Edinburgh Interfaith Summer Magazine 2015

1. Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association – A Registered Charity in Scotland SCO 17622
25 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9BX
0131 283 5427
www.eifa.org.uk
Summer Issue 2015
Inter-Faith Matters
International Women’s Day
EIFA’s New Home
Holocaust Memorial Day
and much more...!

2. FOREWORD
Dear Readers,
Welcome to this summer edition of Inter-Faith Matters!
This year, we continue to be very busy. First, with preparations for our move back
in February from St John’s to the Methodist Church; then with the actual move
and finally, with settling in, all the while keeping our events and activities going.
The move was a necessity, however, the kind folk at the Methodist have been very
hospitable and greatly aided in our smooth transition. Nonetheless, we often still
think of our friends at St John’s.
This edition of Inter-Faith Matters will provide you with some details of the various key events that we have
held since January; some poetry to contemplate over, information on future events to look forward to, and a
great article on Faith and Health.
We have been seeing record numbers in attendance of our events, and we thank you for your continued support.
For the Holocaust Memorial Day remembrance event on the 28th of January at Boroughmuir High School,
there were more than 250 guests in attendance. The event was educational, emotional and intense. Clare Levy
writes more in detail (2-4). Record numbers were also seen at our International Women’s Day Celebration on
the 8th of March, with approximately 300 people walking through the doors. In the last couple of months, while
we haven’t had any large EIFA events, we have been kept occupied with various advisory roles, consultations
and school engagement programmes. We have been organising faith representative visits to schools (primary
and high school) and also facilitating pupils’ visits to various places of worship. We have several more such
events lined up for the summer months.
We appreciate all those who have signed up as members of EIFA and encourage those who haven’t yet, to do so.
The annual membership fee for individuals is just £15 and every penny helps with the promotion and running
of EIFA.
Finally, on a personal note, my last day of work at EIFA will be on the 6th of July. I thank all of you for the warmth
that you have extended to me, and for all that you have taught me. My time here at EIFA is one that I will always
cherish and recall fondly. My deepest thanks and gratitude go to Iain Stewart who has been not only a boss,
but also a great mentor and friend to me. He has always been very encouraging and supportive of my work.
Let’s keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Nur Sakina
Editor: Nur Sakina Kader
E: info@eifa.org.uk
Graphics: Jonathan Danzig
E: jonathan_danzig@yahoo.co.uk
Inter-Faith Matters

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Interfaith Calendar
Holocaust Memorial Day 2015
EIFA’s New Home
The Last Word
The City of Edinburgh Methodist Church
Meeting with Hospitality
International Women’s Day 2015
Gender Equality and Health
Faith and Health
The Temptation of St. Anthony
Edinburgh Women’s Inter-Faith Group
Adam Bojelian’s “Creation Myth”
Naw Ruz
One Thing Leads to Another:
bringing the Righteous Muslims to Scotland
Rwandan Dream
Grand Opening of Edinburgh Hindu Mandir & Cultural Centre
Polwarth Parish Church: “The Kirk on the Canal”
What is Preaching?
Upcoming Events
CONTENTS
Inter-Faith Matters

4. INTERFAITH CALENDAR
1.
EVENT
Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom
Ramadan Begins
Summer Solstice/Midsummer
Dharma Day
Martyrdom of the Báb
Eid-al-Fitr
Choekhor Duechen
Tish’a B’av
Lughnasadh/Lammas
Feast of the Assumption
Raksha Bandhan
Guru Granth Sahib
Janmashtami
Paryushan
Rosh Hashanah
Ganesh Charurthi
Eid-al-Adha
Autumn Equinox
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Navaratri
Hijra New Year
Birth of the Báb
Ashura
Samhain
All Hallows Eve
All Saints’ Day
Diwali
Birth of Baha’u’llah
New Year
Nativity Fast Begins
Birthday of Guru Nanak
Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha
Advent begins
Hanukkah
Bodhi Day
Advent Fast begins
Yule
Christmas
Zarathosht Diso
FAITH
Sikh
Muslim
Pagan
Buddhist
Baha’i
Muslim
Buddhist
Jewish
Pagan
Christian
Hindu
Sikh
Hindu
Jain
Jewish
Hindu
Muslim
Pagan
Jewish
Jewish
Hindu
Muslim
Baha’i
Muslim
Pagan
Christian
Christian
Hindu/Sikh/Jain
Baha’i
Jain
Orthodox Christian
Sikh
Baha’i
Christian
Jewish
Buddhist
Orthodox Christian
Pagan
Christian
Zoroastrian
DATE
Jun. 16
Jun. 18
Jun. 21
Jul. 2
Jul. 10
Jul. 17
Jul. 20
Jul. 26
Aug. 2
Aug. 15
Aug. 29
Sep. 1
Sep. 5
Sep. 10
Sep. 13 - 15
Sep. 17
Sep. 23
Sep. 23
Sep. 23
Sep. 28
Oct. 13 - 21
Oct. 14
Oct. 20
Oct. 23
Oct. 31
Oct. 31
Nov. 1
Nov. 11
Nov. 12
Nov. 15
Nov. 25
Nov. 26
Nov. 28
Nov. 29
Dec. 7-14
Dec. 8
Dec. 12
Dec. 21
Dec. 25
Dec. 26

5. by Clare Levy
Allaroundtheworldpeoplejoinedtogethertocommemoratethe70thanniversaryoftheliberationofAuschwitz,
and here in Edinburgh it was no different. On the 28th of January 2015, people from all walks of life gathered
together at Boroughmuir High School to hear real life testimonies from survivors of genocides from around
the world, as well as presentations by school pupils and musical performances. This Holocaust Memorial Day
event was organised jointly by the Edinburgh Inter-
Faith Association and Boroughmuir High School, with
the support of the City of Edinburgh Council.
Alice Aitken and Rebecca Frew opened the evening
with a talk and slideshow of pictures from a visit they
made to Auschwitz earlier this year. They summed up
for all of us the importance of continued education
about the Holocaust in order for it to never occur again.
The first guest speaker of the evening was Ela
Weissberger, who as a child was deported to the
Terezín ghetto with other members of her family. She
performed the role of the cat in the Hans Krasa children’s opera “Brundibár” at the concentration camp and she
spoke of the importance of music while she was in the ghetto, and how singing was one of the few things that
got her through that terrible experience. It was amazing to hear her talk about her experiences and the things
that touched her most, including the way she had hidden her friend’s diary. She also spoke about how as a child
her teacher always told her to write down her name, so that she would remember that she was more than just
a number.
Clara Warshow (an S5 pupil) spoke about her family experience of the Holocaust. Her great grandmother’s
cousin - Mary - was sent to the Warsaw ghetto with all her family, but because of her small size was able to
move in and out of the ghetto to get food. Everyone was sent to Treblinka where only Mary and her sister were
spared from death. She was assigned laundry work and was saved from death by an officer in the laundry. Later,
her sister died of typhus but she survived due to
the help given to her by a German doctor. Later
on the Death March, she was saved again by an
officer who told her which way to run to safety.
Clara asked us to remember the quotation: “The
only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for
a good man to do nothing”, and she asked for us
to remember that Mary was saved three times
by three strangers, and that we should always
remember the power of a random act of kindness.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2015
L-R: Hasonovic, Weissberger & Winfield
2.

