We have an obligation to disagree better with Muslims

In the aftermath of the horrors of October 7 2023, it became painfully clear that our world would be forever altered. The Jewish people know the cost of hatred only too well. Over the last 16 months, we have felt it acutely on our streets, in our synagogues and in the rhetoric that seeks to delegitimize our very existence.

Among the damage done has been the destructive impact on interfaith engagement, particularly between the Muslim and Jewish communities. In a relatively short period of time, we have seen much of the trust and cooperation that previously existed evaporate. Meaningful engagement and hope have been in short supply.

And yet, our history teaches us that hope is not found in standing still, but in the courage to take the next step.

This week, I stood alongside His Majesty The King and Imam Sayed Abbas Razawi, the Chief Imam of Scotland, together with other Jewish and Muslim faith leaders and the Duke of Buccleuch, to share news of the signing of the Drumlanrig Accords. It was a moment which I believe represents a significant breakthrough in Jewish Muslim engagement and which attempts to reset the narrative by expressing our shared desire for a more peaceful and harmonious future.

These Accords are a call to action. They remind us that we have an obligation, not to agree on all matters, but to disagree better. They call for a commitment to education, a rejection of hatred and division, and the recognition that we must build frameworks to address tensions in a constructive manner.

The Accords make no pretence of directly confronting the issues that have caused so much division between our communities. Indeed, the strength of these Accords is derived from the fact that they are signed by people who openly acknowledge these deeply held differences. I see this as the first step on what will be a long journey. Hopefully, we will rebuild a foundation of trust, so that we can eventually begin to appreciate all that we have in common and, most importantly, to talk honestly and frankly about what divides us, taking the action that is required.

Ahead of the signing, I have grappled with a variety of questions, not least whether it is realistic to engage in reconciliation when hateful extremism persists, and how we can build bridges when so many seek to destroy them. Yet, I strongly believe that if we allow radical elements, to dictate the way forward, then the future will be bleak indeed. If we refuse to recognise the possibility of progress, then we condemn ourselves to an endless cycle of mistrust and enmity.

The Accords are a leap of faith in more ways than one. They represent a generational task, and one I am convinced we have a responsibility to tackle.

The Accords will not immediately transform the world. There will be setbacks, challenges and moments of frustration. But I also know this: every journey begins with a first step. Every act of reconciliation begins with a willingness to listen. And every period of healing begins with the courage to believe, not naively but with clear-eyed realism, that the future can be different from the past.