International Association for Religious Freedom - British Chapter

15/07/2026

Committee member Charanjeet Singh spoke at the interfaith service to celcebrate 90th anniversary of World Congress of Faiths

24/01/2026

Sad news. John was a great IARF stalwart

The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) is deeply saddened to share the news of the death of the Rev. John Clifford. John was a dedicated internationalist, a passionate advocate for peace, and a universally respected leader within the Unitarian movement. His commitment to interfai...

29/10/2025

It it with sadness that we learned of the passing of Kishan Manocha, former Chair of the British Chapter of IARF and very active in arranging the Global IARF Congress in Birmingham in 2014. He made a major contribution to the promotion of freedom of religion and belief, particularly as a Trustee of the Interfaith Network Network of the UK and then in his work with the OECD. See their statement:

We mourn the passing of our colleague and friend Kishan Manocha. ODIHR has grown through your knowledge and wisdom. Rest in peace 🕯️ | 37 comments on LinkedIn

13/02/2024

The video of Rev Dr Alan Race's talk on "Levels of Dialogue: Religious Experience in an Interfaith Context" is now available to view

In this session, recorded on 13 November 2023 during Inter Faith Week, the British Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom, in collaboration with the World Congress of Faiths, embarked on a deep exploration of interreligious dialogue's dynamic tension between the unique charac...

09/02/2024

The Interfaith Network for the UK faces imminent closure due to withdrawal of Government funding. We ask that the Government renew its financial support immediately. IFN has been a leader globally in interfaith relations and its disappearance will be great loss for the communities we serve

24/10/2023

You are invited to attend a joint meeting with the World Congress of Faiths on 13 November 2023

"Levels of Dialogue: - Religious Experience in an Interfaith Context".
By Revd Canon Dr Alan Race
Joint Event of the British Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom and the World Congress of Faiths to mark Inter Faith Week.
13 November 2023 from 18.30-20.00 (UK time) on Zoom.
The Theme
Religions have different origins, developmental pathways, belief systems, and spiritualities. Yet there remains the possibility of a family resemblance between them. This tension or ambiguity inherent in the dynamic of ‘particularity in relation to universality’ is explored, argued over, and negotiated through interreligious dialogue. This talk rehearses some of the factors involved in how the reality of religious experience might be related to the demands and outcomes of dialogue as such.
Our Speaker - Revd Canon Dr Alan Race
The Revd Canon Dr Alan Race is Chair of the World Congress of Faiths and the editor of its journal ‘Interreligious Insight’, a retired Anglican priest-theologian, and the author of books and articles on the themes of theology of religions and interreligious dialogue. His most recent book is ‘My Journey as a Religious Pluralist’ (Wipf and Stock, 2021).
Zoom link – please note that registration is required
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84905941640?pwd=NlpWSkEreDhGYStjV1I1bEpIRCtKQT09

Meeting ID: 849 0594 1640
Passcode: 866166

09/02/2023

Committee Member Lakshmi Vyas meets Pope Francis at a Womens' intercultural conference in Rome

12/09/2022

King Charles to be Defender of the Faith but also a Defender of Faiths?

The King shares his mother’s religious devotion and has also shown great interest in non-Christian faiths

10/09/2022

We remember the contribution of HM Queen Elizabeth II as Sovereign and Head of the Commonwealth. Though the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and a committed Christian her role was to respect and recognise different religions and she gave her support to religious freedom.

Her Christmas and Commonwealth broadcast speeches often addressed the theme of religious tolerance and royal ceremonial occasions were often attended by multi-faith leaders.

23/08/2022

https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21417.doc.htm

Press Release Secretary-GeneralStatements and Messages United Nations SG/SM/21417 19 August 2022 Secretary-General Urges Doing More to Examine Conditions that Drive Hate, in Message for Day Commemorating Victims of Religion-Based Violence Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ messag...