There has been good Bahá'í participation in the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum since its formation in 1993. A number of Bahá'ís were founding members of the Forum and Dr Beman Khosravi gave devoted service to the Forum over many years, serving on the Executive Committee and as the Treasurer of the Forum.
Of course, it should be no surprise that Bahá'ís are active in such activities since we are exhorted to “Consort with the followers of all religions”. And there have been many benefits to the Bahá'í community that have come from our engagement in the Forum: we have been able to establish recognition for the Faith, we have been able to engage effectively and successfully in the campaign to introduce the Baha'i Faith into the school curriculum, we have been able to gain recognition for Baha'i marriage, and through our involvement with the Forum we have been invited to participate in many government initiatives seeking to develop support for faith communities.
At a personal level many Bahá'ís have established friendships with others from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian backgrounds and these friends have been very evident in supporting the Bahá'í community at events such as the devotional in Stormont, at World Religion Day gatherings or at other activities. But, perhaps most importantly, the discussion that develops at Inter-Faith meetings can provide a stimulus that urges us to gain a deeper understanding of our own beliefs and the Teachings of our Faith in relation to other religions.
For all of these reason you are urged to consider if you can support the Inter-Faith Forum. All meetings are held in Stranmillis University College, and begin at 7:30 pm. Thursday 20 March Monday 11 June Wednesday 3 October
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