Each year people across Kent take part in national Inter Faith Week (November 8 - 15), an opportunity for those of different religions to come together, discuss their differences and and celebrate their similarities.

But whereas in previous years people would get together in mosques, churches and synagogues across the county, the second coronavirus lockdown has halted these face to face conversations.

Instead, faith leaders have been working hard to make events available online so the week of discussion and interaction around religious beliefs can still go ahead.

Dr Bonni-Belle Pickard, a methodist minister living in Maidstone, believes the key to different faiths living together harmoniously can be found by looking at inter faith couples

Inter faith couples are those who have different belief systems altogether, but have learnt to navigate their differences to happily stay together.

Dr Pickard will be holding a seminar on Monday, November 9, to discuss the subject.

She was inspired by the topic after many of her family members married into families with different religious beliefs.

The American-born minister said: "I have sons and daughters-in-law from Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, one was Atheist and another came from a Buddhist background.

"It made me realise that marriage as an institution has changed radically over the past couple of decades."

Dr Pickard spoke to couples who would describe themselves as inter faith - having separate beliefs - and came to understand some of the tensions felt by those people.

She said: "There were huge road blocks in the way - social acceptance, family acceptance, and then just knowing how to negotiate it. It's difficult territory, it's confusing."

Despite some of the difficulties facing couples who want to be with one another and still practice difference faiths, Dr Pickard believes addressing those challenges holds the key to wider faith groups living and working together harmoniously.

"I have sons and daughters-in-law from Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism..."

The 63-year-old said: "The strapline I sometimes use is that inter faith marriage is working for world peace at the most intimate level.

"If we can learn at the most intimate level how to negotiate with someone who is other, who is different, then I think those are the keys for how we all get together on a larger scale."

She added: "The inter faith conversations are really beneficial - people usually assume it's going to be about one group shouting at the other but that isn't my experience.

"It's just a really rich way of exploring with other people a different set of beliefs, and often by exploring with someone else you understand your own better."

Dalia Halpern-Matthews, a representative of Chatham Memorial Synagogue, said for her and her non-Jewish husband the conversation about faith had to happen when they were due to start a family.

She said: "What we agreed was that whilst I would teach our children about Judaism, they would also be taught about Christianity and Islam and Buddhism and all these different religions.

"And we agreed they wouldn't be pressured, even though by birth they would be Jewish they wouldn't be pressured into practising the Jewish faith.

"Of my three children, two have very much chosen to become Jewish hand one is entirely disinterested in religion.

"It's about allowing a sense of openness and discussion."

Dalia believes that without inter faith events happening in Medway in previous years, there would not have been nearly as much rallying around the vulnerable when the first national lockdown was put in place.

"It's about allowing a sense of openness and discussion..."

She said: "I think if we hadn't already had really strong links, Medway's community would have been much worse off.

"It has been the most amazing and heartwarming and inspiring community of communities that has come together."

The Chatham Memorial Synagogue are hosting a number of events on Zoom, including a Friday evening service on November 13.

A group made up of all different faiths is also organising various online events to lead the conversation on inter faith.

Medway Inter Faith Action is holding a Zoom conference today at 4pm, titled 'thoughts for peace and hope for the future.'

Ajaib Hussain, who has been running discussions online since the first national lockdown, said the online method has actually encouraged more people to get involved.

He said: "Zoom has worked really well for us, more people are actually attending than face to face because they're more flexible and they can dial in anywhere.

"It's very helpful during this time - good for the health and good for wellbeing."

To join the conference on inter faith couples, click here

To see events planned for Inter Faith across Medway, click here

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