Local events and information for Inter-Faith Week 2023
Inter-Faith Week - 12-19 November 2023
Each year, Inter-Faith Week begins on Remembrance Sunday and runs until the following Sunday, aiming to act as a focal point for fostering good relations between people of different faiths and beliefs. The week also aims to increase awareness of different and distinct faith communities, highlight the work done by local faith groups, and increase understanding between people with religious and non-religious beliefs.
As well as events run by the University and the Jo Cox More in Common Centre, there's a range of activities taking place across Kirklees, including 'Faith and Friendship' walks visiting different faith centres in the area, Roses for Peace, faith centre open days and opportunities to meet and discuss other faiths and your own. View the full programme of Kirklees events here.
The University has a team of Faith Advisers and Chaplains based in the Jo Cox More in Common Centre who are available at various times throughout the week to support both staff and students. Alongside two full-time Chaplains who support those of Muslim and Christian faith respectively, the University has a range of Chaplains who are available on request. Staff and students of a faith other than those listed can also contact the Jo Cox More in Common Centre directly to request access to alternative chaplaincy.
See below for some thoughts on Inter-Faith Week, from our University Chaplains…
Meet your Muslim Chaplain, Muhammad M Patel
As Muslim Chaplain and faith adviser, I work alongside other chaplains, support services and staff and students in general to create an environment where people of all backgrounds can find their purpose and express their beliefs. I’m available across campus, although you will see me most often at the Jo Cox More in Common Centre.
From leading prayers, delivering speeches, advising schools and services, working with students to arrange events and volunteering opportunities, and providing a listening ear to all staff and students, I try my best to ensure that our everyone in the university community have someone to talk to: about the deeper issues or general day-to-day musings.
As well as being the Muslim Chaplain, Muhammad is also the Jo Cox More in Common Centre Coordinator:
The Jo Cox More in Common Centre is a space for community and faith. You can go to the Chaplains Office for support & advice or relax in the Community Lounge with friends over tea and coffee or find a place to pray or reflect in one of the Prayer Rooms.
The centre adopts two very important principles:
- the Jo Cox Foundation’s More in Common approach which encourages us to focus on our shared values and not allow our differences to divide us.
- the Well Standard, which improves the building design and amenities in acknowledgement of the fact that buildings shape our wellbeing
As we approach one year since the building’s opening, the chaplaincy team and support services are excited to arrange more events and activities that celebrate the above values. If you haven’t visited, why not pop over for a visit, it’s open to all staff and students! You can find out more at hud.ac/faith or by sending your query to moreincommon@hud.ac.uk
Meet your Christian Chaplain, Ericsson Mapfumo
Most of the time when l think of the word multi-faith, it's difficult to see how it may work in practice? Can someone be described as multi-faith? These were some of the questions l had to grapple with when l started working at the university, and with time it became clear to me that the “vocation” or calling so to speak, has to do with “being comfortable with difference”.
Last summer, l ran a course entitled “difference”, which was focused on helping us to reflect on how best we can disagree well. Most of the time we find it a challenge to express our opinion, especially if we know they might not be received by those we are talking with. During Inter-Faith Week, let us remember, that despite our preferences, or ideals, we live in a world with others, who might not like what we like, or not even like our type of music or food. Yet we still mingle with them, we still sit together as brothers and sisters. In early days as l was being asked what a chaplain is, my response was always:
“A chaplain is like a teacher, whose specialism is religion”, this in a way speaks of my idea of what a multifaith/interfaith context looks like.
“Do you ask the teacher/lecturers what religion are you before you allow them to teach you?” - This is the question l have posed to students, as a way in which to challenge them to not focus on religion, on the individual chaplain, and how they relate to them, and not focus on their religious “identity”.
Of course, people have an idea of what a Christian chaplain will look like, depending on their past encounter with Christianity (or any other religion), and its when they actually meet a representative of that religion, that they ideas are challenged.
As a chess player, oftentimes l play with students/staff from a variety of backgrounds, with a belief/no belief. To me this does not matter, what matters is that we can celebrate our common humanity, and based on the human rights we know that each of us has a right to life. These are my short reflection at this time, and be on the lookout for a longer piece.
New Religion and Belief Advisory Group
The newly formed Religion and Belief Advisory Group is also meeting for the first time in November. Chaired by Matt Mills (Director of Student Services), the group, as cited in the Religion-and-Belief-Policy-and-Guidance.pdf (hud.ac.uk), will advise the University Equality Diversity and Inclusion Enhancement Committees on matters of Religion and Belief. The group will be made up of a range of staff and students from around the University, including our University Chaplains and Student Faith Society leaders. Amongst other matters, the group will work to ensure that religion and belief provision is responsive to the needs of university members and support the development of multi-faith activity in the Jo Cox More in Common Centre.