Hospitality, not tolerance: Civil society and inter-faith relations

In current government policy in the UK, there is great emphasis on inter-faith dialogue, encounter and partnership, such as in the government white paper, Face to Face and Side by Side: A Framework for Partnership in our Multi-Faith Society.

But while the white paper stresses the importance of social cohesion and social relationships, it lacks any account of how the very relationships it is concerned to uphold are increasingly subordinated to and undermined by the needs of the market and the state.

It should be noted that policy directed at community and inter-faith relations increasingly uses the term “social cohesion” as the ideal it is aiming for, and envisages joint action in terms of joint humanitarian endeavours.

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