6. Four members of S2 then did a presentation on the Rwandan genocide (April 1994). This allowed the members
of the school to learn more about the Rwandan genocide and the impact it had on the country.
The next speaker, Hasan Hasonovic spoke about his
life in Bosnia, the loss of members of his family and
the long march of which he was 1 of only 3,500 to
survive from a starting group of between 10,000-
15,000 Muslim men. He spoke of how he left with
his father and twin brother but was separated from
them. After walking for 5 days and 6 nights with no
food and water, and under attack from the Serbs, he
eventually reached safety. He managed to find his
mother and younger brother but his father and twin
brother were found in mass graves.
This article cannot do justice to the story of what was the worst massacre in Europe since the Holocaust, but
Hasan reflected on how HMD allowed him to give a voice to those who were murdered and he continues to
work to educate people so that this will not happen again. The final guest speaker was Irena Winfield who
spoke about her great grandmother’s experience in the 1915 Armenian genocide. She spoke of the atrocious
murder of her great great grandfather and of how her great great grandmother, at the age of 8, was treated by
the soldiers. She spoke of how even today relations between Turkey and Armenia continue to be fraught with
problems, and that after 100 hundred years “enough is enough. She wanted the genocide be recognised and that
children be educated to prevent this from happening again.
Throughout the evening, there was a wide range
of musical presentations including a piano
performance of Brahms’ Intermezzo played
beautifully by Grigory Matyunin. Most moving
was a performance by Pastor P who sung in his
native language about his experiences during
the Rwandan Genocide. There was so much pain
and emotion in his words that despite not being
able to understand the words, his message was
understood.
At the end of the evening, Rabbi Rose of the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation talked of how the Nazis wanted
to destroy the Jewish soul as well as the Jewish Religion. He sang the Jewish prayer “Avinu Malkeinu” (Our
Father, Our King) which is sung on the Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement). He sang to remind us that
even in the worst conditions, the Jewish people still kept their faith and the religion is still alive today, allowing
thousands of people across the world to continue the traditions that millions died to protect.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2015
Pastor P
3.

7. 4.
This was a symbolic moment for me as a young Jew today, connecting spiritually with the past and with
those who suffered to allow me to live in a society where I can openly practice my faith. But the evening also
reminded us all of how even today there are people across the world who are still persecuted for their faith.
To conclude the evening, all of the key speakers lit a memorial candle, as a member of Boroughmuir played a
beautiful music piece and the Clarsach. This was a very moving ceremony that allowed the audience to have a
final reflection on everything that was said throughout the evening, as well as to remember family members
and friends who had died throughout the various genocides that have happened.
To finish the evening, everyone joined together for a finger buffet reception. This allowed the audience to
discuss together what had been said throughout the night, as well as talk about their personal experiences.
It also allowed for people to talk to the many speakers and find out more about their experiences. The range
of speakers really encapsulated the importance of education on genocides that have occurred throughout our
history. We must not only remember those who died in the Holocaust but also those who have died in the
countless other genocides. We must ensure that none of the people who perished in these terrible stories are
forgotten and events such as this one goes some way to ensure that we learn from the past to build a better
future.
Clare is in her final year of school in Edinburgh and is an active member of the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation
synagogue. Clare has an interest in World Religions, especially in the context of interfaith relations and is
commencing at university degree in religious studies in September.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2015

8. 5.
EIFA’S NEW HOME
by Margery MacKay, EIFA Secretary.
Celebration for the Opening of the New EIFA Office at the City of Edinburgh Methodist
Church on Monday Evening 4th May 2015
What a wonderful way to celebrate the start of EIFA’s new journey with its new office at the City of Edinburgh
Methodist Church, and to celebrate Diversity. People from many faiths and traditions attended; African, Sufi,
Muslim, Sikh, Tibetan and Thai Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, and Unitarian. I hope I have not
forgotten anyone. The Sanctuary itself is a beautiful, simple and calm place which can be adapted for events
such as this.
John Conway and Ruhy Parris, our co-conveners, welcomed everyone and introduced the first part of the
evening. It got off to a joyful and colourful start with the “Zawadi (Gift in Swahili) Alba (Scotland in Gaelic)
Choir. They sang one song about “Bringing in the Cattle” and another about “Praising God”, and finished with
an instrumental number.
Emeritus Professor Frank Whaling, who had been a Methodist minister and a professor at Edinburgh University
in Religious Studies, told us about the formation of EIFA. Both Victor Spence and Iain Stewart (past and present
EIFA General Secretaries) were former students of his, so that says something. As well as at grassroots-level,
Frank had promoted EIFA through the universities and schools. He believes that there is a greater need than
ever for EIFA to work with schools. He also said that “Faith Communities” should have faith in one another,
support one another, and get to know one another, and then talk about and deal with difficult issues.
Iain Stewart then spoke. He said that EIFA’s ongoing work in schools, including HMD work was of the greatest
importance. He also said that one of EIFA’s best and most moving achievements last year was at the Religious
Leaders Meeting when Faith Communities looked at difficult situations around the world in solidarity, which
led to a suitable statement for use in times of trouble being devised. He then invited Faith Communities to
write a prayer in a book provided especially.
Next, Adam Hussain performed an amazing “contemporary” dance influenced by the Sufi tradition. His
dancing was exuberant, but meditative, reflective and deep. The rhythm, vocals and dance are all important in
the Sufi tradition. The audience could, if they wished, join in with the Hadra movements which conveyed the
meaning of, “From Me to You”, while sitting.
Last but not least, we welcomed Jean-Paul Samputu on a return visit from Rwanda with his mellow singing
and guitar playing. And he, with our very own Iain Stewart, performed numbers from their album made to
raise funds for Rwandan Survivors. People joined in singing and dancing with “Rwandan Girl”, including two
beautiful African children.
Andrew Letby, the minister of the Edinburgh and Forth Valley Methodist Group then welcomed us to his/our
new premises and we all celebrated further by dining in the “Well Cafe” at the Church. I want to thank Sakina
and her mother who prepared a very special community meal for us; and everyone who helped with the event.
A collection was taken for “The Nepal Earthquake Appeal” which raised £117.50.
EIFA also wants to thank all those at its former home St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street for their
support over the years and those at our new home the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church.

9. EIFA’S NEW HOME
6.

10. George is a retired headmaster who turns 90 in October. He says he is “beginning to feel I belong to the dinosaur era, though
not as yet extinct!”. George has been associated with EIFA for many years, and for a time was its Christian representative.
He attends the EIFA monthly community meals whenever he can. One of his many interests is poetry. George, along with his
wife (who is also a retired teacher) are photographers who are licentiates of the Royal Photographic Society. They have two
daughters and four grandchildren.
Bring only yourself
For you alone are worthy.
Each morning the sun
Rises over you
And stays with you all day long.
On a mountain
On a sandy beach
You are there with the sun.
You are reality.
Only in you is the real conceived.
Humanity alone
is aware of the universe,
And stretches to the limits of thought,
The sun’s time and beyond -
To the utter darkness.
by George Harrison
A short number of years
You are here
Solving innumerable mysteries
For an unknowable end.
Saviours come and go
Promising reason for all things.
Observe them all.
They have hints
Of a collective awareness.
But there are no magic solutions,
No miracles.
Reason always has the last word
Though drenched in the coloured waters of
feeling.
Sunset over a Scottish Estuary
Photo by George Harrison
THE LAST WORD
7.

11. 8.
THE CITY OF EDINBURGH METHODIST CHURCH
-a new home for EIFA’s offices
The City of Edinburgh Methodist church
knows about welcoming disparate people.
Not only do they have as their aim to
be “an inclusive and welcoming church
community in the heart of the city”; and
their premises are used by a number of
regular clients (some of faith, some of none;
some very vulnerable groups); and they
run The Well Café as part of Edinburgh’s
Community Café Network, providing
good food at a range of prices, accessible
to all…
Theirownhistoryisalsoa‘comingtogether’
story. There has been a Methodist chapel at
Nicolson Square since 1816 but it was only seven years ago that four of the Methodist church congregations
were joined as one to form a new congregation.
That new church family, bumping along together,
then found themselves in the midst of a long
refurbishment project for the Nicolson Square
building, creating fully-accessible new spaces and
bringing the premises up to scratch. At the end
of the refurbishment, church minister Belinda
Letby spoke about her hopes for the church and its
buildings: she said,
“I hope that we will be an incarnational church.
‘Incarnational’ meaning God among us, God in
human form as Jesus. Coming among us as a
human was risky. To be a real presence of God in this
community can be risky too …we can’t be precious
about our lovely, newly-refurbished buildings. We
must learn to share, because these buildings are not
just for us, but for everyone. I hope our church is a
place where God’s presence is known through us and
our actions; and may all of us in the church be a part of that, be a part of God’s purpose for this place, right
now.”
And now they are joined at their Nicolson Square building by EIFA who had their official opening evening
on Monday the 4th of May. This was attended by many members and friends. There was a programme of
words and music in the church followed by a community meal in The Well Café.
Andrew Letby, who is the Superintendent Minister for the Methodist Forth Circuit spoke at the opening
evening. He said afterwards:

