By Maira Butt
The faith minister, Lord Khan, has spoken of the vital strength of London’s religious diversity, which he said should be celebrated.
He was speaking at an aawards ceremony organised by the Faith and Belief Forum, honouring the work of London’s faith and belief communities, with their own members and wider society.
The annual awards have been newly named as the London Dangoor Awards, after philanthropist David Dangoor, chair of the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London’s Faith Council.
39 projects were awarded prizes of £500, with a further 49 organisations and seven outstanding individuals recognised for their work.
Lord Khan outlined the history of religion in the capital, a “megacity of economic, political, and cultural life”, saying: “London remains a complex paradoxical city. For London is a city of contrasts, it is profoundly religious yet often overlooked for this attribute. It stands as England’s most religiously diverse region with over a quarter of its residents identifying with faiths other than Christianity.”
He added: “Remarkably, London is also a stronghold for both conservative and liberal values on both social and moral issues and has long been a centre for secular thought. The city’s religious diversity is a vital strength, one that we can both celebrate and champion”.
He described the awards a “firm fixture in the capital’s calendar”. and thanked organisers for “bringing us together to celebrate faith and belief communities who are proud of their faith or belief and of this city, and who have delivered such important community work”.
As the night progressed, the ceremony was brought to life with stories of the experiences of those who have founded the charities recognised for their work.
Jasmine Cannon-Ikurusi, the founder of Sapphire Employability and Wellbeing Academy, shared a personal experience of burnout that led her to setting up the charity to help people with their mental health. She said she hoped that it could contribute to creating “a world where every individual is equipped with the tools that they need to survive, thrive, and dominate”. The charity won the award for its response to the cost-of-living crisis.
Beyza Coskun, founder of the Life of a Chickpea project, a dialogue society that encourages students to discuss democracy and society, was the winner of the interfaith relations award. She told the Religion Media Centre: “London is very multicultural, so we need to come together and learn about each other.”
Sharing an example from her life, Ms Coskun continued: “My son’s school celebrates Christmas and Ramadan, so when they grow up, they can’t misunderstand each other. It’s very important that they’re learning and understanding about each other and celebrating that. London is a unique place in that sense.”
The King’s Interfaith Network at King’s College Hospital, which was set up as part of an equality and diversity initiative within the hospital, received a promoting inclusion award. Its chairman, Dr Asif Iqbal, said the group has organised nine interfaith-related events, taking in Diwali, Remembrance Day, and Sikh and Jewish festivals.
“It brings people together,” Dr Iqbal said. “It’s all about inclusion. We live in a time where there are so many conflicts, the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and others. Faith brings people together. We need to look at our commonality rather than differences so we can bring people together.”
He added: “Good connects people. Food is influenced by faith and that’s important too”.
Sir Kenneth Olisa, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, in his closing remarks to the ceremony, shared a comment from King Charles. Suggesting that a statement on the importance of interfaith relations could assist faith communities in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas, the King turned to his private secretary, Sir Kenneth revealed, and said: “I want to do that.”
“Three weeks later I was invited to Buckingham Palace with another 44 people to discuss how we could amplify the power of interfaith relationships,” he said. “Each group was asked to discuss a specific topic including interfaith relations in the context of young people, interfaith relationships and women, and interfaith relationships generally in the country.
“We spent 45 minutes discussing our experiences. At the end of our discussion, the King spent 15 minutes at each table listening to our thoughts. Those of you who watched the King’s Speech at Christmas 2023 know that it was totally focused on interfaith relations. And I can tell you that it took information from our discussions.”
He added: “What you have shown this evening is that everybody here has taken the trouble to step up and do something about making this a safer, better nation and city. Everyone in this room has stood up and found a way to drive the power of community. What you do is what the King does.”
The winners are listed with a full description of their activities, here:
(Pics courtesy of Faith and Belief Forum)
