Success for event aiming to bring Moray's faith groups together at Elgin Town Hall
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AN EVENT aiming to "break barriers" and create a stronger understanding between Moray's faith groups is celebrating a great success.
Moray Interfaith, a group which brings people of any or no religion together, attracted around 70 people to Elgin Town Hall on Saturday, November 18, to help create an understanding of different religious beliefs.
This is fundamental to creating, and maintaining, and a strong and tight-knit community, as well as avoiding any form of hate or resentment spreading, according to principal organiser Pastor Wilfred Masih.
The event was part of the wider Scottish Interfaith Week, the theme of which was 'community'. Several religious beliefs were represented, with 10 stalls in the hall.
Pastor Masih, of Elgin Seventh-day Adventist Church, said: "We had a really good event and are very pleased with the level of support.
"We wanted to get all the faith groups, and non-faith groups, involved. We invited people to set up a stall to represent their belief and members of the public were invited to go to different people and speak to them.
"There was a constructive atmosphere. Everyone seemed interested in talking to people of different faiths and breaking down barriers.
"Getting a good dialogue going is a fundamental element in breaking down misconceptions and creating a healthy community which understands and celebrates its beliefs.
"A lack of dialogue can lead to ill feeling, negative thoughts and even hate crimes. That is what we are trying to avoid."
There were representatives from a number of religious groups including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Catholicism, Quakers and Bahá'í Faith.
The Catholic Church, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Church of Scotland all had stalls.
The chief guest of honour at the event was Moray's Lord-Lieutenant Seymour Monro, who said he would like to see the good work continue to be built on.
That is the plan for Pastor Masih, who is looking to organise monthly events.
"We want to build on this," he said. "Maybe even with monthly events. Long-term we would like to build a healthy community that understands all the different faiths.
"Lord-Lieutenant Seymour Monro gave us motivation to carry on with what we are doing. He admitted that he didn't know Moray Interfaith existed, but wants to make sure we carry on and keep building upwards."
Pastor Masih moved to Elgin from Birmingham in July and has been impressed with the welcoming nature of the Moray community.
He added: "As a newcomer to the community, I'd like to say that from what I have gathered in Moray it's such a lovely place.
"I don't sense there are any problems within the community and that everyone wants to engage with everyone, regardless of backgrounds and walks of life.
"The Moray community is welcoming, accepting and I don't sense any issue – but we need to build on what we have."
Moray Interfaith received a grant from Interfaith Scotland to put on the event, which ran for a number of hours at Elgin Town Hall.
