Episode 99. Bonus  

For this Bonus episode, I’ve invited two British women, Lindsay Simmonds and Julie Siddiqi, both PhDs, to talk about their interfaith friendship and the public facing work they’ve done since Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 Oct. 2023. Lindsay is an Orthodox Jew and Julie is Muslim. The fact of their religious identities and deep practice is noteworthy and relevant, as the attack and subsequent war, have proven polarizing, straining the already challenging work of bridging religious differences between Jews and Muslims. Lindsay and Julie offer an inspiring example of possibility, showing us the path to connection, communication, and healing, while not shying away from the challenges. Given the long standing and apparent intransigence of the conflict, this seemed a good time for some hope.

Highlights: 

• Intersection of deep faith practice and interfaith work.
• Organizing inclusive events amidst tension.
• Impact and significance of their work.
• The role of space, gender, and representation.
• Trivializing women's impactful initiatives.
• Sustaining hope and setting intentions for the future.

Bios:  

Dr. Lindsay Simmonds is a Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where she has lectured for 20+ years. She recently worked as a Researcher at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, working on Women of Faith and Peacebuilding.

Lindsay is very active in local interfaith work. She has five adult children and five grandchildren, and she promotes women's participation in her local orthodox Jewish community in London. 

Dr. Julie Siddiqi MBE is a mentor, consultant and gender equality campaigner with a focus on interfaith relations, applying that to social work. She has 25+ years of experience in community work predominantly in the Muslim community as well as in interfaith work. Julie is a qualified Life Coach. She was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of 2020 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Middlesex. She chose Islam in 1995 and is married with four children. 

Other episodes:

• Raphael Luzon Building Peace Through Interfaith Dialogue
• Lindsay Simmonds Honoring and Challenging Jewish Orthodoxy

Links for Lindsay:  

• London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS)
• LSE, Religion and Global Society Unit
• Abraham Initiatives, UK 
• Council of Christians & Jews 

Links for Julie: 

• Together We Thrive

Transcript on Buzzsprout

Links for Méli:

• Website – the Talking with God Project
• Meli’s email
• LinkedIn – Meli Solomon
• Facebook – Meli Solomon

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The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project.