The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester paid a special visit to North Leeds to meet the interfaith community.
Members of the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester enjoyed a day trip to North Leeds to meet members of the Jewish and Muslim communities and explore their places of worship.
Since its founding roots in 2004, the well-established forum has celebrated the close connections between Islam and Judaism in Manchester through a range of activities designed to develop the cultural and social ties between both Muslim and Jewish communities.
By taking the short coach trip over the Pennines towards Leeds, the 13 members taking part were also keen to share their experiences of what works best for developing interfaith cooperation and build strong friendships along the way.
A tour of Makkah Mosque in Hyde Park was the first item on the trip’s itinerary, where the group was greeted by Imam Qari Asim who explained the mosque’s history and how it works with Jewish and other religious communities in Leeds on pressing social issues. The visitors were also able to tour the mosque and admire the intricate Arabic calligraphy on the inside of the mosque’s dome.
The group then had an informal kosher lunch in the Marjorie & Arnold Ziff Community Centre with members of Leeds Jewish Welfare Board (LJWB) staff before visiting the United Hebrew Congregation for a close look at the Torah scrolls.
Leeds Jewish Representative Council (LJRC) Interfaith Director, Simon Phillips, organised the trip arrangements alongside the Muslim Jewish Forum’s Co-Chair, Heather Fletcher, who led the tour group to ensure everything ran to schedule.
“This was an inspirational day of education and honest reflections and insights on Muslim-Jewish relations,” said Simon. “Both communities recognised the important part that this bilateral dialogue within the wider framework of multi-faith relations.”
Also joining the group for the day was the forum’s Co-Chair, Mohammed Amin: “The trip confirmed for me in particular the design features which have helped the Muslim Jewish Forum to succeed, especially having an organised legal structure and good website demonstrating its principles. The communities in both Leeds and Manchester can definitely learn from each other.”
Planning is already underway for a return visit in 2023 to continue building the trans-Pennine relationship following the special day’s success.
Muslimjewish.org.uk
