By Ahmed J Versi
London, (The Muslim News): Eleven Muslim and Jewish leaders signed an interfaith agreement, The Drumlanrig Accord, on Tuesday. The Accord “establishes a structured framework for sustained, Muslim-Jewish collaboration, fostering deeper understanding and shared responsibility.” After the signing at Spencer House, the leaders presented a copy to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
Speaking to The Muslim News Dr. Sayed Razawi, Chief Imam of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, explained the motivations behind the initiative.
“The purpose of organizing and bringing people together was for a number of reasons. One of them is that Islamophobia and anti Semitism both have been rising. At a time when Muslim women feel vulnerable and afraid to go out, when children are being bullied at schools, when there are issues at universities, and similarly within the Jewish community, they were also feeling this, we came to realize that there is a ramification that takes place from what takes place in the Middle East over here.”
The Reconciliation Accords—a framework built on Reconciliation, Understanding, and Solidarity—seek to establish a transformative relationship between Jewish and Muslim communities.
Razawi, who initiated the project, emphasised its apolitical nature. “The Accord is for the two communities, regardless of their difference, to come together and to talk and to be able to, for the wider good of society, work together to limit Islamophobia and anti Semitism. It is for that reason that then I reached out to five different denominations of Islam, myself being the sixth, and then after that, to our Jewish colleagues, to sit down and to say that if we were to work together, we could actually combat some of that Islamophobia, anti Semitism.”
He further highlighted how the agreement would address common cultural and religious concerns, “at the same time we’re able to do is to disagree agreeably and to have various committees in place, for example, halal, kosher, circumcision, and all the various other things which are common to both of us.”
The Accord is also intended to “strengthen relationships, promote understanding, and work together for the common good.”
Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, praised the initiative and its broader significance.
“I admire all the signatories, Jewish and Muslim, who have joined together in order to send an exceptionally important and strong message to our society that in the midst of so much tragic hatred and enmity, we need to create a framework within which we can move constructively towards a stronger, more peaceful and more harmonious Britain,” he told The Muslim News.
Acknowledging differences between the communities, he stressed the importance of dialogue. “Unfortunately, there are some very sharp differences between us. And that’s the very reason why these Accords are so crucially important, so that we can find a way forward to disagree in an agreeable fashion.”
When he was asked whether the Accord would be accepted by the wider community, he remained hopeful., “I’m not a prophet, but I am an optimist. And I do believe that many, many people will say, isn’t this a wonderful thing in the midst of so much tragic divisiveness, that leaders can come forward and say, let’s have a better society, let’s reach out with understanding in order to build a more peaceful future.”
He also expressed gratitude for King Charles III’s endorsement. “This endorsement means a lot because on behalf of the British people, he has acknowledged how important it is for to different faith groups to get along constructively together. Particularly because we don’t see eye to eye on everything. Thank God we have a lot in common,” he said.
[Photo: Jewish and Muslim leaders sign Drumlanrig Accord in Spencer House, London. Photo by Ahmed J Versi/The Muslim News]
Imam Qari Asim, Chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, addressed the longstanding tensions between the two communities. “This Accord provides a framework of dialogue, people working together, fostering relationships, working together for the common good. And that could be working together in terms of food banks, in terms of dealing with societal inequities, but also tackling hatred.”
He told The Muslim News the urgency of addressing discrimination. “Islamophobia, anti Semitism has reached alarming levels in this country. And it’s only through collaborative work that we can tackle some of those inequities in our society.”
Reflecting on the significance of the initiative, he added, “I think this is a really important moment in Muslim Jewish relations in this country. It is coming at a time which is not straightforward.”
Imam Asim welcomed King Charles III’s support. “His profound desire for social cohesion to thrive, and for the faith communities to harmoniously flourish in the UK,” Imam said.
However, “What this Accord shows is that we are able to be in really strong relationships with each other even at difficult times, and that we can find ways to differ and disagree, but to do so with honour and dignity and respect for one another.”
Rabbi Josh Levy, CE of the Movement for Reform Judaism, acknowledged to The Muslim News the difficulties but reaffirmed the importance of maintaining dialogue.
“We know that there is real tensions between communities and that this is a very challenging time for interfaith work.” However, he emphasized the resilience of interfaith relationships “at difficult times,” as demonstrated by the Accord which illustrated “that we can find ways to differ and disagree, but to do so with honour and dignity and respect for one another.”
The body has created five committees to oversee its implementation:
Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council, Educational Collaboration Committee, Educational Collaboration Committee, University and Campus Outreach Committee and Religious Freedoms Committee
Accord is the outcome of a yearlong series of high-level meetings convened by Dr Razawi, culminating in a private retreat from January 14th – 16th at Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland hosted by the Duke of Buccleuch.
The Signatories of the Accord are:
Muslim Leaders
Chief Imam Dr Sayed Razawi (Shia)
Senior Imam Qari Asim MBE (Sunni, Barelwi)
Imam Sheikh Muhammad Ismail DL (Sunni, Deobandi)
Head Imam Dr Sheikh Khalifa Ezzat (Sunni)
Naushad Jivraj (President of His Highness the Aga Khan National
Council for the UK, represented by Aliya Nasser)
His Excellency Kinana Jamaluddin Bhai Sahib (Ismaili, Bohra)
Jewish Leaders
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis KBE
Rabbi Josh Levy (Reform Judaism)
Rabbi Charley Baginsky (Liberal Judaism)
Senior Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg OBE (Masorti)
Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck (S&P Sephardi)
Senior Rabbi Moshe Rubin (Orthodox)
[Photo: Signatories of the Accord with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. Photo: Courtesy Buckingham Palace]
