Irfan's family are leaders at the Chesham Mosque and he describes himself as a 'man of faith'. His theme that evening was 'Terrorism'. He spoke of it from a Muslim perspective with great eloquence and grace - defining it, analysing it and condemning it. His conclusion was not of pat answers but a genuine attempt to explore the theme and do so with insight, compassion and understanding.
After presenting his paper Irfan took questions which kept coming and coming - as an audience made up of Muslim and Christians - and possibly those with no named faith - engaged with him on some of the burning issues of the day. Time and again this young Cambridge graduate answered with a wisdom above his years and with exemplary grace.
I suspect we all came away grateful to John for organising the evening and to Irfan for being such a splendid speaker. We had listened to each other, struggled with deep questions and glimpsed new insights into each others understanding of faith.
I think the evening was one of those seminal moments for me when I realised afresh how vital it is for seekers after truth to dialogue with one another - for out of these encounters and conversations so much good can flow built upon a foundation of mutual respect and friendship.
Thank you Irfan for sharing your journey with us.
Ian
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