News – BRISTOL MULTI FAITH FORUM

Faith and Harmony Festival 2024

An Interfaith event to promote social harmony and community cohesion.

Bristol Multi Faith Forum is organising ‘the South Glos Faith and Harmony Festival’ on Saturday, 11th of May 2024 at Holy Trinity Hall, Broad Croft, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 0BD. This community event supported by the South Gloucestershire Council, the NHS Blood and Transplant and the Southern Brooks Community Partnerships promotes inter-faith social harmony, inter-cultural cohesion and community well-being. It brings people from all walks of life together in South Gloucestershire.

The Guests of Honour include various dignitaries, civic officials, religious and community leaders and artists. The programme consists of inspiring talks from dignitaries, interactive sessions, cultural entertainment, refreshments and lunch (Samosa, Biriyani, Gulab Jamun, etc). We are also raising awareness about sickle cell disease, blood donation and stem cell donation among communities at the event. All residents of South Gloucestershire interested in interfaith and intercultural social harmony are invited to attend.

All those South Glos residents interested in attending are requested to register through the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-south-glos-faith-and-harmony-festival-tickets-886186376307/ or please email: info@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk with your name, address, faith community and your dietary choice before the 5th of May 2024. Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian lunch options are available. It’s a free event, but pre-registration is essential. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate more guests when tickets are all taken up.

If you already have the tickets, see you on the 11th of May and let’s celebrate the day together.

Cllr Tom Aditya (Chairman)

Adv. Tripti Megeri (Secretary)

Update: 3rd May 2024: All the event tickets have already been pre-booked. Thank you very much for all your interest. Please come back for the next event. If you already have the tickets, see you on the 11th of May.

Multi-Faith Peace Gathering

A Multi-Faith Peace Gathering has been arranged at the Bristol Cathedral on Thursday, 19th October 2023 at 1.30 pm.

Joint statement from Bristol’s interfaith community on the escalation of violence in Israel-Palestine

Religious leaders from across the Abrahamic faiths have come together to send a joint message to the people of Bristol, inviting them to come together in prayer for those affected by violence in Palestine and Israel and calling for a swift end to violence and a peaceful resolution of this conflict.

The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull (Bishop of Bristol), Rabbi Monique Mayer (Bristol & West Progressive Jewish Congregation) and Zaheer Shabir (Building the Bridge) along with Cllr Tom Aditya, (Chairman of the Bristol Multi-Faith Forum), have offered up the following words in sombre reflection:

“The continuing escalation of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that we have witnessed in recent days has deeply shaken everybody across the world. Few words can make sense of the tension we feel as we grieve the immense loss of life in this conflict.

We condemn all forms of violence, particularly those that are targeting innocent people and their families who are simply trying to live their lives. We urge the leaders to put an end to the ongoing violence and find ways to build peace among peoples and nations, so that they may live in unity with their neighbours.

We ask all our Christian, Muslim, and Jewish sisters and brothers across Bristol to come together at this difficult time and join in prayer for all who are affected by this conflict, both abroad and at home. We pray for an end to prejudice, both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim, in our city and our country. We pray for a genuine, long-lasting peace in the region and across the world that unites us all in our humanity.”

Bristol Diverse Doors Open Day 2023

Bristol Diverse Doors Open Day 19th November 2023, Sunday.

Bristol Multi-Faith Forum (BMFF) is organising this year’s Bristol Diverse Doors Open Day on Sunday, the 19th of November 2023 from 9 am to 5.30 pm, as part of the UK Inter Faith Week. Bristol Diverse Doors Open Day celebrates the religious diversity of Bristol, giving communities the chance to experience and learn each other’s cultures and beliefs; and offering the opportunity to visit a range of places of worship and discover many faith communities that exist in Bristol.

Over the years, many places of worship have opened their doors to the general public and to members of other faith communities as part of this event, which is unique to Bristol. All places of worship in Bristol are invited to participate in the Diverse Doors Open Day. Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, the Lord Mayor, the Police Commissioner, councillors, civic dignitaries, various community leaders, and people from different walks of life will be participating in the Diverse Doors Open Day programmes at different venues. BMFF always requests guests and community members to respect and follow the customs and practices of the visiting place of worship.

*Faith Trail at the Greek Orthodox Church*

Bristol Multi-Faith Forum also focuses on peace and harmony amongst communities and efforts to support the distressed people affected by the war. Bristol Diverse Doors Open Day Multi-Faith trail is coordinated by Cllr Tom Aditya, Chairman of the Multi-Faith Forum, with the cooperation of Bristol’s faith communities and harmonised by BMFF Steering Group members. This year’s Diverse Doors Open Day will be supported by Bristol City Council’s Community Development Team under the leadership of Mr Mohammed El Sharif.

BMFF will arrange a scheduled tour providing minibus transport for people who have signed up for the tour in advance, for a small donation. Diverse Doors Multi-Faith Trail will start at 9 a.m. on Sunday, the 19th of November 2023 from the BMFF office at the Barton Hill Settlement, 43 Ducie Road, Bristol (BS5 0AX), and will finish by 5.30 p.m. The Faith Trail will pass through a Buddhist shrine, a Greek Orthodox Christian Church, a Seventh Day Adventist Church, a Muslim Mosque, a Sikh Gurudwara, a Jewish Synagogue, a Hindu Temple, and a Bahai Centre.

More details of the Multi-Faith Trail and Diverse Doors Open Day will be updated shortly through the BMFF website. We request all those who are interested, to join this year’s Diverse Doors Multi-Faith Trail. Seats are limited on the tour. Please email info@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk to book your seats in advance. Older persons, various community leaders, university students, and other youngsters who have shown interest in inter-faith and inter-cultural activities are welcome.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you and your friends, family members and colleagues to join us and taste the various flavours of the different faiths in Bristol on the 19th of November. Let’s celebrate the UK Inter-Faith Week in harmony.

A group gathering of the Bristol Multi-Faith Forum at the Hindu Temple.

Bristol Multi-Faith Forum, 43 Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol, BS5 0AX

Email: info@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk

www.bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk

Bristol Multi-Faith Forum is an equality organization established in 2004 by the Bristol City Council for inter-faith community cohesion and inter-cultural social harmony; and to promote the health and well-being of the communities.