Walk of Peace and Friendship 2017
filed in Event on 13 Jun 2017
Our annual Walk of Peace and Friendship took place this year on 1st July in Brentford and Chiswick. This enjoyable event was our regular opportunity to visit different places of worship, hear informal talks about faith and share with people from different communities in our richly diverse borough.
We met at 11am at the Hanuman Hindu Temple in Beech Avenue in Brentford. This centre opened officially this year after extensive building and renovation work. Their particular interest is Hindu spirituality through yoga and music. We heard about the meaning of the beautiful carvings on the main doors and the shrines where the priest gave aarti, a Hindu prayer.
A short bus journey took us to Gunnersbury to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Harvard Road in Chiswick where we had a most delicious lunch. The church is the cathedral for the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), with communities on the territories of the UK and Ireland. We learnt about the very beautiful icons in the upper and lower parts of the church building and the priest gave a blessing.
From there the Walk continued to Christ Church, Turnham Green in Town Hall Avenue, a lively Anglican parish church. We heard about the range of their activities using their building in the heart of community and the value they find in prayer.
The final venue was the London Buddhist Vihara in The Avenue. The Vihara has a resident community of monks from Sri Lanka and is a leading centre for Theravada Buddhism. Founded in 1926 by Anagarika Dharmapala, the Vihara was the first Buddhist monastery to be established outside the continent of Asia. It moved to Chiswick in 1964 and has been in its present building since 1994. We heard about the value of the Buddhist way and heard uplifting Buddhist chanting.
Thank you to all the places of worship who took time to open their doors to us and to the enthusiastic walkers who took part on the day.
Recent Attacks in London and Manchester
filed in Statement on 05 Jun 2017
Hounslow Friends of Faith issued two statements following the terrorist attacks in London and in Manchester.
Hounlsow Friends of Faith is shocked and greatly distressed that once again individuals have carried out a deplorable attack at London Bridge, so soon after the outrage in Manchester. We know these feelings are shared by many groups in the borough and welcome the statements of condemnation which have already been issued. We feel the pain of those caught up in the events and hold them in our thoughts and prayers.
We acknowledge once more the good relations between faiths which exist in Hounslow. We must not allow such attacks to weaken our resolve to stay as one Hounslow community.
Charanjit Ajit Singh Chair Bessie White
On behalf of HFOF Committee Information Officer
5th June 2017
Statement following Manchester Arena attack
As faith leaders in Hounslow, we unite in our sadness and condemnation of the dreadful attack in Manchester which has affected families, young people and children. Here we are grateful for the good relations that exist between the faith communities where we know each other as friends and colleagues and work together for the common good. We must not allow this attack by an individual to damage this. We hold all those affected in our thoughts and prayers.
Signed
Charanjit Ajit Singh Chair Hounslow Friends of Faith
Rev Tom Gillum Vice Chair Hounslow Friends of Faith
Divya Din Vice Chair Hounslow Friends of Faith
Shafiq Rehman General Secretary Hounslow Jamia Mosque and on behalf of Hounslow Social
and Political Committee which represents the mosques and Islamic Centres in the borough of Hounslow
Rev Richard Frank Church of England Hounslow Area Dean
23rd May 2017
We have already received several messages of support and requests specifically to be associated with this statement. These include from the Ahmadiyya Community and HIRA (Hounslow Islamic Relief Association) in Feltham.
The photo shows the statement on display at the vigil held at Hounlsow Jamia Masjid on 27th May attended by representatives of many faiths.