12. 9.
“The re-launch of Edinburgh Inter-
Faith Association in May was a real
highlight. There was singing and
dancing (of various kinds) as we
celebrated the diversity of Edinburgh’s
culture. It’s a time when our different
approaches to God are not seen as
being in conflict or competition but
being the very heart of our humanity.
“For us to be home to EIFA is, I think,
a bit of an honour. As we were eating
supper down in The Well Café after the
party had ended – one of the officers of
the association said to me – ‘it’s good
to have a home which is also a place
from which we can reach out.’ There
is the creative tension in action. Our
theme on the evening was how we all
need to maintain a caring welcoming community – whilst having the courage to reach out to a broken world.
“The City of Edinburgh Methodist Church has a history of engagement with faith communities but in recent
years this has been difficult as we were immersed in our own redevelopment. We are a seven-year old church
in a 199 year old building – having brought four congregations together we know how hard it is to build
communities out of people with differing emphases.
“Both EIFA and our church were described as being a ‘big hub’ and I like that. We are a place of welcome.”
Founder of Methodisism, John Wesley, was passionate about re-energising the life of the church, and the City
of Edinburgh Methodist Church and EIFA both share similar aims – the church enthusing people to further the
kingdom of God and EIFA enthusing people for and from all faiths. This John Wesley prayer seems particularly
appropriate in this context:
Deliver me, O God, from a slothful mind, from all lukewarmness, and all dejection of spirit. I know these
cannot but deaden my love to you; mercifully free my heart from them, and give me a lively, zealous, active and
cheerful spirit, that I may vigorously perform whatever you command, thankfully suffer whatever you choose
for me, and be ever ardent to obey in all things your holy love.
Gillian McKinnon
Communications Coordinator
City of Edinburgh Methodist Church
Andrew Letby
THE CITY OF EDINBURGH METHODIST CHURCH
-a new home for EIFA’s offices

13. by Eilie Blackwood
I belong to the Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church congregation, an associate member of EIFA. This is a
description in little stories of the simple approach to Inter Faith commitment I try to practise.
Amazing things happen in everyday encounters wherever we are. EIFA helps ordinary people meet each other
as a family, across differences of race, creed and nationality. At Community Meals, I have now met fellow
citizens from many different backgrounds of faith or no faith. These meetings encourage me to go beyond the
apparent limits of my everyday life.
Over a long life, I still remember meetings which stay with me because they opened my eyes and heart in a
new way.
While a child living in India, I once met a local girl gathering sticks in a forest. We were both about nine years
old. She pointed out the nearby small holding where she lived and I indicated where my house was. Later I
brought her one of my large family of dolls as a gift. Then she and her mother called on us with a fresh green
cabbage, newly-picked from their plot. That’s quite a story!
I grew up, returned to Scotland, and worked at the Women’s International Centre in Edinburgh’s Roxburgh
Street. One day, my Hindu colleague suggested we bring our condolences to an Indian lady whose husband
had just died. We were welcomed into the Leith flat where the lady lived, and sat quietly with her and her
family and friends, in the beautiful Indian way. Another special memory of sharing lives.
Once, I met a married couple from Sri Lanka. They were Buddhists. The lady told me how they learned to
practise recognising their emotions and try to detach from them, in order to know the universal spirit present
in us all. As a paediatrician, she met many children with challenging and distressed behaviours. Sometimes,
she would gently hold a very fearful child on her lap for a long while, until, sometimes, the child fell asleep. I
still think about her.
I used to visit an elderly Jewish lady I knew well in London. At her doorpost was fixed a “mezuzah”, with
the words inside - a constant reminder of God’s presence and commandments. One afternoon over tea and
biscuits, she told me the story of her grandparents, and how they had to leave Russia and come to Britain, and
that her parents had very little to live on. A widow, she was now often visited by the Sikh family next door, to
whom she was like another granny.
I recently read a special letter on the EIFA website. It said we could all try to make a single gesture towards
being one interfaith family. Where we live in Edinburgh, we have neighbours who are Muslim. I have seen
them for over twenty years but we have never met. Recently, I found courage and greeted the older lady from
the family when we were both on the street. She invited me to her house. It was very special to me to call, find
her praying, and then have a cup of tea together and meet her daughter. We now exchange home-cooked items
of food from time to time, and family news, too.
We all have similar stories about meeting. These are vital moments. If we think hard about them, we may sense
a mystery in how we seem to recognise each other in our common humanity. If we meet with deep respect for
each other, I like to think there is a universal creative pattern of love drawing us to one another.
MEETING WITH HOSPITALITY
10.
Eilie was born in India, and feels shaped by that early experience. She was a community worker at the Womens’
International Centre in the ‘70s, and later a special needs teacher and music therapist. She worships at Mayfield
Salisbury Church Edinburgh, and attends EIFA gatherings regularly.

14. The City of Edinburgh Methodist
Church was alive with activity on
Sunday 8th March as it became the
venue for what was an informative and
inspirational International Women’s
Day event. Teaming up as joint hosting
parties were the Edinburgh Inter-Faith
Association, Edinburgh Women’s Inter-
Faith Group, and Faith in Women;
organisations which work in the local
area to help build inter-faith relations
and stronger communities, particularly
among women.
The event began officially at 1.30pm, though a number of folk who were curious about the posters and balloons
tied to the gates outside had already begun peeking their noses through the door before this time. All in all,
around 300 members of the public found their way to the IWD celebration, including many children who lent
the hall a playful and informal atmosphere. Women of all ages and backgrounds mingled amongst the various
stalls, striking up conversations with old and new faces alike, and a seating area in the centre of the room
allowed for a space to rest.
As for the stalls themselves, there were approximately 20 of them showcasing
very different local organisations and initiatives; all were keen to discuss
their work, and even get some interactive activity going! There were
simply too many to be able to discuss them all at any length here, but a
few examples can give a good sense of the broad spectrum of themes and
interests covered. Perhaps one of the stalls attracting most enthusiasm was
‘Remade in Edinburgh’, which describes itself as a community-led initiative
which repairs and reuses old materials to make new (and often beautiful!)
things. Its members also take part in campaigning with a view towards
a “zero-waste Edinburgh”, as well as running computer repair drop-in
sessions. At the IWD event, some members of ‘Remade’ were available to
patiently instruct anyone who wanted to try their hand at rag-rug weaving
or bookbinding - adults and children were equally encouraged! A number of
entrancing jewellery and clothing stalls boasted still more beautiful things
to admire, the bright colours of the fabrics and gems tempting many to have
a closer look.
The event also saw various complimentary therapists such as Jenny who provided free taster sessions of seated
Shiatsu. There were also complimentary beauty treatments and hand massage tasters which left all the women
who signed up for them feeling thoroughly pampered. Additionally, there were stalls for more practical
organisations. A couple of representatives from the local Police station, including a female officer, were present
to speak about their day-to-day work; ‘iWomen Scotland’, an initiative which offers assistance to ethnic minority
women suffering from sight loss, was able to raise awareness of its specialised support; and the ‘Edinburgh
Local Exchange Trading Scheme’ (LETS) was on hand to explain the benefits of its alternative system of trading
goods and buying services without the need for cash. The event truly demonstrated the diverse range of activity
happening in Edinburgh right now, both facilitated by women and working in the interests of women.
11.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2015

