Faith Leaders Statements of Support
As part of the inaugural Inter Faith Week in 2009, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, hosted an event attended by Faith Community Leaders. At the event, participants signed a statement acknowledging the value of interfaith work and representing their commitment to it. (Photo: Paresh Solanki).
Board of Deputies of British Jews
The Board of Deputies of British Jews is an organisation with a long and proud history of interfaith work. Interfaith Week comes at a more important time than ever, in a year where extremism has posed significant harm against faith communities. We encourage all of our Jewish communities and synagogues to participate fully in interfaith – this week and beyond.
Andrew Gilberts - Vice President, Board of Deputies of British Jews
British Muslim Network
Interfaith Week is an important moment in the UK calendar. Encouraging people of all faiths to come together, meet new people and engage in positive social action together is what we need to see. We know that faith communities are an integral part of what makes our country great, our diversity is our strength. By continuing to work together and by encouraging the next generation to do the same, we can ensure that division and hatred do not take hold and that hope and connection can be our focus, together.
Imam Qari Asim and Akeela Ahmed, Co-chairs, the British Muslim Network
British Sikh Consultative Forum (BSCF)
The British Sikh Consultative Forum (BSCF) is proud to support the United Kingdom’s Interfaith Week 2025. This special week celebrates the friendships, shared values, and compassion that unite people of all faiths and beliefs. In these uncertain times, we are reminded how vital it is to come together, to listen, learn, and stand in solidarity with one another.
BSCF is committed to building stronger, kinder communities where everyone feels they belong. We continue to support grassroots action that brings people together, helps those in need, and strengthens the bonds across our neighbourhoods. By working together and caring for both people and the planet, we can create a future built on understanding, respect, and hope.
We also recognise the important role of faith and community leaders, policymakers, and influencers in shaping a society where everyone can speak freely, live with dignity, and feel safe. Interfaith Week reminds us that kindness, respect, and shared humanity can light the way forward, and BSCF is proud to walk that path alongside friends and partners from every background and belief.
Ms Inderpal Kaur Singh, Faith & Community Engagement Officer, British Sikh Consultative Forum
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Many of our faith communities have faced challenging times in the past year. It so important that as people of different faiths (and none) we stand together in solidarity. If one of us is demonised or attacked, then we all suffer. Inter Faith Week is a time when we support one another as people of different religions and work together for the good of all in our communities. It is also an occasion to celebrate the religious and cultural diversity of our society and the way it enriches all our lives.
Revd Graham Sparkes, Moderator of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
The West Midlands Faith Alliance
The West Midlands Faith Alliance stands united in our shared commitment to building stronger, safer and more compassionate communities. In a time when division can easily overshadow connection, we affirm the importance of partnership, hope and courage in bringing people together. We believe that every individual, family and neighbourhood deserves to live with dignity, safety and a sense of belonging.
Our work is rooted in the conviction that when we support and empower one another, we unlock the potential for lasting change and flourishing communities. We seek to stand alongside all people, people of faith, of no faith, and those who are still finding their way, recognising the richness and strength that diversity brings.
This Inter Faith Week, we reaffirm our commitment to unity, collaboration and mutual care, working hand in hand for the wellbeing of all who call the West Midlands home.
The Executive, The West Midlands Alliance
Hindu Council UK
Hindu Council UK is committed to raising awareness of faith communities and promoting understanding among people of different religious and non-religious beliefs. HCUK wholeheartedly supports Interfaith Week as it gives opportunities to create a better future and put an end to discrimination and hatred.. It brings different faiths and backgrounds together to celebrate and learn from each other. Through interfaith week activities, we can unite in common cause and promote mutual respect between different religions and beliefs.
Interfaith dialogues help to diffuse tensions that result from misunderstandings about the faith beliefs of other religions. It promotes harmony between all people regardless of their faith. Interfaith week activities highlight core values that are shared by all religions - values like compassion, respect, love hope and peace. These core values are necessary for sustaining life in all communities.
Krishna Bhan, Chair, Hindu Council UK
Jewish Small Communities Network
As a community representing a small but vital part of the UK’s rich religious landscape, British Jews deeply value the opportunity that Inter Faith Week provides to come together with people of all faiths and none. Beyond the larger metropolitan centres, over one hundred smaller Jewish communities exist across Britain’s regions. Often invisible in national discourse, these communities face a world increasingly eager to label people by the “correct” opinion, often without intellectual rigour. Getting to know one another through working side by side helps neighbours become more visible to each other, encourages a deeper appreciation of complexity, and inspires a genuine desire to go beneath the surface and see beyond our preconceptions.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, beautifully described this plural civic society as “the home we build together.” In his vision, each community has its own “room” — its unique identity and traditions — while sharing the same “public spaces” where collective life and cooperation flourish. By working side by side in friendship, shared values, and service, we strengthen not only our own communities but also the wider society in which we live. Together, we build neighbourly, inclusive, and resilient communities rooted in respect and common purpose. This week is a hopeful call to continue the vital work of bridge-building, fostering mutual respect, and creating a more peaceful, just, and harmonious Britain.
