WIREDGOV

Lord Khan, Minister for Faith, yesterday delivered a speech at the Midlands Interfaith Conference as part of this year's Inter Faith Week.

It’s a pleasure to be here with you all during Inter Faith Week, hearing such thought-provoking conversations. This week is full of opportunities to deepen understanding, learn about each other’s beliefs, and find common ground through shared values. My thanks to the organisers for their commitment, energy, and warm welcome.

I’m delighted to have been ‘sent to Coventry’ this evening on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, in my capacity as Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement.

While the phrase ‘sent to Coventry’ implies ostracism, Coventry’s contributions to Britain’s post-war commitment to peace, reconciliation, and embracing diversity are impossible to overlook - values we celebrate during Inter Faith Week.

Coventry is known around the world as a ‘city of peace and reconciliation’. The experience of its people and its symbolic cathedral, so devastated as they were in November 1940 by bombs, fire, division and hatred, continue to resonate in those parts of the world where violence and conflict are ongoing. 

However, violence was not the end of Coventry’s story. The medieval ruins we see today, alongside the majestic New Cathedral, serve as a powerful reminder of humanity’s capacity for both destruction and healing.

The story of Coventry and its Cathedral, that of being ‘ruined and rebuilt’ - to use the words of the late Provost Howard, who led the Cathedral from 1933 to 1958 - has its theological underpinnings in Christian belief but promotes values that resonate with people of all faiths and none.

These values are now embedded in Coventry’s council and other public bodies, it’s wider civil society and Coventry University who I’d like to thank for generously hosting us this evening.

Coventry shares a profound message, drawn from lived experience, of refusing to give in to feelings of revenge. Of reaching out to and even forgiving our enemies. And of choosing hope in the face of rubble and devastation.

We forget how remarkable it was that in 1947, only two years after the end of the Second World War when anti-German sentiments were still widespread and the wounds of violence still raw, that a delegation from Coventry visited the German city of Kiel. The Coventry delegation presented their hosts with a Cross of Nails, made from nails that had held together the Cathedral’s roof.

Over the decades, the Community of the Cross of Nails and the multifaith Together for Hope initiative - global networks inspired by Coventry’s story - have made the Cathedral a beacon of reconciliation.

In a world fractured by war and conflict, these are difficult times indeed. The shock, horror and grief from the ongoing suffering in the Middle East is often overwhelming, leaving many of us feeling helpless, powerless.

The shocking violence and disorder witnessed across parts of the UK this summer show that the work of global peace and reconciliation must continue - and often begins right at home.

So, let us also ask, what can Coventry’s story teach us about achieving peace in our own neighbourhoods and on our own streets?

What does Coventry, the UK’s City of Culture in 2021, tell us about how to live well with diversity, alongside those who are different to us? Or those who, for whatever reason, we may have come to fear?

And how can we apply these lessons to rebuild interfaith relations, which are vital to our nation’s fabric yet have been deeply strained by recent events, including the horrific violence in the Middle East, and this summer’s unrest?

I’d like to share three key reflections from my conversations with faith leaders and interfaith practitioners since I became Faith Minister in early July.

Before I dive in, I’d like to share why I’m hopeful for the future of interfaith relations. Tonight, we gather not only in Coventry but also in the Midlands - a region that unites people of faith from East and West.

As well as the geographic heart of England, the Midlands has also been a centre for interfaith innovation and creativity. In 2014, Birmingham became the first local authority to sign a Faith Covenant, renewing it in 2022 with police and health partners. In 2023, the West Midlands Combined Authority became the first to sign a regional Faith Covenant.

The University of Birmingham hosts the Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion. And the Nishkam Centre is a key champion of the Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation.

The pioneering youth project, ‘The Feast’ was founded in Birmingham. The West Midlands Faith Alliance was the first regional multi-faith network of its kind to mobilise faith communities around the challenge of violence affecting young people, work now being emulated in other parts of the country.

And what of the East Midlands? The St Philips Centre in Leicester, the Multi-Faith Centre in Derby, and Nottingham Interfaith Council. All these initiatives and more, many of whom are represented here tonight, have long been integral to their communities, and are hives of interfaith activity, creativity and innovation.

