Christian Muslim Forum – Resources for Churches on Muslim life in Britain
Evidence from the Christian Muslim Forum’s work and from major surveys (Pew, 2018, reported that 45% of church-attending Christians think Islam is incompatible with British values) reveal ignorance about Muslims within church circles which can sometimes lead to fear, hostility and division. Commonly used sources of information about Islam can be misleading and existing material to fill this gap tends to have been produced years ago and designed for an already knowledgeable or motivated audience. Personal links are also an important factor in reducing hostility and engaging across religious differences on a realistic basis.
With the support of the MB Reckitt Trust, CMF will be creating attractive, easy-to-use, written resources, based on the recommendations of a reference group, and disseminating these through church structures across the country. This will be coupled with opportunities for churchgoers to get to know neighbouring Muslims and Islamic organisations through CMF’s national network. The result will be better informed, more confident Christians in their understanding of Islam, and in their understanding of their own faith, and who have taken up the opportunity to meet local Muslims.