Gloucester Cathedral removes Muslim prayer clip from Facebook page
by Steven Morris, Guardian:
A cathedral has removed a clip of a Muslim prayer being recited within its precincts from its Facebook page after it was heavily criticised for allowing the event to take place.
The prayer took place in Gloucester Cathedral’s chapter house as part of the launch of a multi-faith art exhibition, and was well-received by those who attended.
The cathedral decided to take down its social media post on the event following some of the comments it received on its page.
The controversy has echoes of the row that has engulfed St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow after a reading from the Qur’an took place at a service to mark the feast of the Epiphany.
The dean of Gloucester, the Very Rev Stephen Lake, sought to distance the cathedral from the dispute in Scotland. “The community event was to launch an art exhibition, Faith. The exhibition portrays a number of individuals’ stories and gives a glimpse of who they are as people of faith,” he said.
“The exhibition promotes religious understanding. Over 1,000 people from different Gloucester communities attended to share and learn about each other’s spiritual practices and traditions.
“However, it is important to stress that neither the art exhibition nor the gathering took place in a sacred space but were held in the cathedral cloisters and chapter house. Furthermore, the launch was not in the context of worship.
“While the cathedral’s primary purpose is as a place of Christian witness and worship, it is also a place for all people. Everyone is welcome, whatever their faith or background. We are proud to be holding the exhibition and would encourage everyone to visit to learn more about people of different faiths.”
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