The MEN has today published a letter about the lack of gender diversity on display at the dreadful “Our Faith, Our Planet, Our Community” gathering on Monday. Thanks to the person who prodded me to write in…
On Monday night I went to “Our Faith, Our Planet, Our Community”, a three hour gathering at Manchester Cathedral with the admirable goal of inspiring interfaith action on climate change. With the exception of some beautiful singing by a two woman group (from London) called ‘Pieces of Islam’, there was not a single female voice speaking from a religious perspective.So, this was what is known as a ‘manel’ – an all male panel. Was there not a single woman who could be found by the organisers to speak of the way that religion – with a respect for the creative work of various varieties of God, and the threat of eternal punishment for bad behaviour – can help inspire and instruct long-overdue action (as opposed to talk)? Or did they not look for one?Also, a break at some point in the three hours would have been the Christian thing to do…