3 0 T H O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3 S O U T H W A R K C A T H E D R A L

PRAXIS SOUTH

THE EMPIRE CONTEXT

Empire contingents sent to serve overseas:From Canada: 418,035From Australian and Tasmania:

330,000

From New Zealand: 100,471From South Africa: 74,196From Newfoundland: 10,610From West Indies: 16,000From the Indian Army and other 'coloured troops':

1,524,187

THE EMPIRE CONTEXT

By the end of WW1 some 1.3 million Indians had fought for Britain, eventually manning around a third of the British line.

MUSLIM COMMUNITY

Khudadad Khan

MUSLIM COMMUNITY

30-40% of Indian Sepoys were Muslims. More than 47,000 died and 65,000 were wounded

Muslim soldiers who died were buried in the Muslim Burial Ground at Woking’s Shah Jahan Mosque, constructed in 1889 as Britain’s first purpose-built mosque.

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE…WHAT ABOUT TURKISH MUSLIMS?

THE EMPIRE AND THE UMMAH

Remembrance Day should not only remind us of the last days of the Khilafah but also the beginning of the tyrannical rulers and dictators that have subjugated and oppressed the Ummah for the past 87 years. We see this subjugation and oppression continue today not only with the invasion of Iraq and the occupation of Palestine but also in the slavishness of our rulers who are more interested in serving the western colonial powers than the Ummah. This day should be a catalyst to increase our activities in resuming the Islamic way of life by re-establishing the Khilafah Rashidah in the Muslim lands according to the method of the Prophet (saw).

THE CHATTRI MEMORIAL

The Chattri is a monument located in the South Downs near Patcham dedicated to the Indian Soldiers who died in the First World WarThe monument is on the Downs above Patcham marks the site of the cremation place for Hindu and Sikh soldiers who died of their wounds at the Royal Pavilion Hospital during World War One.

SIKH COMMUNITY

SIKH COMMUNITY

At the beginning of the war, Sikh military personnel numbered around 35,000 men of the 161,000 troops of the Indian Army, around 22% of the armed forces, yet the Sikhs only made up less than 2% of the total Indian population.  By the end of the war 100,000 Sikh volunteers joined the British Armed forces. The average Indian battalion had around 764 men when they landed in France, but by November 1914, the 47th Sikhs had only 385 men left.  In Gallipoli, the 14th Sikhs lost 371 officers and men in mere minutes, and thousands of other Sikhs died in various other encounters such as Neuve Chappelle and the Somme.

HINDU COMMUNITY

HINDU COMMUNITYWhen war broke out in 1914 India was in a state of growing political unrest. The Indian National Congress had gone from being a group that simply discussed issues to a body that was pushing for more self-government. But when war was declared on August 4th, India rallied to the cause. Those with influence within India believed that the cause of Indian independence would best be served by helping out Britain in whatever capacity India could – including the Indian National Congress. Nepal offered help and in total sent 100,000 Gurkhas and the Dalai Lama in Tibet offered 1000 of his troops to the cause. Indian troops were on the Western front by the winter of 1914 and fought at the first Battle of Ypres. By the end of 1915, they had sustained many casualties. Along with the casualties from sickness, the decision was taken to withdraw the Indian Corps from front line duty at the end of 1915.

JEWISH COMMUNITYThe number of enlisted Jews in the First World War was estimated at around 50,000Five Jewish soldiers won the Victoria Cross. Fifty Jewish soldiers received the Distinguished Service Order.

In addition, Jews formed their own unit, the Zion Mule Corps, fighting at Gallipoli and the Dardanelles in 1915.

The Royal Fusiliers formed three Jewish battalions in Jan. 1918. The 38th Bn was composed of Jewish immigrants from Russia. The 39th was composed of US and Canadian volunteers. The 40th was actually formed in Palestine when the battalions arrived there in June. Many of the 40th Bn had served in the Ottoman Jewish police, and therefore the 40th. Collectively the three battalions were known as the "Jewish Legion". The badge of all three battalions was a menorah on a scroll inscribed in Hebrew "Kadima" (Forward).

JEWISH COMMUNITY – ON BOTH SIDES

Every November, Jewish cemeteries in Berlin and Munich host services to remember Jewish soldiers who were killed in World War One. Nearly 100,000 German Jews fought in the First World War, and some 12,000 of them lost their lives in combat. During World War One, Jews comprised only 1 percent of the German population but 20 percent of them joined the armed forces to fight for their country, a higher percentage than any other ethnic group.

EVENTS WITH OTHER FAITHS

• Be open to attend such events• Aim to build prior relationships• There is no such thing as multi faith

worship• Take advice from those with experience• Check and agree venues, participants,

texts, roles beforehand

These guidelines are designed specifically to address the Church of England’s role in relation to civic services and events involving people of different religions. Guidelines on the wider questions of ‘Multi-Faith Worship’ were issued by the House of Bishops in 1993, following the 1992 Board of Mission report on that subject. That report included an extended discussion of the theological and practical issues involvedContentsA Planning a civic service or eventB Multi-faith civic events in secular venuesC Christian worship involving people of other religionsD Services or events held in Church of England churchesE Invitations to services or events held in Church of England

churchesF Other Church of England services involving people of different

religions

DIOCESE OF SOUTHWARKGuidelines on

civic services / events involving people of different faiths

WHERE? IN THE PREMISES OF ANOTHER FAITH

• Take advice• Which tradition within another faith?• What role is being proposed?• Will Christian identity be maintained?• What is/is not acceptable?

• Bow before the Guru Granth Sahib• Join in Muslim prayer• Accept the prasadam

WHERE?IN A SECULAR CONTEXT

• Generally good to take part – Cof E as the Convenor

• Integrity of Christian faith maintained• Prayers led by Christians are in the name of

Jesus• No syncretistic texts or affirmations• Ecumenical Christian representation

WHERE?IN A CHURCH

• Subject to ecclesiastical law• “neither contrary to, nor indicative of any

departure from, the doctrine of the Church of England” [canon B5]

• Other faiths do not lead prayer or preach• Use of other scriptures are carefully

considered• Faiths and New Religious Movements• Let people of other faiths know beforehand