Festivals of the birth of Muhammad and Jesus celebrated

Photo: Multi-Faith Partnership

Robin Parker, Imam Irfan Chishti MBE, Rev Mark Coleman with helpers and volunteers

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Rochdale Borough Multi-Faith Partnership brought people of different faith and cultural backgrounds together at the Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre in Rochdale on Saturday (10 December) to celebrate the fact that the festivals of the birth of the two main figures of Islam and Christianity, Muhammad and Jesus, fall quite close together.

The group gave out greetings cards and Fair Trade chocolate wafers. The aim was to acknowledge that the shared message of both faiths is that of peace.

The group also provided an activity for children and invited them to create decorations for a ‘Peace Tree’. The activity proved popular and by the end of the day the tree was filled with words of peace and salaam along with quite a few snowmen.

The event was supported by Rev Mark Coleman of St Chad’s Church, Rochdale; Imam Irfan Chishti MBE and Councillor Sameena Zaheer of Milkstone and Deeplish Ward, along with lots of help from the group’s volunteers.

Speaking for The Multi-Faith Partnership, Robin Parker, chairman, said: “It is so important to break away from the negative portrayals of the different faith groups by which we are constantly confronted. Terrible things are done in the name of religion but the problems lie with mankind not with the original tenets of the faiths.

“As a group, we are about recognising our shared humanity and encouraging respect for each other, whether we are of a particular faith or none. It’s about getting to know people and what both we ourselves and others believe and finding out that we all have so much in common.

“People do have differences in what they believe but these should be respected where they do not lead to doing harm.

"The Multi-Faith Partnership is grateful to Rochdale MBC Safer Communities and the management of the Wheatsheaf Centre for their support in enabling the event to happen."