Message from Canon Andrew White read out to the recent ‘Joint Celebration of Holy events of the Three Faiths of Abraham’.
‘Greetings from Baghdad, I am so sorry that I am unable to be with you today especially as my great friend and member of my board Dr Raheem Kahn is behind this event.
Today you come together as members of the three great monotheistic faiths, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Together we have one great thing in common we all believe that G-d is one. We all believe that G-d is part of our life and we believe interfaith activity does not make us weak in our faith it should makes us stronger and indeed more orthodox in what we believe and practice. Unlike many in the West I do not live and work with those who do not believe much. Most people believe firmly in their faith. Yet they are serious about engaging with the other. (Photo Link)
At the same time we all realise that when religion goes wrong it goes very wrong. We do not deny that religion is at the core of so many of the problems in the world today, but if religion is part of the problem it must also be part of the solution. The solution begins with you; you have come together as one not two or three. You must hear each other's story and you will soon discover that you are friends not enemies. It was the American poet Longfellow who said "Who is my enemy; it is the person whose story I have not heard".
May the Lord, Hashem, Allah and the Almighty G-d be with you all forever.’
This was read by Canon White’s Personal Assistant, Sharon Booth, the Project Manager of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East.
Canon Andrew White: President, Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East - Vicar of St Georges, Baghdad