Muslims and Christians join together for inter-faith workshop

The free event has been organised by the University of Cambridge's Islamic Society and the Chaplaincy to the University staff and will be open to staff, students and members of the public.

Entitled “Fundamentalism and Liberalism in Christianity and Islam”, it will explore why certain branches of these two faiths, or in some cases entire countries, are misrepresented as “extremist” or “too liberal”.

The speakers leading the event will include Sheikh Abdulhakim Murad from the Faculty of Divinity and the Reverend Chris Wilson, Multi-Faith Chaplain at Cambridge Regional College.

Chaplain to University Staff, the Reverend Christian Heycocks, who is co-organising the event, said: “Fundamentalism and liberalism are hot topics for both Christians and Muslims at the moment. The aim of the workshop is to look at the problems both faiths face in dealing with fundamentalism and misconceptions about it. Liberalism is also a much misunderstood concept.

“Often misunderstanding and confusion arises through a lack of knowledge or a regular chance for people of different faiths to speak to one another face to face. We hope to explore how we can deal with these problems within our different faith communities and also examine our preconceptions of one another and these important issues.”

The workshop is the second in a series of events, each of which examines a different issue or set of beliefs common to both Christianity and Islam. The first session, which looked at the importance of Jesus to both religions, took place last year and was attended by more than 100 people.

Plenty of other multi-faith and inter-faith activities are also underway across the university. Last year students set up the Cambridge University Faith Forum to enable different groups to engage with one another. The Chaplaincy to University Staff also co-ordinates a Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Centre at Merton Hall Farmhouse on the West Cambridge site. Prayer Rooms at the Farmhouse building are used by thirty to forty people every day, as well as by a number of large study and prayer groups.

“We are encouraging different faith societies and groups to come together and share their stories, history and beliefs in a spirit of mutual respect,” Revd. Heycocks added. “The great thing is that we are genuinely meeting as friends.”

The ‘Fundamentalism and Liberalism' workshop will be held at the University Church of Great St Mary's, situated in the Market Square and starts at 1.30pm. The event is free, all are welcome to attend and refreshments will be available.