Letter to the Tablet
The visit of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran has undoubtedly been
a great success and very timely in view of recent events. Like Archbishop Kevin
McDonald (8 June) I too was at the interfaith meeting at Woolwich mosque. The
BBC produced a balanced report on the 6 o’clock News on May 31 but by 10
o’clock the positive report had disappeared.
The reporter did not mention that every week the youth from
the Greenwich Islamic centre play football with the soldiers from Woolwich
barracks. This is exactly the sort of positive news which is needed. The
meeting itself was short because the media requested photographs but it was
very clear that there is a history of strong interfaith co-operation in the
Greenwich area.
I was at a meeting in Balham yesterday where Sunni, Shia and
Ahmadiyya representatives all spoke. This is the sort of co-operation which is
needed. Mosques report overwhelming practical support at this time from people
of faith and no faith. We must all work together for peace and continue to pray
for peace.
John Woodhouse
Westminster cathedral interfaith group
15 Wrights Road South Norwood SE25 6RY 0208 653 2373
P.S. I was delighted to meet Elena Curti at the Westminster
cathedral hall event where I was stewarding for Westminster Interfaith and
greeting the invited guests. I have long been an admirer of hers! I would be
very happy to write an article or to be interviewed about the work of my group
which has been in existence for 9 years. I attach a draft article which gives
some of our history. We have since then studied “Meeting God in friend and
stranger” and “Sharing Eden” including how green is the cathedral?
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