the Ecumenical Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Islamic Cultural Centre and London Central Mosque, and individual clergy and academics from the University of Cambridge, London Metropolitan University, Heythrop College, King's College London and elsewhere, in developing this important practice.

The Scriptural Reasoning Society is wholly financially sponsored by its lead organisation, the Interfaith Alliance UK, and has been initiated and developed by its Trustees and Research Fellow, and in June of this year a designated Research Fellow for the Scriptural Society itself will duly be elected to lead the project. Information on the work of the Scriptural Reasoning Society and details of its meetings may be viewed at its website.

http://www.scripturalreasoning.org.uk/

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE CO-CHAIRS PAY TRIBUTE TO SHEIKH DR ZAKI BADAWI (London, 25 January 2006)

The Interfaith Alliance UK offers sincere condolences to the family of Sheikh Zaki Badawi.

Sheikh Zaki Badawi was deeply respected from a broad spectrum of faith communities as a religious leader of wisdom, and for speaking out on controversial issues. He will be fondly remembered for many things, both as a pious person and committed professional with an unusual capacity to hear
the other side. In Britain his great contribution to genuine dialogue with other faiths, striving for structured training for men and women in Islamic sciences at the Muslim College in London, and his willingness to deal with difficult topics within Muslim communities will be an everlasting legacy.

Sheikh Zaki Badawi can be described as someone who listened carefully and acted with cautious quietness, sometimes in a quite subversive way, both within and beyond  Muslim communities. He will be greatly missed not only by family and friends but by his students, both present and past, the wider
Muslim communities and in the ongoing necessary bridge-building of Britain's faith communities.

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE STATEMENT ON THE CHRISTIAN MUSLIM FORUM FOR ENGLAND (London, 22 November 2005)

The Interfaith Alliance has issued its report 'Safeguarding Trust, Building Friendship: A Statement by the Interfaith Alliance UK in Relation to the Christian Muslim Forum for England'...

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INTERFAITH ALLIANCE STATEMENT ON THE RIOTS IN FRANCE (London, 11 November 2005)

The Interfaith Alliance in the United Kingdom is an organisation of diverse faith communities, working together to promote our shared vision of civil society across the European Union, based upon principles of liberty, equality and fraternity between people of different races, faiths, cultures, genders, sexual orientations and social backgrounds... read more >

INTERFAITH ALLIANCE STATEMENT ON THE LONDON BOMBINGS (London, 7 July 2005)

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

As Muslims, Jews and Christians together in the Interfaith Alliance UK, we wish to express our profound shock and sadness at the tragic events in London today... read more >