by Isabel Smyth

As a new term begins, Catholic schools around the country are preparing to teach pupils from different faiths. The Scottish Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious Dialogue produced guidelines for schools a few years ago, called ’Together in Faith’.  A secondary school had displayed a drawing of the Prophet Mohammed which caused some difficulty with Muslim parents, and the Bishops’ Committee was approached to clarify the situation. The drawing was positive, but the Islamic tradition prohibits any images of Mohammed, as well as prophets from Christianity and Judaism.

The  Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES) convened a meeting between headteachers and Religious Education teachers from three secondary and two primary schools in Glasgow. They were joined by the secretary to the Bishops’ Committee and a representative of the Conforti Institute.

Isabel Smyth is a Sister of Notre Dame who has been involved in interfaith relations for many years.

Photo by Rachid Oncharia, Unsplash