"The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt. Rev. David Smith, led a joint Christian-Muslim visit to Pakistan in October [1997]. Travelling with the Anglican Bishop was Ishtiaq Ahmed, Information Officer for the Bradford Council of Mosques and Director of the Racial Equality Council in Bradford." The party plans to visit the Christian town of Shanti Nagar which was destroyed by mob violence in February 1997. "It is understood that Pakistan government officials will be keen to show the Bishop how committed they are to repair work following the Bradford expression of concern".
In February 1997 three Christian villages in Pakistan were destroyed by Muslims from neighbouring towns. The attacks alarmed Christians throughout the country. "The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt. Rev. David Smith, with other Christian and Muslim leaders in Bradford, condemned the violence. In October 1997 the Bishop joined with a Muslim community leader to visit Shanti Nagar to see for themselves the rebuilding work that had been promised to the Christians there.
Contents: Preface / D.C. Mulder, Moderator of the sub-unit for Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies -- Introduction to Mombasa Conference / John B. Taylor -- Bible Studies : God and Man / Kenneth Cragg -- Persibak Experiences of Christians in Relation to their Muslim Neighbours -- 1. My Neighbour Muslims in the Tana River District, Kenya / Johnson E. Komora -- 2. Christians and Muslims as Neighbours in the Philippines / Bienvenido Tudtud -- 3. Christians in Bangladesh / Prakriti Nath -- 4. Personal Experiences of Christian Ministry in the Middle East / Fuad Accad -- 5. Muslims in Britain and Christians' Response / David Kerr -- The Relation of the Catholic Church to Islam Today / Medard Kayitakibga -- The Churches' Presence and Witness in the Varied Context of the Current 'Revival' of Islam / T.B. Simatupang -- For a Christian Witness Among Those Who Intend to Remain Non-Christian / Henri Teissier -- Mission and the Muslim World : Some Theological Reflections / Byron L. Haines -- Conference Statement and Central Committee Recommendations to Churches -- Appendix A: List of Study Centres --Appendix B: Report of Planning Meeting.
Contents: Preface / Dick Mulder -- Introduction to Mombasa Conference / John B. Taylor -- Bible Studies : God and Man / Kenneth Cragg -- My Neighbour Muslims in the Tana River District, Kenya / Johnson E. Komora -- Christians and Muslims as Neighbours in the Philippines / Bienvenido Tudtud -- Christians in Bangladesh / Prakriti Nath -- Personal Experiences of Christian Ministry in the Middle East / Fuad Accad -- Muslims in Britain and Christians' Response / David Kerr -- The Relation of the Catholic Church to Islam Today / Medard Kayitakibga -- The Churches' Presence and Witness in the Varied Context of the Current `Revival' of Islam / T.B. Simatupang --For a Christian Witness Among Those Who Intend to Remain Non-Christian / Henri Teissier -- Mission and the Muslim World : Some Theological Reflections / Byron L. Haines -- Conference Statement and Central Committee Recommendations to Churches.
Appendices include: A: List of Study Centres -- B: Report of Planning Meeting.
Moves are under way to establish a top-level forum of Christians and Muslims to discuss critical educational issues. The group may be known as the Council of Christians and Muslims.
In Luton, CMS mssion partner Jemima Prasadam, whose husband is an Anglican cleric, is cultivating friendship and trust among neighbours who are mostly Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.
Article describes the experience of a young woman, born in Yorkshire to a Muslim family who immigrated from India in the 1960s. "Miriam" left her family at the age of 17 to escape an arranged marriage and was taken in by an Indian family who had converted to Christianity from the Sikh faith. She advised her family through the police that she was safe. "She has been back to see her parents once with her husband and daughter, on the advice of the 'Church' but there can be no regular contact. Miriam said, 'You don't choose your natural family and we don't choose our spiritual family either. I have a new family now and it's the Church. I lost my identity when I left home, but I have found a new identity in Christ'." "According to one Nigerian priest, 'Joseph', Islam is a triangle of political, social and economic points, so when someone leaves Islam they lose everything. 'I'm not from a Muslim background, but we had a convert who lost everything when he left the Islamic faith,' he said". "Joseph has seen Christians suffer physically for their faith". "However, he said the persecution of Christians in the north had strengthened the faith of the younger people".
Issue of IAFN Newsletter included as part of the Anglican World for Eastertide 2005. An editorial and series of short reports from different agencies and countries about interfaith families. "[T]heological problems become practical issues in the case of inter faith marriage and family life, and this newsletter deals with the real problems of couples and families who try to cross religious divisions. Frequently, these divisions are made more difficult because they also involve cultural differences. But the newsletter also tells of successes." "This newsletter, with articles from many parts of the Anglican Communion, shows couples and young people reaching out and crossing inter faith boundaries. As people of different faiths meet and grow together, many -- despite the difficulties -- find positive benefits and discover through the focus on families and children that they have much in common".
Jeremy and Wendy Hinds were long-serving mission partners in predominantly Muslim areas of Nigeria. Now they are mission partners in Britain. Jeremy is an inter-faith worker for Blackburn and Manchester Dioceses.