That this evening was preceded by a youth interfaith workshop is also very encouraging. 

It is on these foundations, of what is taking place here in the Midlands and other examples across the country, that I have hope for the future, that we might rebuild interfaith relations stronger than they’ve been before.

So, how can we rebuild better, and what can Coventry’s story teach us? One way to think about this is to see interfaith peace in at least three dimensions:

First, I’ve been told that our interfaith relationships need to be longer – in other words, building strong, peaceful relationships takes time. Coventry’s experience shows that reconciliation can take decades but can start even amid conflict.

Faith leaders have told me we need an intergenerational, long-term approach to rebuilding a cohesive society in the UK, one based on sharing values, experiences and ideas between generations.

Religious education and faith literacy are vital to this effort, as is empowering our young people to help address todays and tomorrow’s challenges.

Second, I’ve been told that our interfaith relationships need to be deeper – the disorder in Leicester and Sandwell in 2022, or across the UK in 2024, demonstrated that there are underlying tensions within and between communities.

They show us how unresolved issues lying under the surface, if triggered, can lead to fires that cause great physical and societal damage. The development of strong interfaith friendships in times of peace, I believe, prepares us well for times of crisis.

Genuine inter-cultural friendships, as shown by the Coventry experience, need space for constructive truth-telling, love and forgiveness. We need to be able to have difficult conversations that may hurt in the short-term, but like the effect of exercise, over-time help to build the strength and resilience of communities.

Third, I’ve been told that our interfaith relationships need to be wider – we need to include more voices at the table – more female, young and marginalised voices, in particular. The huge diversity found in Coventry and the Midlands speaks to the need for proper representation. Government is healthiest when people are given a meaningful opportunity to shape the policies that affect them and their communities.

Faith and belief groups are active not just in certain pockets of policy, but across the whole of society. Let us therefore have spaces where faith and belief groups can speak into and shape the Government’s priorities, and fully participate in our collective work of national renewal.

The work of rebuilding is already underway. I’ve been heartened by the efforts of individuals and communities to preserve vital local relationships - like priests, imams, and rabbis coming together in prayer. I’ve been inspired by congregants from local churches, temples, and other places of worship opening their doors, helping neighbours clean up broken glass and recover from the recent disorder.

However, as Amrick Singh Ubhi, Director of civic engagement at the Nishkam Centre, aptly said last year: “Faith groups cannot just be the fourth emergency service in times of crises only”.

The Prime Minister wrote to faith and belief communities prior to the election saying: 

“Through years of austerity, a global pandemic, overseas conflicts and a cost-of-living crisis, our faith groups have served with resilience and compassion. You have saved lives, sustained families and strengthened communities in their hour of need. You have demonstrated what it means to be a society of service, and we are forever grateful. We recognise the depths of belief and devotion that drive your commitment to social justice and social action. And we welcome your efforts to bring about a brighter future for everyone in our country.”

With the Prime Minister, and on behalf of the government, I welcome your diverse, faith-inspired contributions to our society. And that is why I was so pleased to confirm the government’s small contribution to this year’s Inter Faith Week organisers – enabling the Week to be promoted and supported across a broad range of networks, schools and communities – and underlining our commitment to the importance of interfaith co-operation.

Brothers and sisters, while the origins of the phrase “sent to Coventry” are contested, it’s an expression that has spread well beyond the Midlands. And I hope the insights shared this evening on overcoming challenges, strengthening collaboration, and amplifying faith’s positive impact also reach out across the country.

Friends, this is a moment to unite and celebrate diversity, as our faiths, communities, and society are stronger together.

Growing up in Lancashire, I saw firsthand the impact of interfaith and cross-community efforts. During times of tension in our Northern towns in the early 2000s, communities came together to rebuild and heal, demonstrating the true power of unity.

And in my roles as Mayor of Burnley and through my charitable work, I have encountered countless individuals inspired by their faith. These experiences have shaped my belief in the importance of interfaith work in overcoming adversity and building stronger, more resilient communities.

With five days left of Inter Faith Week and Mitzvah Day fast approaching, I encourage everyone to join in and play their part in celebrating our religious diversity.

Keep the faith in the work you do, keep the faith in each other and keep the faith in our country.