15. 12.
The climax of the IWD celebration, however, came around late afternoon. As the theme of International
Women’s Day 2015 was ‘Make It Happen’, the event would not have been satisfactorily complete without a
recognition of some of the women who are currently making change happen in Edinburgh and Scotland. Ruhy
Parris, co-convenor of the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association, hosted the well-attended awards ceremony. Her
first (and rather unusual) task was to get the audience
clapping in unison. This, it turned out, was to welcome
keynote speaker Kate Barratt, who entered the room
whilst performing her own rap to the rhythm of the
audience. Safe to say she had the crowd engaged from
this point on.
Kate Barratt’s speech (and rap) focused on the figure
of Alice Hawkins, her great-great grandmother, who
was an important personality within the suffragette
movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Kate spoke with passion about Alice’s vitality and
strength of character, and relayed a number of anecdotes and incidences when her courage and bold vision
for a fairer future for women landed her in trouble with the law, and made significant advances in shifting the
social landscape of Britain towards increased equality. Alice recognised that something had to change; she was
an admirable example of a woman who made it happen.
With this inspirational story still in mind, the ceremony fast forwarded to contemporary Edinburgh in order
to acknowledge the game-changing work of local women. There were 6 nominees in total, all of whom had
been nominated by people who had been inspired by their activities and felt that they deserved to be given a
platform to receive recognition. Their work ranged from setting up specialised initiatives for ethnic minority
women to providing tireless daily help for the homeless; from giving Muslim women a secure platform to share
concerns, advice, and friendship to regularly keeping up
the maintenance of the Hindu temple; from campaigning
for the cause of women in Israel and Palestine to educating
communities about FGM and why it needs to cease. Such
a brief summary of their efforts does not do justice to
the women nominated, but gives a sense of how women
in Edinburgh are making change happen in 2015 and
beyond.
Although all the women undoubtedly deserved to receive
a prize for their achievements, only one could be given.
The IWD 2015 award was ultimately presented to Fatou Baldeh, who works to inform and educate about the
practice of FGM, why it happens and more importantly why it has to be stopped. She has previously been
involved in some high-profile meetings and interviews, including a discussion concerning FGM in Scotland
with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, but much of her work in Edinburgh is community based and she largely
works at the grass-roots level to make real changes.
The awards ceremony was followed by an afternoon tea reception, where many women shared food and
fellowship after a positive afternoon. The air of celebration evident at this event was a real encouragement
not only for the nominees, but for all present; maybe other women will be inspired to spread their wings and
continue the momentum of change for next year!
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2015

16. 13.
GENDER EQUALITY AND HEALTH
The Edinburgh Ahlul Bayt Society (TEAS), in conjunction with Imamia Medics International (IMI), held what
was touted as a ground-breaking and critically extolled event at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday the 10th of
March 2015. The function - sponsored and hosted by Bill Kidd MSP, Chief Whip to the Scottish Government -
was titled ‘Gender Equality and Health’ and poignantly marked International Women’s Day. This event was the
latest addition to a series of collaborative, educational
projects coordinated by TEAS and IMI.
The event comprised of presentations and lectures
on the pertinent topic of gender equality and health,
as and how the discourse fits into the fabric of
contemporary society. Insightful reflections were
given on topics such as gender egalitarianism and
how they are at play in the socio-political dimensions
of other nations in Asia and the Middle East, with
anecdotesfromtheShiaMuslimintellectualtradition.
Those who spoke at the programme included the
Consul Generals of Pakistan, China, France, Italy, and the Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate, Zoja D.
Bazarnic. Other speakers included Ms Maureen Watt, Minister for Public Health; the Former First Minister of
Scotland Alex Salmond MSP; and Kezia Dugdale, Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour. Bill Kidd MSP opened the
event and was followed by Sheikh Mohammed Kassamali who recited verses from the Noble Qur’an. Iftkhar
Ali, TEAS Chairman then introduced Alex Salmond MSP and invited him to the podium. Dr Ali Mehdi of
IMI then introduced the keynote speakers: Dr Fatima Hasain, Consultant Obstetrician; Sakina Rizvi, Chief
Program Officer for IMI from New York; Dr Safina Ali, Fellow in Head and Neck Surgery at Guys Hospital in
London; and Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, who is a renowned orator and scholar, and the Vice President of Majlis
e Ulama Shia Europe.
The talks by our respective speakers were educational and
captivating, and discussion proved fruitful during the Q&A
session. Sayed notably stirred emotions in the hall when he
began discussing the traits of the Pure Women of Islam:
Ladies Khadija, Fatima, and Zainab.
This event has been pivotal in enhancing the engagement of
the Shia Community in the political dynamic of Scotland,
and marks the beginning of a sustainable impetus within the Shia community. We hope that this signifies a
point in a collaboration upon which we may further deepen our ties with our fellow men, and work to continue
to serve society. The event was a step towards the realisation of the aims of The Edinburgh Ahlul Bayt Society,
and Imamia Medics International.

17. 14.
TEAS is an educational charity working to meet the needs of the
Shia Muslim community across the cultural, socio-political and
religious spectra. We work to engage with other communities and
faiths; strengthening ties in an effort to create a platform for religious
and racial harmony, equality, and diversity in Edinburgh and the
surrounding areas. Imamia Medics International is a renowned
global organisation, recognised by the United Nations, comprising
British, European, and international healthcare professionals who
work to provide humanitarian and medical aid throughout the world.
An addendum listing those amongst the esteemed assemblage who were in attendance: senior parliamentarians, Cabinet
Ministers and Secretaries of the Scottish Government, MSPs, Cross-Party groups, the Former First Minister of Scotland
Alex Salmond; Kezia Dugdale, Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour; Ms Maureen Watt, Minister for Public Health; and
Mr Humza Yousaf, Minister for Europe and International Development; various inter-religious leaders - among whom
were chief representatives from the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Scottish Catholic Church
- the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), the trust Anthony Nolan, the Prince and Princess of Wales
hospice, the Commander of the British Army in Scotland, representation from Police Scotland, the Prince and Princess
of Wales Hospice, the Principal Officer of the US Consulate, the Consul General Of The People’s Republic Of China,
the Pakistan Consul General, The French Consul General, the Italian Consul General, the Asian Association of Culture
Commerce and Education in Europe, Asia Scotland Institute and others
GENDER EQUALITY AND HEALTH

18. 15.
by Rachel Blackhurst
The relationship between faith and health is one which we might not choose to think about on a regular basis,
just as we might not choose to think about illness all the time. But in reality, it affects all of us to a certain extent.
Even if we are not religious people, when the doctor prescribes medicine to help us get better, we have faith that
the pill we place on our tongue will do just that. For those who choose to put their religion at the core of their
life, faith and health are interconnected. However, different religions often have different viewpoints on the
topic of health, and of course, individual adherents will vary in their own understanding of the way in which
they relate their faith and health to one other.
In the case of Judaism, health and medicine have seemingly always been part of the religious dis-cussion. Rabbi
Eric Weiss, executive director of the Bay Area Jewish Healing Centre in San Francisco, explains the historical
importance of unity between bodily and spiritual health within Jewish belief: “The ancient Greek mind parsed
body, mind and spirit out as separate, but Judaism never split them… It’s always been an assumption that all
three are part of an integral whole.” The employment of human wisdom to cure illnesses can be seen as a central
theme of Jewish thought and history. It can even be viewed as an obligation, based on verses such as Exodus
21:19, com-manding the injuring party to ‘surely heal’ the person he has hurt, and Deuteronomy 4:15: ‘Take
very good care of yourselves.’
Just as Jewish tradition teaches the immense value of human life, Islam similarly affirms the blessing of good
health as one of the greatest bestowed upon humans by God. As such, it is to be protected and maintained,
if possible. The Salah or Islamic prayer demonstrates a practice which combines both physical movement
and mental concentration. Performed five times a day, the obligatory prayers provide a good means for the
circulation of blood, breathing and general suppleness of joints. Also, Quranic verses can be used as a form
of emotional release and healing. Dr Ahmed al Qubaissy, the head of Islamic Studies at United Arab Emirates
University and Baghdad University, says: “The material side [of a person] gets treated…through medicine,
but emotions and feelings can fall sick like the body and require treatment.” He suggests that Muslims can
complement the use of modern medicine with Quranic verses and prayers in a practice known as “ruqya”.
FAITH AND HEALTH

