We were accorded the honour and privilege to have been invited to participate in a meeting of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland’s (BCOS’s) Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue. The meeting, chaired by Archbishop Mario Conti, heralded the proposition, advanced by all those present, that fostering dialogue and understanding, and reinforcing the ties, between Christians and Shi`ah Muslims is a crucial step to help us ultimately work, as we are bidden by Allah Almighty, for the social and spiritual betterment of an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural society upon a platform of engagement, cooperation and peaceful coexistence. Efforts are being set in motion, and this interfaith initiative will see growth Insha’Allah, whereby the adherents of these two faiths may learn about one another, and support each other in working for the welfare of the wider public. Our special thanks go out to Br Najif Jafiri, invited community observer who offered us all his invaluable insight, and the organisers and the committee members – each of whom has played a noble part in a number of charitable and humanitarian initiatives – namely His Grace, Archbishop Mario Conti, Sr Isabel Smyth, Dr Anthony Allison, Dr Suzanne Bunniss, Sr Patricia Cusick, Fr John Gannon, and Fr Tom Welsh. We specifically thank Fr Tom Welsh, the Director of the Conforti Global Education Centre where the meeting was held, we thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality afforded to us, and look forward to our next engagement.
