The Irish Council of Churches (ICC) and Office for Integration of Dublin City Council will launch the Dublin City Interfaith Forum on Tuesday 31 January at the Civic Offices in Wood Quay. The Interfaith Forum will facilitate the integration of immigrant communities into Irish society by developing a platform for intercultural and inter–religious dialogue.

The Interfaith Forum whose members include Baha’I, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities will be launched by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague. Corrymeela Leader, Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE and Sr Isabel Smyth of the Scottish Inter–Faith Council will address the launch.

Welcoming the launch, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague said,“Dublin’s religious landscape has changed profoundly in the last decade. This has brought about new challenges and opportunities. I welcome initiatives, such as the Dublin City Interfaith Forum, which encourage discussion, help build relationships, promote integration, nurture harmony, and deepen understanding and respect”.

 

Mr. Mervyn McCullagh, Executive Officer of ICC, pointed out that the aims of the new interfaith group set out to ‘support and strengthen the contribution of faith communities in Dublin City, educate and encourage people of different faiths to dialogue, reflect and work together in matters of policy, strategy and action and challenge all forms of injustice and discrimination’.

Mr. Mudafar Al Tawash, Administrator of Islamic Foundation of Ireland and member of the new Dublin City Interfaith Forum said, ‘Questions of the engagement of religion in public life are among the most pressing and complex on the international agenda and within many countries’.

This partnership between the Irish Council of Churches and the Office for Integration of Dublin City Council, will provide the space and opportunity for Faith Communities to build relationships with and between Dublin City communities, statutory and voluntary organisations and the residents of Dublin City.