19. The importance of using holy texts as a means of giving advice or instruction about health becomes clearer
again when we look to the Christian tradition. Rev Dr Jared Hay, minister at Priestfield Par-ish Church in
Edinburgh, discusses his belief that, even when someone’s bodily health is almost at an end, the Bible still has
wisdom to offer: “Pastorally, when I know that this is likely to be the last time I will see someone before death, I
usually read Psalm 23 [‘The Lord is my shepherd’] as a text of hope and trust, and in my prayer ask that they will
experience God’s presence with them as they walk through ‘the valley of the shadow of death’.” Jared explains
that his understanding of the ul-timate “end” for believers is “Shalom” - a “rounded picture of salvation” - in
God’s new creation, and therefore, there cannot be a complete healing process in this world. Rather, Christians
expect a full restoration of the healthy human condition in the new creation. Until then, Jared regards that “we
can trust God in hope for whatever comes our way.”
While an emphasis on prayer, meditation and contemplation is arguably prevalent to varying degrees within
all world religions, it is surely most evident in the case of Hinduism. There is an increasing amount of scientific
data to suggest that meditation - a practice which is important to many Hindus - can help improve general
wellbeing. The concept of purity is also significant within Hindu life, and some may be quite meticulous about
bathing - remember, cleanliness is next to godliness! It is also common for Hindus to follow a vegetarian diet,
usually because of a belief in non-violence which extends to animals, and a belief that non-vegetarian food
impedes spiritual development.
It is clear, then, that the faith which someone puts at the heart of their life is closely connected to their
health. Thus, it is becoming more widely understood in hospitals that, in order to address a pa-tient’s bodily
needs, there must also be an attempt to meet the spiritual needs of that person. Rev Blair Robertson, Head of
Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, de-fines “spiritual needs” in this way: “The
fundamental human need for peace, hope and security par-ticularly in the context of illness, injury and loss.”
They are common to all people, and as such the Equalities Act 2010 defines a person’s faith as a “protected
characteristic”. So the NHS, like all public sector bodies, is required to make the greatest effort to respect a
person’s faith and practices.
Blair continues in praise of the potential health benefits of religion: “There is an increasing evidence base that
people who belong to supportive communities - like churches or synagogues - both have better health and
better health outcomes when ill or injured. There is also evidence, not so much that having faith keeps people
healthy, but that a certain concept of God does this: a God who is seen as kind, compassionate and loving helps
people to live with hope and similar attributes; a belief that God is angry [and] vengeful may not have such
good results.” Perhaps most importantly, religion can often allow people “to live with hope, confidence, [and] a
sense of control”, meaning that when they do fall ill, they might have the spiritual resources to cope.
Rachel is a part-time volunteer with EIFA. She will commence her third year of undergraduate study at The
University of Edinburgh in September. Her courses so far have focused on Theology and Religious Studies, providing
her with ample opportunities to learn more about the religious traditions and faiths which EIFA interacts with on
a regular basis.
FAITH AND HEALTH
16.

20. 17.
THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTHONY
by Tom Bailey
What is the Project?
The Temptation of St. Anthony is a newly devised theatre performance,
created by my theatre company, The Mechanical Animal Corporation.
It will be presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015. It aims to
explore, with audiences, a fascinating territory where religion meets
medicine.
In a number of UK religious communities, possession by a foreign
spirit is believed to cause mental illness, requiring religious forms of
treatment (such as deliverance or exorcism). For psychiatrists, cases
involving possessed patients present a culturally-sensitive interface
between clinical medicine and religious healing practices. How to treat mental illnesses embedded within
religious contexts? Is there a border between psychiatry and the roles that religious healing practices fulfil?
These issues provide a catalyst for a contemporary re-exploration of the legend of St. Anthony, depicting a
man’s epic struggles to maintain faith and sanity while possessed in the desert.
Why The Temptation of St. Anthony?
I first came across St. Anthony in a book by the French writer, Gustave Flaubert. Digging around further, the
origin of the tale goes back to 4th century AD in Egypt. There is an historical record of a young man who
went into the Red Sea Desert for 35 years in search of divine presence, and was repeatedly visited by demons.
Ultimately, the story led me to become interested in the encounter between humans and demons and spirits.
I wanted to get close to the roots of the story, so I travelled to Egypt last year. I came across a rich confluence
of cultures – Arabic, Coptic, Pharonic, Bedouin and Nubian. I wanted to make a project that maintained a
flavour of this richness, and yet really mattered to audiences in multicultural, multi-faith Britain. What does
the encounter between humans and spirits mean for us now?
Possession and Psychiatry
Possession cases are quite frequent in psychiatric cases – it is not uncommon for someone to think, or be told,
that they are possessed by a spirit, and that this is the cause of their illness. Possession and exorcism rituals exist
in many traditional societies in the world. Yet in contemporary Western society, exorcism and possession are
often seen with negative connotations – behind closed doors, within closed communities, cryptic, abusive, etc.
Someone with symptoms of a mental illness may think, or be told that they are possessed; that over-reliance on
treatment from a religious healer can exacerbate the mental illness. It can also work the other way – perhaps
psychiatric treatment does not get to the root of the problems, and help from a religious healer is needed.
Possession cases may need to be considered as requiring treatment from both religious and medical sources.
The subject where religion and medicine overlap is in need of more public attention.
What will the performance be like?
Well, I’m not entirely sure as I’m making it at the moment! My practice is influenced by Eastern European
ensemble theatre. So I am working with performers from New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Egypt and UK. The
show will involve a lot of (I hope) very beautiful choral song from Egypt and elsewhere, and a lot of movement.
Ultimately,wearetryingtoofferaudiencesaveryinterestingandverymovinginsightintopossessionexperience.

21. 18.
What audiences are we trying to reach?
Doing a project on religion in Birmingham recently, it’s been a great pleasure to contact and engage with
people from different faiths and communities. The idea of multi-faith living interests me greatly, as I think
sharing knowledge and empathy regarding faith is crucial to the social fabric of a society. So, besides the
general theatre-going Edinburgh Fringe audiences, I’m particularly interested in engaging with various faith
and interfaith groups in Edinburgh, as I think the subject matter of exploring spirituality from an angle not
defined to one particular faith group – may be of deep interest. I hope that it is!
Tom Bailey is a Bristol based director and theatre maker whose theatre company The Mechanical Animal
Corporation will be bringing The Temptation of St Anthony to Edinburgh in August.
tom@mechanimal.co.uk
THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTHONY
EDINBURGH WOMEN’S INTER-FAITH GROUP
www.edinwig.org.uk
Topics that have been previously discussed include: rituals or practices of different faith groups; peace
circles; violence against women; storytelling and gracious listening; artistic project work. See below for
EWIG’s 2015 schedule of activities and meetings:
February 18th: Dr. Anita Shanley spoke on the plight of Palestinian families, followed by Q&A.
March Sunday 8th: International Women’s Day celebrations.
April 15th: Outing to Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Centre.
May 20th: Outing to Blackhall Mosque, with guided tour and Q&A.
June 17th: Outing to Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh’s South Side, with guided tour and Q&A.
July: Summer outing, possibly to Rosslyn Chapel.
August: NO meeting due to Edinburgh Festival.
September 16th: Outing to Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) in Leith, with guided tour and Q&A.
October 21st: Outing to The Orthodox Community of St Andrew, with guided tour and Q&A.
November 18th: Jan Williamson will speak about the Edinburgh Methodist Church, particularly Street-
work.
December: NO meeting.
The Edinburgh Women’s Interfaith Group (EWIG) is a safe, organic, open and informal group, welcoming
women of all faiths and none. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month, from 7pm to 9pm,
beginning with a shared vegetarian ‘finger buffet’. Meetings are open to all. More info can be found at:

22. 19.
ADAM BOJELIAN’S “CREATION MYTH”*
by Margery MacKay
I would like to share with you a poem by Adam Bojelian called “My
Creation Myth” which he wrote when he was 9 years old. Adam
was hailed as one of the nation’s most promising young poets. He
was well known all over the world because of his use of Twitter.
He was an amazing, brave, kind, and inspiring young man with a
mischievous sense of humour and smile. Adam lived with cerebral
palsy, epilepsy and latterly with other multiple health problems,
but that never kept him back and he always seemed cheerful to me.
Sadly, Adam died in March at the age 15.
I first knew Adam when he lived in Edinburgh and attended the
“Children’s Programme” and “The Poetry for Pleasure Group”
at St Mark’s Unitarian Church. You could tell he really liked poetry. After one session -aged 9- he wrote his first
poem “Summer Time”. He will be remembered for his poetry, which was prolific on subjects such as “Spring”,
”Christmas Gibbons”, “The Green Fish”, ”Caledonia Dreaming”, and “Charlie” his dog. He had time to observe
what went on around him. To write his poetry he used a method of blinking out each letter to his mother or
carer for them to write down.
His loving parents ensured that he had every opportunity to experience life to the full. He had visited 62 towns
in the UK, loved the Edinburgh Book Festival and “Eggheads” the TV quiz show. His parents are devastated
but are consoled by the fact that people have said that he raised hopes, brought joy and was an advocate for
children in the health care system. One of the readers at Adam’s “Celebration of Life” service in Tadcaster was
a very senior member of the NHS for whom Adam had written the poem “Leadership”.
You can see Adam’s poetry at http://intheblinkofaneyepoemsbyadambojelian.blogspot.co.uk/
*Adapted from an article to be published in “The Inquirer”.
Adam Bojelian
In the beginning there was darkness and silence.
Out of the darkness and silence there was a big
multicoloured flash.
A flash of blues, yellows, reds, greens and even
colours you can’t imagine.
Over billions of years the multicoloured ball of
colours split. The blue became the sky and the
sea; the green became the fields and the forests;
the brown became the earth and the mountains;
the white became the snow and the ice;
the yellow became the sunshine and the sand;
and the red was kept for very special things like
reindeers’s noses and robin’s breasts.
The first men and women were created from
colours, some brown; some white; some pink;
some a beautiful blend creating beautiful people.
Little droplets of colour created babies.
Animals were also created, grey for elephants;
orange and gold for tigers and lions;
brown and white for monkeys; black and white
for zebras and penguins;
mulitcoloured birds and fishes.
Every colour was perfectly placed, there was no
pink elephants;
no green people; no red snow; no blue sun or
yellow moon.
A beautiful world had been created.
(c) Adam Bojelian 2012
MY CREATION MYTH

