Christians and Moslems discuss environment at Finsbury Park Mosque

Fatima Said, Mohammed Kozbar, Barbara Kentish

Westminster's monthly 'Pray and Fast' gathering took a new turn on Tuesday, 1 September, when Finsbury Park Mosque hosted an evening welcoming all faith communities to discuss their respective religions' approach to creation.

Speakers Fatima Said, a student at SOAS and Barbara Kentish, from Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace group quoted from their respective traditions, agreeing on many similar points, and found that the recent Islamic Declaration on Climate Change and Pope Francis's Laudato Si encyclical proposed many of the same solutions: a simpler lifestyle, less material consumption, divestments from fossil fuels, and a fund for helping poorer countries develop in a sustainable manner.

Both welcomed the idea for people of all faiths to work together to oppose climate change.

An audience of nearly 100 people included Catholics and Muslims from North London. Questions provoked discussion about the refugee crisis at Calais, and what the faith response should be, as well as the way forward on climate change.

Mohammed Kozbar, director of the Mosque which has won awards for its contribution to the community, hosted the occasion. He particularly endorsed campaigner Bruce Kent's view that conflict and the arms trade are major obstacles to addressing climate change, and welcomed the film 'Conflict and Climate Change' as an important contribution to the discussion. Names and contact details were enthusiastically exchanged with promises for future discussion. Just the sort of dialogue Pope Francis is calling for.