Yesterday’s terrible Antisemitic attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh USA has been responded to here in the UK with prayers and with words of condemnation and strong messages of solidarity with the Jewish community from across the UK’s faith communities.

Like attacks on churches, gurdwaras, mosques, temples and other places of worship of different faiths here and around the world, it is a reminder of the need to condemn extremist violence in the strongest terms and to stand together and to continue to work together with ever greater urgency against ignorance, prejudice and hatred.

There is no place in civilised society for Antisemitism.

Nor is there a place for Islamophobia and hatreds targeting communities of other faiths and beliefs.

All communities must be able to exist in safety and to practise their faith freely and without fear.

Faith Leaders of Sheffield_published (1)
The faith leaders of Sheffield affirm educational experiences that grow
children’s knowledge and understanding of the diverse faiths of our city. We
encourage the use of visits or speakers to broaden children’s experiences
of faith.
Facilitating visits and meetings through which children encounter a diversity
of religions is an important part of good religious education. Representatives
of the main faith communities, speaking from within a religious tradition,
provide a vital resource, as does the experience of visiting a place of worship.
We encourage all schools to develop links with our varied faith communities
and ensure their children encounter a diversity of religions.
We encourage parents from within our religious traditions, and those of
other traditions or none, to give their permission and support to schools as
they engage with visits to diverse places of worship.
We encourage our schools to be thorough in ensuring any agency or visitor
will not be presenting a message that is at odds with the schools foundation,
values or ethos.
We expect any adult engaging with children to be prepared for the group
they are to address, ensuring their words and activities will are appropriate
for the age of the children involved.
Visits and visitors should be opportunities to present a religious faith,
but should never be used to convert, proselytise or radicalize children.
Engagement with children and young people in an educational setting should
avoid expressing any aspect of faith that may cause anxiety or fear within
the children participating.
As they pay visits that may explore faiths that are not their own, children
should never be compelled to take part in any religious activity.
We advise that any speaker or agency presenting a religious faith should
avoid any comment that critiques or gives negative views of any other faith.
Any messages communicated to students should be tolerant and refrain
from marginalizing any communities, groups or individuals.
We affirm the difference between learning about religion, and learning from
religion. While we acknowledge that school visits are often focussed on
factual content and the relating of religious belief and practice, children can
be encouraged to think about their response to what they hear.
We ask the leaders of our religious communities to have regard to the role
and skills a member of their community undertakes when engaging with
schools, and propose that schools should only draw upon speakers and visits
that are approved by the religious communities concerned.
All visits or engagements should comply with the school’s safeguarding
policy and procedure and we would expect our speakers and facilitators to
check that they are fully abiding by such requirements.
As regards practical considerations, we commend the advice of NATRE
(the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education) in relation
to organising visits, particularly their “Checklist of some of the things to
consider when arranging visits or visitors”:
www.natre.org.uk/about-re/guidance-on-resources/visits-and-visitors

ASSIST is looking for volunteers to fill several new roles, including a Housing Support Volunteer, Accompanying Coordinator and volunteers to provide advice and guidance to people who come to the Sanctuary with a variety of asylum related issues. Please contact Craig craig@assistsheffield.org.uk or Jochen (jochen@assistsheffield.org.uk) for further information.

They would also like donations of gardening tools so that asylum seekers are able to do some gardening at their accommodation.

Firstly, some good news about Pride Mbi Agbor, whom you may have supported during his journey to refugee status. He has now been accepted onto a degree course at the University of Sheffield to study Biomedical Science starting in September.

There was a Sheffield People’s Theatre production at the Crucible last week, called “Songs from the Seven Hills” and written by John Hollingworth, which weaves together stories of Sheffield folk with the struggle of a Syrian family to find sanctuary in the city.

The Sanctuary on Chapel Walk goes from strength to strength, with lunches served on Tuesdays, English language classes, and choir practices among other activities. They also want to raise funds by collecting used printer cartridges -please take them in.

Sheffield and Balby Quaker Meeting met on Sunday 11th March and expressed their deep sorrow and outrage on hearing of the letter circulated by person or persons motivated by hate. Entitled “Punish a Muslim day”, the letter urges an escalating series of “punishments”. We Quakers wish to offer a hand of friendship and solidarity to all Muslim communities and invite people of all faiths and none to stand with them against racism and hatred.

No doubt most of us agree with this Quaker statement, further responses will be published shortly.