Labour in Leeds

Members of local churches and mosques have combined to form an interfaith community group which aims to tackle issues affecting the residents of Chapeltown and Harehills. Members of The Islamic Centre Mosque in Harehills recently have begun meeting with representatives from Chapeltown and Harehills Churches Together in an attempt to overcome religious stereotypes and create better social cohesion.  Following discussions between the two groups it was decided that an improved dialogue between people of different faiths is vital to creating closer communities.  The group also decided to take an active role in tackling issues affecting people of all faiths in the area.

This led to the formation of Faith Action, which includes Chapel Allerton Councillor Mohammed Rafique. The group agreed to start by confronting one of the most pressing issues facing their community – the large number of failed asylum seekers in the area who are threatened with homelessness and destitution.  Faith Action has pledged its support to an independent, non-religious charity, Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (PAFRAS), who provide both free food and advice for failed asylum seekers at St Aiden’s Church on Roundhay Road. Councillor Rafique has paid tribute to the work done by PAFRAS and has spoken of his delight at being able to support them. He hopes that Faith Action will grow to be able to assist other areas of the community with the issues they face.

 Councillor Mohammed Rafique (Chapel Allerton) said: “The first few meetings of Faith Action have been really positive and I am honoured to be involved with this excellent and worthwhile group. When we first started meeting, our aim was to challenge the belief held by many that different religious groups cannot get on with each other. We hope that this might lessen the social tension that can exist within our communities.  

Once we started meeting, we all quickly agreed that we should work together as people of faith to try and help people in our communities deal with the issues facing them. Helping failed asylum seekers is an excellent place to start. It is an issue that affects a large number of people in our ward and many of them desperately need support. PAFRAS are doing excellent work in helping those most in need and I hope Faith Action can assist them in the fantastic work they do. It is a tremendous experience working with people of different faiths on issues that are important to all of us. We are aiming to build on our work with PAFRAS and I am sure that we can be of assistance with many local issues in the near future. I hope that Faith Action can show people from all walks of life in our area that if we all pull together we can make our communities an even better place to live.”

Photo shows, from left to right, Abid Hussain, Vice-chair Leeds Islamic Centre, Andy Myers, curate, Leeds St Aidans' Church, Councillor Mohammed Rafique and Christine Majid, PALFRAS Manager