Your Oxford
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email »
Chaplain to preach at Muslim service
9:17am Monday 14th May 2007
The Muslim Education Centre of Oxford (Meco) will host a religious 'first' on Friday, when a Christian minister preaches part of its weekly service.
The Rev Peter Hewis, chaplain of Oxford University's Harris Manchester College, will deliver his views about divine unity during Meco's congregational prayers on Friday.
He retired last year after 41 years in the Unitarian ministry, having served in the East End of London, in Tennessee, USA, in the East Midlands town of Hinckley, and finally, Oxford. Meco chairman Dr Taj Hargey said Mr Hewis's invitation was part of the organisation's continuing mission to promote British Muslims' effective integration into the UK mainstream.
He said: "We are very much looking forward to welcoming the reverend to this unprecedented event. Apart from its role as a haven for forward thinking Muslims, MECO generates a spirit of debate and inquiry and pioneers a vibrant and inspirational Islam that is relevant to 21st century Britain. We open our meetings to everyone and we are hoping this service will attract many people of many different faiths."
Mr Hewis, former president of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, said he was excited about addressing the interfaith service, at 1pm in Summertown Hall, on the corner of Banbury Road and Portland Road, Oxford.
He said: "The meeting came about after we invited to Dr Hargey to speak in the college chapel, and MECO kindly returned the invitation. I'm delighted because our chapel are great believers in interfaith activities. In 1901, the college not only had a Hindu from India and a Buddhist from Japan, but we also had the first woman to train for the ministry of Britain."
Your sayYourOxford
Add your comment
Register for a FREE Oxford Mail account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.
Please register now or sign in below to continue.
In this section
Sponsored Links
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Dr. H. Ramzy, Oxford says...
11:51pm Wed 16 May 07
With reference to your intended talk at congregational prayers on Friday 18th May 2007.
As an experienced Muslim chaplain and a member of International Interfaith, I would advise you that it is not the right time to participate in such an event, as it is likely to cause tension and conflict between Muslims. I feel that it may cause more harm than good to the Muslim community and integration efforts as a whole at this stage, and I appeal to you as a God-fearing Christian not to participate.
I am all for integration efforts, as I and many other Muslim organisations work hard to encourage the integration of the Muslim community into society in the correct manner. However, I feel that the event on Friday may not be the appropriate way forward at the present, as the leading of the Muslim congregational prayer by a Christian, organised by the MECO organisation, may do more to hinder than help integrational efforts.
The MECO organisation does not respect the ethos of Islam and does not represent the opinions of the Muslim community of Oxford as a whole, as MECO are not affiliated with any of the local mosques, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies or any other Islamic establishments in the city, therefore it does not have the support of the majority of the Muslim community in Oxford and cannot claim to do so.
Once again, I urge you Reverend Hewis, to think again and reconsider your participation in this event. Perhaps another time, when the majority are in favour.
Thank you
God bless,
Dr. H. Ramzy
A representative of the Muslim Community of Oxford
Muslim Chaplain for Thames Valley Police and Chaplain for Campsfield Immigration Centre
Member of Oxford International Interfaith and SACRE