23. 20.
NAW RUZ
by Ruhy Parris
Baha’is celebrate March 21 as our New Year - Naw Ruz (literally “New Day”). This is the spring equinox.
Celebration of this date goes back many centuries, and is common throughout parts of the Middle East and
Central Asia. March 21 is also the New Year for followers of the ancient Zoroastrian Faith. This year is 172 BE
(Baha’i Era) for followers of Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha’i Faith.
The Baha’i Calendar has 19 months of 19 days. Each month is named after an attribute of God, such as
Splendour, Glory, and Beauty. The 19th month of the calendar, immediately prior to Naw Ruz, is the month
of ‘Ala (Loftiness), when Baha’is observe the Fast. From sunrise to sunset, Baha’is abstain from food and
drink. This is a time of prayer, meditation, and spiritual renewal. The four additional days (it is a solar
calendar), immediately prior to the Fast are called the Intercalary Days. This is a time for giving gifts,
celebrating, and preparing for the Fast.The festival of Naw Ruz is a Baha’i Holy Day, and is celebrated by
Baha’is across the globe.
The Edinburgh Baha’is this year hosted the Naw Ruz celebration at Lauriston Hall on Friday 20 March, and
were joined by many friends and family. The programme started with a devotional programme of prayers,
followed by breaking of the Fast together at sunset. Young and old alike then enjoyed celebrating with a
ceilidh in true Scottish fashion.
As an extension of Naw Ruz festivities, the following weekend on Sunday 29 March, Edinburgh Baha’is
hosted an afternoon devotional programme with singing by the UK Baha’i Choir. This was held at the
Southside Community Centre.
Dancing at the Naw Ruz ceilidh
Maureen Hunter from Edinburgh singing
with the UK Baha’i Choir
Ruhy (L), and Mahasin (R) - an American visitor
- serving refreshments at the Choir Devotional
Programme

24. 21.
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER:
bringing the Righteous Muslims to Scotland
by Catherine Lyons
Be kind, for wherever kindness becomes a part of something, it beautifies it; wherever it is taken from something,
it leaves it tarnished.
Passing through Cameron Toll Shopping Centre with my son, I noticed a poster for the Muslim Book Festival.
Before long, a woman had caught up with us and asked if we were interested in the Book Festival. She was the
organiser, Zareen Taj. We went to the Festival and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. A few months later, my kids
were interviewed by Zareen’s kids on Radio Ramadan, and talked about Jewish Festivals.
One good deed will bring another good deed, one transgression will bring another transgression.
This happened five years ago. Zareen is now a good friend. Through our friendship, the Edinburgh Liberal
Jewish Community and the Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh have become firm allies. When some
parents were boycotting school trips to the Central Mosque and the local press was stirring controversy, when
Fascist thugs were yelling at the Mosque, our bonds were strengthened. Our groups support each other’s
involvement in Edinburgh’s United Against Fascism.
Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community has a long association with Marchmont St Giles. We use
their premises, and our communities have grown to understand each other.
Through our involvement with United Against Fascism, with thanks to Luke Henderson, Zareen and I found out
about the Righteous Muslims, a touring exhibition produced by Faith Matters, a Muslim outreach organisation.
It tells the stories of Muslims, mostly in South-Eastern Europe and North Africa, who sheltered Jews during
the Second World War. Real life in our city —everyday community experience— is key to our understanding
these stories.
Butterflies is a thriving community café at Marchmont St Giles. And Karen Campbell, the minister there, had
the great idea of displaying Righteous Muslims behind the row of glass doors that divide the café from the
classrooms. The posters could then be seen through the glass, yet safe from the curious little hands of the many
children who visit the café. These three organisations, Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community, Muslim Women’s
Association of Edinburgh, and Marchmont St Giles, hosted a launch event, and attracted interest from across
the communities and from scholars working in Christian-Muslim and Muslim-Jewish relations.
Truth be told, at the launch, it was hard to be immersed in the exhibition, engaged as we were in talking to each
other. The craic was good, and several people planned to return and concentrate on the posters. Judith Stewart,
who manages the café, reports that visitors came to the café from outside Edinburgh just to see the exhibition
.Two things stand out for me. Muslims who protected Jews came from different backgrounds: rich and poor;
some more observant, some less so. In many cases, Jews did not hide away in neighbours’ attics and basements;
they were sheltered in plain sight. Muslim and Jewish neighbours claimed each other as family. Jews dressed
like Muslims. The triumph of Muslim ethics over genocide depended not only on bravery. It was grounded in
a prior commitment to community that transcended the bonds of belief and religious culture.

25. 22.
Let your friend’s honour be more dear to you than your own.
With Mussolini installed as Hitler’s puppet, the Germans took control of Italian territories in the Eastern
Mediterranean. In Albania, the traditional code of honour, Besa, demands that a promise of hospitality is
unbreakable. Jews protected by Albanian families could trust them with their lives. Almost all Jews who had
fled to Albania were successfully protected.
Your house should be open wide, and you should make the poor members of your household.
Villagers took Jews to live with them and shared their clothes, their food, their lives. Thus Jews passed even
under the noses of the police. ‘We were sheltering God’s children under our Besa’, one of them explained.
In Tunisia, Jews were expelled from their homes to provide barracks for Germans. Khaled Abdelwahhab, a
landowner and government advisor, bought the trust of German soldiers with fine food and wine. He was then
able to evacuate 23 people to a remote farm.
If someone seeks refuge in Allah, give him refuge. If someone asks in the name of Allah, give to him.
For centuries, Turkey had provided sanctuary to Jews, especially on the island of Rhodes, which later came
under Italian rule (and is now Greek). Turkey was neutral, but Mussolini offered Rhodes to the Germans as
a military base. In 1944 the Jews of Rhodes were summoned for deportation. The Turkish Consul, Selahattin
Ülkümen, challenged the German commander: under Turkish law all citizens were equal; deporting Turkish
citizens would cause an international incident. The commander conceded, and Ülkümen was able to save
dozens more than actually had valid papers.
When I first read these stories, I saw in them the challenge of individual heroism. How big a risk could I take,
if it meant that my own life was threatened? I now see the exhibition as a challenge to community. Do I live in
a place that would sustain heroic behaviour? How resilient would my social network be if the far right were to
threaten Scotland? You can still read the personal stories of Righteous Muslims (if you missed the exhibition),
at the Faith Matters website (faith-matters.org). But to emulate the people in the stories, we must first have the
conviction of belonging within a diverse community, and, in that conviction, have the strength to nurture the
belonging of others. As I write these words, we are coming to terms with the election result. The next few years
will demand from us all a determined commitment to righteousness.
Footnote: Quotations are taken from Hadith
(Collected Sayings of the Prophet Mohammed,
peace be upon him), and from Pirkei Avot
(Collected Sayings of the earliest rabbis recorded in
the Talmud).
Catherine Lyons is a member of Sukkat Shalom: the
Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community, and editor of
“Lulav”, its newsletter.
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER:
bringing the Righteous Muslims to Scotland

