On the UN International Day of Peace this year LBFN launched #LondonIsOpen for religion. We are promoting this message over Inter Faith Week as a means to harness and share our collective energies across London, both in individual faith communities and inter-faith activities. It would be absolutely wonderful if you would join us.

With endorsement from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, as part of his #LondonIsOpen campaign and the United Nations Association, we have made a short 2 minute video to share the message that London is Open for faith, cultural and religious difference.

Here is a link to our film: https://youtu.be/bExx8ZzfAnw

Please share it across your social media platforms, and also as part of any events that you are doing. Participating screenings include religious buildings across London, from Wimbledon to Neasden, inter-faith events and the United Nations Association film festival, www.wethepeoples.org.uk.

We are sharing our events, building ties and promoting our activities during Inter Faith Week. We hope this short film will be a catalyst for conversation amongst us, as well as a strong signal to Londoners, including those who may be surprised by this message.

The epigraph to a conference paper Rosalind Parker (who made the film) wrote in 2011 on aesthetics and British Muslim identity in the wake of terrorist attacks and widespread Islamophobia is quoted below. We regret to say it still feels pertinent in the current climate.

Never has it been more important to open up the rivers of words, ideas, knowledge and beauty that have criss-crossed for centuries between the notional East and West . . . As the skies darken, some hope the arts can make the hard lines dissolve.  Alibhai-Brown (2006)

Please do join us, and feel free to contact rosalindparker00@gmail.com or Catriona Robertson on convener@lbfn.org for any other information or discussion.