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).
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
Inter Faith Week creates powerful opportunities for open dialogue, meaningful connection and shared action. For some, the Week offers an introduction to others from different faith and belief backgrounds. For all, it builds trust and strengthens community relationships based on shared values, inspiring a more inclusive, respectful and united society. In 2025, Inter Faith Week showed faith groups uniting communities through local and youth leadership, highlighting lessons for growing IFW as a key part of the UK's civic infrastructure and an impactful tool for social cohesion.
Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Minister of Devolution, Faith and Communities.
Board of Deputies of British Jews
Strategic cohesion opportunities, like Inter Faith Week, are important ways to push back against the forces of division and move towards what we all need to see: a truly United Kingdom.
Phil Rosenberg, Board of Deputies of British Jews.
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 is 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.
Church of England
In an age of polarisation, Inter Faith Week calls us to courageous encounter, urgent solidarity, and hope stronger than fear shared.
Rt Revd Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Church of England Bishop of Willesden and Lead Bishop for Interfaith Relations.
Coptic Orthodox Archbishop
Faith and Belief are at the very core of most of the world’s population, and so providing platforms for collaboration, co-operation and celebration through Inter-Faith Week are essential in supporting the diverse fabric of our Nation.
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos OBE, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the United Kingdom.
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
HCUK wholeheartedly supports Interfaith Week, as it provides opportunities to build a better future and end discrimination and hatred.
Krishna Bhan, Chair, Hindu Council UK.
Humanists UK
Humanists UK values the Week as a space for people of all worldviews to collaborate on shared values and mutual understanding for a better world.
Andrew Copson, CEO of Humanists 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
By fostering fellowship and trust among people of diverse beliefs, we strengthen the moral and spiritual foundations of our society, which are so critical for social cohesion.
Marco Milone, Secretary, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom.
Network of Buddhist Organisations UK
Fostering mutual understanding, harmony and collaboration, Inter Faith Week continues to provide significant opportunities to develop good relations between people and organisations from different backgrounds.
Jo Backus, Chair of Network of Buddhist Organisations UK.
Network of Sikh Organisations
We are fortunate to have established the “tradition” of holding regular annual Inter Faith Week, which provides a great opportunity for diverse faiths to come together in a spirit of mutual respect.
Mohinder Singh Chana, Committee Member (Inter Faith) at Network of Sikh Organisations.
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 is firmly committed to interfaith engagement and the values that lie at the very heart of Inter Faith Week.
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.
Religious Education Council for England and Wales
Inter Faith Week 2025 was inspirational. It was wonderful to see such a wide range of events, with more schools than ever participating.
Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the Religious Education Council for England and Wales.
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, particularly if you have not been to one before.
The theme of this week, “Community: Together We Serve,” presents us with 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.
The UK Muslim Network
Inter Faith Week 2025 showed how collaboration across faiths strengthens social cohesion, counters division, and builds hope for future generations.