Area Church and Interfaith leaders from The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were recently invited to attend an historic dinner hosted by the Muslim Council of Wales. Malcolm Adcock, Public Affairs, Europe Area Assistant Director, Martin Turvey, Multi-stake Director of Public Affairs for the south-west and Wales and Julie Jones, the Church’s representative on Interfaith Wales attended the event on Thursday 1st October.
- Church respresentatives at the Muslim Council of Wales historic dinner
- Archbishop of Canterbury speaking at the historic Muslim Council of Wales event
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
This invitation followed a number of events instigated through the Church’s membership of Interfaith Wales, including an Eid festival hosted by the Church at the Cardiff meeting house in August.
Primary guest speakers at the event were the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and the Welsh First Minister, the Rt Hon. Carwyn Jones AM.
The Archbishop of Canterbury stated that we are living in a time of tension and fear, the answer to which is truth and love. He also highlighted that faith communities provide the glue in our society.
In his address, the Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones emphasized that one of the tenets of all faiths is thoughtfulness and we need to ensure we learn to work and to live together. He also acknowledged how Islam has become a key part of the rich tapestry that makes up modern Wales.
Also speaking, Shayk Ibrahim Mogra, an imam and Islamic scholar counseled those present to ‘enjoy the gifts that God has given us’. He continued, “The merciful ones are shown mercy by God’, and ‘the most important people are the ones who are beneficial to others.”
Saleem Kidwai OBE, the General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Wales said in his remarks that education is the single most effective tool for combatting racism and other challenges of society.
The dinner was one of a series of regular events designed to build understanding across different faith communities in Wales. The church’s inclusion in this, and many other interfaith initiatives result from the on-going efforts of Julie Jones as a member of the Interfaith Council of Wales.
Speaking after the event, Julie Jones remarked, “As I listened to the speakers tonight and spoke to many others of different faiths, it wasn’t our differences that was noticed with each other, it was the same words that we all spoke that stood out. The secular world needs to know that people of faith, whatever that faith is, are united in spirit and purpose - that purpose is to bring peace and solace to our troubled souls in this life and also taking it into the next. “