Interfaith leaders meet to tackle tide of ‘hate, populism and extremism’

Faith leaders convened in Windsor this week to build an interfaith alliance in response to the rise of nationalism, populism and extremism.

Senior representatives of faiths in the UK met at Cumberland Lodge under the auspices of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) to hear from Holocaust survivor Dr Charlotte Knobloch, who said their meeting was being held “against a backdrop of threats to Western democracy”. The event was jointly organised by CCJ and Cumberland Lodge.

Last year Cumberland Lodge and CCJ published a study guide on nationalism and populism from a faith perspective, to be referenced alongside Amy Buller’s book ‘Darkness over Germany: A Warning from History,’ which explores how young people were drawn into National Socialism in the 1930s.

CCJ director Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko said: “As populism and extremism are on the rise, as hate crimes increase and attack faith identities in this country, it is imperative that people of faith are part of a conversation to tackle the challenges of our own times.”