Ed Horwich, Chief Executive of Jewish Small Communities Network
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom
Inter Faith Week is an invitation to reflect on the deep bonds that connect the many faiths and beliefs that enrich life in the United Kingdom today. It calls into focus the fact that we are all “the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” It is a reminder that, every year, through interfaith initiatives and activities, vital work is ongoing throughout the UK, building relationships that transcend differences and nurture genuine unity, understanding and friendship.
By fostering trust among people of diverse beliefs, we strengthen the moral and spiritual foundations of our communities. When diversity is embraced with sincerity, it moves beyond mere tolerance to give rise to a harmony that can illuminate and uplift the life of the whole nation and beyond. “So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.” Recognising our inherent oneness requires the development of moral and spiritual capacities – capacities which the important work of interfaith helps to inculcate.
Marco Milone, Secretary, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom
Office of The Chief Rabbi.
Interfaith Week provides a timely reminder that genuine understanding is not about avoiding difference, but about engaging with it.
This week’s interfaith activities can help us build bridges, strengthen cohesion, and deepen a sense of unity, through honest, insightful, and sometimes challenging, conversations.
Office of The Chief Rabbi
The Pagan Federation
The Pagan Federation wholeheartedly welcomes Interfaith Week 2025. This annual week offers a meaningful opportunity for people of all faiths and beliefs to stand alongside one another in service, dialogue, and solidarity.
This year’s theme, “Community: Together We Serve. Serving others, sharing values, building belonging,” reflects values that lie at the very heart of interfaith work. Interfaith Week shines a light on the good work being done by local faith-based and interfaith groups across the country, drawing new participants into learning and cooperation, and fostering greater interaction among people of diverse backgrounds. It celebrates our diversity while recognising the many values that we share, helping us build stronger, more neighbourly communities.
From a Pagan perspective, the Week resonates deeply with our commitment to interconnectedness, reverence for community, and shared responsibility for the well-being of all living beings. Pagans across the UK take pride in contributing to local and national interfaith initiatives, and in bringing our own voices, traditions, and practices into dialogue with others. By doing so, we add to the richness of the collective tapestry of faith and belief in our society.In the spirit of this year’s theme—serving others, sharing values, building belonging—the Pagan Federation reaffirms its commitment to interfaith engagement, collaboration, and the cultivation of inclusive, harmonious communities for all.
Mike Stygal, National Interfaith Manager, The Pagan Federation
Quakers in Britain
On behalf of Quakers in Britain, I'm delighted to offer our support for Inter Faith Week 2025. This week is a crucial opportunity to celebrate the diverse tapestry of beliefs and traditions that enrich our society and to strengthen the bonds of friendship between people of all faiths and none. As Quakers, we believe that building a peaceful and just world is rooted in our relationships with each other. By engaging in open, respectful dialogue and working together on issues of common concern, we can break down barriers and build more compassionate and resilient communities.
Inter Faith Week reminds us that despite our differences, we share a common humanity and a shared responsibility to care for our neighbours. We stand in solidarity with everyone working to build bridges and foster mutual respect. We support you as you continue this crucial work.
In friendship and solidarity,
Judith Baker, Ecumenical & Interfaith Officer and Conciliation & Peacebuilding Coordinator, Quakers in Britain
Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster
Inter Faith Week, taking place this year from 9 to 16 November, provides us with an invaluable opportunity to cultivate personal friendships and reach across religious divides, creating the conditions where social cohesion, peacebuilding and reconciliation can thrive.
This year in the Catholic Church, we mark the 60th Anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a significant Second Vatican Council document on interreligious dialogue. It is a document that speaks to the transformative power of conversations and collaborations with people of faith and points us towards a dialogue that renews, restores and rebuilds broken relationships.
This Inter Faith Week, if you see an interfaith event in your area, I encourage you to go along to it, particularly if you have not been to one before.
The theme of this week, “Community: Together We Serve”, provides us a challenge – to encounter others, not only with our words, but also in our acts of service. Indeed, in the words of Jesus, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). In the pursuit of community, may we seek to serve each other this Inter Faith Week.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster