Interfaith Tour Queens Park, Bedford

Bedford Uprisers began the new year with an interfaith tour in Queen’s Park. In addition to the exposure to other religions and cultures, the purpose of the visit was to learn how groups (in this instance all of whom are faith-based) attempt to improve their community by encouraging the local populous to participate in different projects. These skills will be invaluable in making our own Social Action Campaigns (SAC) successes.

The gurdwara is a beautiful building that dominates the local skyline. Norman Ash welcomed us and then proceeded to give a very brief overview of the Sikh religion. This included the ‘Five Ks’, which are articles of faith as well as a dress code, and the ten gurus. The last one, Guru Gobind Singh, is the Sikh’s main religious text but is treated as a living person. We had the privilege of being admitted to the elaborate prayer room, but we were unable to see the Guru because this was before the evening service.

All Saints belongs to the Church of England denomination of Christianity. Here we were greeted in the impressive, but chilly, building by the Rev. Jay McLeod. Again, we were given a short introduction into his faith and the church before he discussed the interfaith projects that he created with the local mosque and gurdwara, which included this tour.

The interfaith sports teams have been incredibly successful. The basketball and cricket teams encourage youths off the streets and, instead, participate in a productive activity that requires a mixture of personal development and teamwork. The emphasis is on participation irrespective of an individual’s religion or abilities. Many children with learning difficulties or disabilities play alongside promising young sporting talent. Nonetheless, the project’s achievements go beyond better social cohesion in Queen’s Park; one of their cricket teams achieved success at a national level, despite having only minimal training facilities.

The evening concluded with a warm introduction to Islam, at the mosque, by Imam Hafiz Abdul Quadeer. He understood that many people are apprehensive towards Islam, but believes that this is rooted in ignorance; therefore, he was keen to educate us. We learnt that the Five Pillars that form the core of their religion and how personal choice is important in Islam. In addition we participated in prayer demonstration and pronouncing Arabic.

The evening was enjoyable and demonstrated the rich diversity that Bedford possesses. All UpRisers must learn how to utilise these different groups in our communities. Once we have learnt these skills, our SACs become more achievable and we can develop a more coherent society.