26. 23.
RWANDAN DREAM
by Stew Green
Everyone who knows Iain Stewart, General Secretary of EIFA, knows of his friendliness, helpfulness, love of
music and of his commitment to interfaith, equality, human rights and peace-building. However, not everyone
may yet know that in September last year, Iain flew to Kigali in Rwanda to get married!
To fully understand Iain’s remarkable and happy story, and its connection to his music, we need to rewind a
little:
Before joining EIFA, Iain taught RME at a High School in Peebles. He says of that period: “I always taught on
forgiveness and even used to like to show the pupils the very moving film Hotel Rwanda. However surprisingly,
what was actually the biggest catalyst for me was hearing two women from the Parents Circle-Families Forum
talking: one Jewish, one Palestinian”.
“The PCFF is a grassroots organisation of bereaved Palestinians and Israelis that promotes peace and
reconciliation as an alternative to hatred and revenge. One of the women said, “It takes just one person to build
a bridge but ten thousand can cross it”. That thought really inspired me and it eventually moved me to write
Window of Peace with the chorus building on that original idea. The chorus says “Open up a bridge of peace
and let the other in”.
In 2012, Iain learned that Jean Paul Samputu - a world renowned
musician who had survived the Rwanda Genocide of 1994
during which he lost his parents and three siblings – was coming
to Scotland in January 2013. Jean Paul had had to come to terms
withinhimselfwiththeatrocitiesheexperiencedbeforebecoming
reconciled with his family’s killer, his former ‘best friend’. Since
then he has travelled the world as a cultural ambassador for
Rwandaandadvocateforpeaceandreconciliation.Heestablished
the Samputu Forgiveness Campaign.
With Jean Paul coming to the 2013 Scottish Holocaust Memorial
Day Ceremony, Iain invited him to also be key note speaker at our
Edinburgh event. Jean Paul’s contribution was both extremely
moving, inspiring and stimulating. Anyone who was there at that
Holocaust Memorial Day event in January 2013 will not forget it
easily.
After the ceremony, Iain shared his song with Jean Paul. Iain says
Jean Paul’s reaction was immediate, “This is about Rwanda. It
sings of hope and reconciliation. It speaks about the children of
the future. You must come to Rwanda and record this song!”
Six weeks later, Jean Paul returned to the UK and he and Iain
started to put the song together. Then in September 2013, Iain travelled to Rwanda for the first time with a
friend - Keith White - in order to link up with Jean Paul and record Window of Peace. It was at this time that
Iain met his wife-to-be Umutesi Marie Jeanne who lived in Kigali and was working as a nurse. “We met by
chance in a pizza restaurant near the hostel where Keith and I were staying. It was love at first sight really but
we struck up a friendship. Umutesi lost her mother and many relatives in the genocide, so there was much to
talk about. After that first meeting we connected through Facebook and Skype and the relationship grew over
the following months”.
Iain & Umutesi

27. 24.
And so it was that one year later Iain returned to Rwanda to marry Umutesi. It was a very special and happy
time. When recalling it, Iain says, “The great thing for me is being involved with the children from Orphanage
Agahozo Shalom. They sang on the original chorus of Window of Peace and the amazing thing is that the day
after my marriage, I was back in the orphanage performing a concert for them!”
Life is not easy for the new Mr & Mrs Stewart. Iain is hoping that Umutesi will be able to move to Edinburgh
as soon as possible, but the visa requirements are complicated because Umutesi’s birth certificate was lost in
the genocide. Hopefully by the time you read this, the couple will be close to being reunited, if not actually
together. In the meantime, it is striking how very much Iain’s situation and music are all at one with his work
for EIFA. He sees this very clearly and says: “All religions want to create God’s kingdom. And within EIFA, we
see how much we all have in common. We all want love and compassion, and the differences between us are
miniscule in reality. What binds us together should be stronger than what separates us, but we get too obsessed
with dogma and ritual. EIFA is about building bridges between communities, bringing people together and
getting beyond stereotypes of prejudice. We are all one human race”.
We look forward to welcoming Umutesi to Edinburgh soon and we wish her and Iain a very long, happy and
blessed time together.
RWANDAN DREAM
GRAND OPENING OF EDINBURGH HINDU MANDIR & CULTURAL CENTRE
On Sunday the 5th of April, more than 1300 people gathered at Edinburgh’s Hindu Mandir and Cultural
Centre to celebrate its grand opening at St Andrew Place building. Devotees travelled from all over the UK
and beyond to mark this special occasion. Representatives of various faith communities were also present.
The St Andrew Place building had been in use for over three decades by the local Hindu community but
required a lot of renovation work to be fit for purpose as a consecrated place of worship. A handmade
wooden throne, marble statue of Gods and Goddesses were shipped all the way from North India to
coincide with the grand opening. These statues were consecrated at the grand opening. The grand opening
also marked the instatement of its first full time Pandit (priest) – Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan.
Pandit Brahmachari left his home in the UK at the age of 17 to study in an Indian Monastery. There, he
trained in the ancient spiritual wisdom of Vedanta. After sufficient training, he subsequently taught there,
as well as trained dozens of Pandits. He later pursued a higher education at the University of Delhi, the
University of Oxford and finally the University of
Edinburgh, where he has recently completed his
PhD. As an ordained priest, he gives lectures and
workshops worldwide on the subject of scientific
spirituality, in tandem with his duties as a religious
minister.
EIFA looks forward to working with Pandit
Brahmachari on future interfaith programmes; we
are excited about this new addition to the places
of worship in the city - we have already started
organising school visits there!
EIFA facilitated the St Mary’s RC Primary P4 visit
to the Hindu Mandir in May
NB. Iain and Jean Paul’s album, Rwandan Dream, is on sale following a successful official launch in November at
Glasgow City Chambers. A contribution from every sale will help raise money for the Agahozo Shalom orphanage.

28. 25.
POLWARTH PARISH CHURCH: “THE KIRK ON THE CANAL”
by Margaret Anderson (Lay Assistant, Polwarth)
Polwarth Church is located on the bank of the Union Canal.
Each day people pass along its towpath walking, jogging, pushing prams, or
cycling, while others canoe or navigate a narrow boat in its waters. Polwarth’s
mission is to engage with this world that presently passes us by and to engage
also with the community as a whole, both locally and city-wide.
Having formally adopted a stretch of canal embankment on the south side
adjacent to the Church, we have developed good relations with the Scottish
Waterways Trust, Historic Scotland, and the Armed Forces whose Community
Covenant Grant is enabling us to install a gate in the surrounding wall between the Church garden and our adopted
stretch of canal embankment. Entrance through this gate will lead to a sensory garden of peace and contemplation. Here,
people may take the time to be still, to find a moment of calm in a busy day. This is a unique green and blue space (garden
beside water) for all to benefit from.
At the water’s edge there will be a mooring for boats. Polwarth is planning to have its own narrow boat possibly in 2016.
Polwarth—‘The Kirk on the Canal’—is emerging. We are about to embark on a new and exciting phase in our Church’s
life, work, ministry and mission.
It has been an awe-inspiring and blessed venture. Professionals who have been taken by this
vision and its potential for the community’s activities and well-being have freely offered their
services in the planning process. It has been, and will continue to be, a journey of faith in
which we trust that God will work through us and others, enabling this project to develop, to
grow and to flourish.
How does all of this relate to inter-faith?
Inter-faith interest began at Polwarth through the labyrinth group promoting the labyrinth as
a spiritual exercise which everyone could embrace—people of any faith or none. During the ‘Edinburgh Inter-faith Week’,
we have greatly enjoyed hosting an evening in which we have shared a nourishing meal; thoughts and experiences; and
walking the labyrinth as a common path of contemplation. The winter months work best for this event as we create a
tranquil ambiance with candles around the labyrinth and tables where we eat. Polwarth has welcomed the opportunity
that this has given for us to be in dialogue and relationship with other faith communities and we look forward to this
continuing.
As an associate member of EIFA, Polwarth’s aim now is to move from inter-faith being managed only through the work
of a small group to being embraced by the whole Church. We would like to explore the possibilities of raising awareness
of other faiths, their religious beliefs and festivals within the whole congregation, within our community and beyond.
In light of this, we invite EIFA to consider with us different ways in which our unique location and premises could be
used as a venue for mounting events, both in the summer and winter months, and also during the ‘Edinburgh Inter-faith
Week’. We also invite the different faith groups, connected to EIFA, to consider with us how we might liaise with them.
Finally, the Grand Opening of EIFA’s new premises was a delightful evening and three of us who attended from Polwarth
have been spreading the word. We will be putting an article into our Church magazine. The new premises will be a
wonderful hub for Inter-faith events. Our hope is that this may spill over to using Polwarth as another venue.
Another Grand Opening! A date for your diaries!
The grand opening of the Polwarth Canal Garden has been
provisionally scheduled for Saturday 12 September. Details to follow.

