Common Humanity

These are the words of some Muslim leaders in Forest Gate, London, about their relationship with people of other faiths: "The Prophet says the heaviest things on the scale will be good manners. Not prayer. Not charity. Good manners. When the Prophet said good manners, he did not say good manners to Muslims. He did not say good manners to non-Muslims. The Prophet kept it vague, he said good manners." "People will see that church people, Muslim people, and the people of temples are working together. The message will go to the community to live peacefully. I believe this is a good idea. We must work on that. This is the teaching of Islam as well." "If you are a religious leader in your area, it is very important for you to engage with other religions. So then, other people will see you and think, my religion is allowing me to engage with other people. All religious communities look at their leaders." A Common Humanity is based primarily on interviews conducted by the author with a group of Muslims involved in an interfaith project in Forest Gate, London.