Peace Worker
Hello and assalam alaikum from Daniel Edge (Peace worker and new employee)

I truly believe that of all our human attributes, being able to act compassionately, reconciling our differences and seeing that of God in everyone are among the highest.To see any of these attributes in action is a testimony to our humanity. So I feel honoured that I should play any part in realising this belief and really be putting my faith into action by working for the Christian Muslim Forum on secondment from the Quakers. I hope that in the coming year, and beyond, that my work at the Christian Muslim Forum will help in the continual effort to build a better understanding, and forge stronger relationships between Christians and Muslims in the UK and abroad.

However inadvertently, my time studying, teaching and living in various Muslim countries and communities, has given me a deep appreciation of Islam and has often put me in a position to help reconcile the challenges facing Muslim and Christian communities that I have lived in. I feel that my understanding of Islam and Christianity will help me in my new role. Having spent some time in conflict zones such as Kashmir, I’m very aware of the importance of the Christian Muslim Forum and the work that it does. Working with the forum will allow me to seek a common goal of peace sort by both Islam and Christianity and the wider community, celebrate similarities and deal with conflict in a positive and creative manner. I look forward to the year ahead and beyond.

If I’m not found in a Mosque, Church, Temple or Shrine then I’ll be with my wife and three Daughters. If I ever get the opportunity and find someone stupid enough to climb with me, I go rock climbing, that’s if I’ve recovered from my injuries incurred from my previous visits to a rock face! I’m very excited about my new role at the Christian Muslim Forum and look forward to the challenges ahead. It’s a pleasure to be working in an organisation that shares the same values and aims as I do. Should you wish to contact me please send me an email.

Daniel Edge
Peace Writer
I had the privilege of attending the launch of ‘Faiths and Faithfulness’ by Nicholas Wood (one of our trustees) at Regent’s Park College, Oxford. Nick’s book is notable in that it brings together the questions of pluralism, dialogue and mission in an inter faith context, exploring these from an evangelical Baptist confessional standpoint. The same kind of thinking that features in the Christian Muslim Forum’s ‘Ethical Witness’ guidelines informs Nick’s writing (he was part of the group in the Forum which developed our statement).

This is a book which is mainly intended for those within the Christian evangelical tradition and explores the work and writings of Kenneth Cragg and the late Lesslie Newbiggin – Bishop Cragg spoke fondly of Lesslie at the launch. It is also for all of those who are grappling with issues such as: inclusive or exclusive and how does the firm believer in their own faith engage with the challenge of those of other faiths? So, a useful book for Muslims to read also. It also provides some of the depth that cannot be a part of shorter statements like our Ethical Witness guidelines.

Julian Bond