29. 26.
WHAT IS PREACHING?
by Amy Norton
Preaching is pushing, nudging, streeeeetching, catching.
Preaching reaches into you and jumbles your insides
And leaves you to sort it out. Or,
Preaching is a bowl of hot soup filling the cavities of your soul.
Exactly what you need to hear that day, that week, that year.
That moment.
That moment when, when, you feel it on the tip of your brain
An Epiphany!
Said in a southern drawl, barely a whisper.
Maybe it was Jesus’ voice in your ear. Either way,
It’s inside you, a part of you. It might agitate you,
A parasitic sermon that eats away at your bad parts until your soul is left exposed
Ready to be worked on, but all you know is you feel uneasy because
Because for some reason you identified more with more with
More with
You cant even bear to think it
More with Herod in that Sermon
And what does that say about you?
Sometimes, preaching is as flat as the unleavened bread,
And you wonder if it the sermon was written in as much of a hurry as the israelites were in
When they fled
Egypt, so you go home dismayed.
There’s always next week, and until then,
Until then it’s just you and God.
Amy is a Masters of Divinity candidate at Harvard Divinity School and will be seeking ordination within the
United Church of Christ.

30. 24.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Date: 10th of August, 2015
Time: 6pm - 7.30pm
Venue: St John‘s Church Hall,
EH2 4BJ
Tickets: via JUST Festival
The killings of the cartoonists
behind the drawing of the Prophet
Muhammad in Paris gave rise to
questions concerning freedom of
expression. The Pope staunchly
defended freedom of expression
but argued that there are limits,
especially when people mock
religion. The urgency of this issue
is undoubtable in contemporary
society. The following question
will be addressed: Is there a limit
to freedom of expression when it
comes to religion?”
Panelists:
-Lesley Orr, historian; writer and
activist, previously at Glasgow
University and currently based at
Scottish Women’s Aid to develop
the Scottish Government’s national
strategy to address violence against
women. (chair)
-Fadel Soliman, Director of the
Bridges Foundation.
-Shahid Khan, Vice-Chairperson
Global Minorities Alliance.
-Tijara Kabendera, award winning
Rwandan TV reporter.
27.
Date: August 24th, 2015
Time: 6pm-7.30pm
Venue: St John’s Church Hall,
EH2 4BJ
Tickets: via JUST Festival
“Those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to
repeat it” -George Santayana
From the Holocaust to the Rwandan
Genocide, tens of millions of men,
women, and children have lost their
lives in genocide or mass atrocities
over the past 150 years. The panel
will consider whether humanity will
ever learn the lessons from the past
and what, if anything, can be done
to address the question of genocides
and mass killings across the world.
More importantly, how this can be
done.
Panelists:
-Iain Stewart, General Secretary of
EIFA. (chair)
-Tom Jackson, Holocaust
Educational Trust.
-Linda Melvern, one of the
foremost investigative journalists
on the Rwandan genocide.
-Ferid Kevric, Centre Manager
- Derby Bosnia Herzegovina
Community Association.
-Mukesh Kapila, Special
representative at Aegis Trust;
Board of directors at Nonviolent
Peaceforce, and Professor of Global
Health and Humanitarian Affair at
University of Manchester. (tbc)
Various activities and events to look forward to throughout the year! Any changes or updates will be sent to
those registered on our mailing list closer to each date. For more info, drop an e-mail to: info@eifa.org.uk
SPIRITUAL PATHWAYS + COMMUNITY MEALS
6-8pm on Monday, 1st June, 6th July, 5th October and 2nd November
@ The Well Café, Methodist Church, 25 Nicolson Square EH8 9BX
Following the success of our ‘Journeys of Faith’ programme which ended in April with Jean Fowler (Pagan)
sharing her captivating story, we now invite you to our new programme of Spiritual Pathways.
Every faith tradition offers its followers the tools to help the individual’s spiritual growth and maturity.
Through our ‘Spiritual Pathways’ programme, we will examine the role of maintaining the practices of
fasting, meditation, worship and service. Each month, a representative –or two- from various different faith
traditions will give us an insight into the value of that ‘spiritual tool’ from their individual faith perspectives.
‘FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND RELIGION’
“NEVER AGAIN” - WILL WE EVER LEARN OUR LESSONS FROM GENOCIDE?

31. 28.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SCOTTISH FILM PREMIERE OF INTORE
Date: 24th of August
Time: 8:30 - 10.15pm
Venue: St John‘s Church Hall, EH2 4BX
Tickets: via JUST Festival
MEMBERS’ MEETING, COMMUNITY MEAL AND AGM
Our Spiritual Pathways will be on hold for August (due to the Festivals) and September to allow for the EIFA
Members’ Meeting and AGM.
Date: 7th September
Time: 6pm (Members’ Meeting); 7pm (Community Meal); 7:30pm (AGM)
The members’ meeting will be an opportunity for members to get together to put forward their various
community concerns’, share their successes which they think others can learn from, suggest ideas for EIFA
to take onboard in the new year, and any additional topics which they would like to address. This Members’
Meeting will be followed by a shared community meal and the Annual General Meeting.
INTER-FAITH WEEK 2015
22-29 November
Lots of fantastic activities, talks and events being planned!
What role can the creative arts play in rebuilding a country
after genocide?
INTORE offers a rare and powerful perspective on how
Rwanda survived its tragic past by regaining its identity
through music, dance and the resilience of a new
generation. It is a story of triumph, survival, hope, and a
lesson in how to forgive.
The film is seen through the eyes of a mother whose
grief gives hope; an artist who chose to forgive rather
than seek revenge; a maestro who brings together the
National Ballet with an incredible touch of genius; and a
young man whose determination and hard work has given
the Rwandan culture a new dimension of identity and
celebration. Through these characters and others, viewers
will bear witness to how the nation rose above the ashes
of the horrific 1994 genocide to become a world model of
post-conflict peacebuilding and unity.
The film features music performances from
Rwanda’s top traditional and commercial artists
in music and dance, interwoven with poignant
interviews from genocide survivors and
perpetrators who sit side-by-side, plus Rwandan
leaders, legends, and Hollywood elite.
Produced by Rwanda Cinema Center and
Park Hill Entertainment, in association with
the Kwetu Film Institute & the Rwanda Media
Project.
Film running time: 76 mins.
Screening will be followed by a Q&A with Eric
Kabera (director of Intore and founder of the
Kwetu Film Institute), featured artist Jean Paul
Samputu, and award-winning Rwandan TV
presenter Tijara Kabendera)

32. Interested in becoming an EIFA volunteer?
Do you have a couple of hours, a day or more per week to spare?
Looking to build your CV?
Perhaps you are looking for a Summer internship opportunity?
Look no further! Here at EIFA, we accept and process volunteer
applications throughout the year. Skills in the following: graphics design,
website design/administration, catering, research and writing, events
management - to name a few are - all sought after . We will provide you with
a platform to utilize your skills and further develop them.
Think you can be a star volunteer? Well then, contact us right away at:
info@eifa.org.uk
Send us details of your interests, skills, a reference contact and CV, along
with a motivation statement (no more than 400 words).
Successful applicants will be called for interview. Only serious
and committed applicants need apply.
WRITE FOR US!
Are you an aspiring writer? Or just enjoy writing the odd
piece here and there? Do you have opinions or ideas that you
want to share?
Well, here’s your chance!! We welcome submissions on faith or inter-faith related
topics for our next edition of Inter-Faith Matters. Submissions can be long (800
words) or short, pictures, poetry or prose, community news, book/film/music re-
views, ideas or event social commentaries! Selected articles will be published and
we reserve the right to edit.
Inter-Faith Matters