Blog

Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees – SFAR for short – a bit of a mouthful perhaps but a straightforward title for a network of faith communities seeking to act in support of refugees in Scotland.  It tries to do what it says on the tin.

SFAR began in 2015 as a Church of Scotland initiative in response to the upwelling of public sympathy and support for refugees, resulting (ironically as it seems now) from media reports of the refugee crises in Syria and Iraq.  That initiative developed rapidly into an ecumenical, then an interfaith network, bringing together Christians of various denominations and representatives of the Jewish and Moslem faiths as well as Interfaith Scotland.

From the outset, SFAR has had no intention of replicating the work of other organisations, although it has developed links with the main players and co-ordinated action with them.  Instead, its focus has been to harness and channel the talents of the faith communities in Scotland, along with their generosity and desire to help. It also brings together their voices in response to issues affecting refugees and migrants – to let it be seen clearly that the faith communities care.

In the 12 months since it got under way in November 2015, SFAR has developed a website (www.sfar.org.uk ) which provides resources, news, lists of events and information on what people can do to help refugees both in their area and nationally.  It has held one-day conferences in Edinburgh and Aberdeen to give people an opportunity to hear from refugees and those working with them about the issues that concern them , and to talk and network with others.  

And it has responded to developments on the political front and in the media.  The sad thing is that while a positive and sympathetic media in some measure started off the SFAR project, by the time SFAR really started work, some sections of the media were using the arrival of a small number of Syrian refugees into the UK, and larger numbers into mainland Europe as an excuse for inflammatory headlines and negative articles.  

One of the first actions of SFAR was to challenge a “cartoon” in a well-known national newspaper.  SFAR’s formal complaint did not get the response it hoped for but it did, we believe, get the message out there that the faith communities of Scotland were not prepared to let this sort of behaviour pass unchallenged.

The Brexit campaign has raised the political and media stakes considerably, with much of the Leave Campaign focusing on immigration concerns and making claims that were based on questionable figures. It did not differentiate between EU migrants and refugees.  It has been almost inevitable that there has been an increase in anti-migrant actions/reactions which will affect refugees as well.  For this reason, SFAR is now in the process of producing an information leaflet on refugee issues for dissemination among faith communities to answer their questions and enable them to speak out.

On reflection, it was probably to be expected that the great tide of positive public response would begin to fall back.  The Brexit campaign and the terrorist acts on the European mainland greatly contributed to its weakening.  However, the SFAR network had time to get itself established and allow its members to become used to working together before the increase in hate language and actions started.  

The focus now is not only on helping those who have sought refuge in our country but on presenting a united front to those who would try to build walls between us in any way.  Perhaps what we have done so far have been the easy and obvious things – the website with its information and the networking – but they have been valuable for our communities to see. 

Now the challenge is to decide how we build on this foundation, because I believe the faith communities working in unity cannot easily be brushed aside.

The perpetual cycle of seasonal change once again brings us the feast of Christmas, seeing out the old year as it draws to its close and welcoming in the new with renewed optimism and a sense of hope.

Despite the material temptations with which the commercial world overwhelms us, Christmas thankfully retains a particular significance for those of us who staunchly adhere to the age-old message centred on the lowly stable in Bethlehem, which remains the central focus of our celebration. Traditionally a time we spend, where possible, with family and friends, it lends itself to reflection of the cycle of life itself; those who have gone before us to their eternal rest and the new born, embarking on life’s journey.

As we look back over the last year at the numerous conflicts that have pre-occupied the media, it would be all too easy to overlook the advances that have been made in science, technology, and medicine, not forgetting the tireless work of unsung heroes who, in their own quiet way, perpetually strive for peace and harmony in the face of almost impossible odds.   However we cannot ignore the tragedy that has unfolded in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, which has become the new benchmark by which many of us will judge the depths to which nations and individuals will stoop in pursuit of supremacy.  With numerous major conflicts currently taking place across the globe, tragically, Syria is not an isolated case. The appalling loss of life, the horrific injuries inflicted by indiscriminate bombing, the consequent displacement of millions of innocent civilians resulting in the largest movement of refugees the world has ever known, and the consequent break up of families, many left as orphans, is all too familiar. We watch and listen in disbelief and anger as those engaged in the conflicts blatantly ignore pleas to bring an end to the suffering.  At times it seems that, rather than encouraging peace, such pleas incite the protagonists to inflict even greater pain and misery as each side tries to outdo the other.  

We have reached a tipping point where the physical and psychological trauma being inflicted on an entire generation of innocent men, women and particularly children, can no longer be tolerated.   As Christians we have a duty to make our voices heard above the political rhetoric, loud enough to drown out the attempted justification for the perpetration of these atrocities.  The time for watching and listening has to be replaced by action aimed at drawing a halt to this barbarity.  Our focus should be on supporting the innocent victims whose pleas for mercy are met with barbed wire and armed militia set on restricting their pursuit of peace and freedom from the hellholes from which they have fled.  

That’s easier said than done, you might justifiably say, when world leaders seem powerless in their attempts to broker a cease fire.  How can we possibly make the slightest difference?  Might I suggest that there is already a well-established, organisation which is capable of delivering the message? And it’s right here at the disposal of every diocese, parish and parishioner.   I refer, of course, to the Justice & Peace Movement.  With members throughout the length and breadth of the country, and with affiliation to the Commissions in Europe and beyond, it is well placed to act as the catalyst in pursuit of this worthy objective.  The cessation of war and the substitution of peace lie at the very heart of the organisation. The movement also embraces issues regarding migrants, the excluded and marginalized, the imprisoned and the unemployed, as well as victims of armed conflict, natural disasters, and all forms of slavery and torture.  

The extent to which the Justice & Peace movement promotes and achieves its underlying objectives in the Catholic Church varies from diocese to diocese depending on what congregations see as their priorities.  Some are very active on a broad range of fronts, others less so, but it only takes one committed member to impart a Justice & Peace ethos on their own parish.  What better time than Christmas, traditionally associated with peace and harmony, to regenerate the organisation.  Think of the collective power that the voices of every parish in the land could bring to bear on those who have the responsibility for ending these atrocities.  Think of how the energies of those troubled by what they are witnessing could be mustered to bring about peace and settlement.

Let us take time this Christmas to contemplate the innocent, homeless babe in the crib that it might inspire us to start the New Year with a resolution to ensure Justice & Peace is active in your parish. 

If you would like more information, please contact us either by e-mail or telephone and we will be more than willing to respond.  

Members of the Commission wish you Christmas blessings and extend their warm wishes at this joyous time.

I live in a small village to the north of Lochgilphead in Mid Argyll. Like all local authorities, Argyll and Bute has had to make interesting choices to balance its books, and one of those choices was to limit still further our refuse collection.

I think there was a bit of panic at the start of this arrangement. Interestingly, that wasn’t over the possibility of over-flowing, stinking green bins or plagues of rats. It was whether we’d remember which week was which – and so far, in this village we must all have the council’s refuse collection calendar stuck on the fridge door, because on the appropriate days, the rumble of bin wheels to the pavement heralds the positioning of the proper bin of the week.

Being a bit of a control freak, I use my bright blue bin for paper only and after Mass on a Sunday I make the pilgrimage to the local dump with plastics, glass, cans and the occasional dead (low energy) light bulb. This has become something of a social event – the place is hoaching with folk bringing everything from garden waste to white goods, empty cartons to cast-off clothes. There is also a local Facebook page where unwanted goods are sold and swapped.

This is an area that recycles with a vengeance. Awards have been won.

We are far from perfect, but a lot of people in this mainly rural area seem to be answering Pope Francis’ plea in the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ that we should care for our common home.

It could be because there’s an active eco group in the area. And if that is a contributory factor, then I am right with the Scottish Bishops’ Conference, which is urging more Catholic parishes to become part of the Eco-congregation Scotland scheme.

In November, Ardrishaig Church Eco Group held an open meeting to discuss how best to encourage our politicians to focus on the commitments made at the Paris Conference on climate change held in December 2015. The guest speaker was our MP, Brendan O’Hara, and representatives from St Margaret’s RC parish turned out in force to add their voices to the on-going battle to care for our ‘common home’.

Argyll and the Isles Diocese is as aware of the issues as any urban area polluted by exhaust fumes and industrial output. We want the Paris Agreement to work and we are as worried as anyone that President-elect Donald Trump might scupper progress with his denial of human blame for climate chaos.

At the Ardrishaig meeting, the swap of ideas and information at the meeting showed how concerned people are. The issue was discussed on every level, from local recycling to the effects on developing countries that produce the least emissions but suffer the most.

Brendan O’Hara said he’d explore whether the dumping of a surplus stock of 1980s cars in developing countries means that a new form of tied aid is emerging. Yes – the issues are more complex than sorting out the plastics we can recycle.

The voice of the Eco-congregation Scotland movement is an evolving one.  It’s not (as one misconception still has it) a matter of putting eco-friendly heating systems into churches (although churches such as St Margaret’s have done so). It is about changing our lifestyles – our voices and actions can help to care for our common home. With representatives from both Justice and Peace Scotland and SCIAF on the board of Eco-congregation Scotland, the percentage of Catholic parishes taking up the challenge should rise – but we can’t leave it to others.

Parishioner power can convince politicians to act. SCIAF’s Caring for our common home booklet is good for practical advice (0141 354 5555, email frayner@sciaf.org.uk or download a PDF (and conserve the forests) on http://www.sciaf.org.uk/go-green-with-sciaf/go-green-with-sciaf.html