Nadine Miyasar
I went on the Interfaith Pilgrimage hoping to become more educated not only about other faiths but to also feel closer to mine. I love to travel, love engaging with new people and learn in a practical manner. Therefore I was presented with the perfect opportunity.

From day one it was “yala! yala!” as we were sent on a whirlwind of 'go see’s. The holy sites we set our eyes on, the individuals we met, the places we walked along touched me spiritually. But I feel that an integral factor of the success of the trip is how quickly the 30-strong group bonded with each other. Relationships formed from the strong foundations of trust, respect and understanding. Even if we disagreed on matters of faith it didn’t affect the way we acted towards each other.

The memories I have are priceless, albeit a little unorganised in my head at the moment! Hearing first hand the stories of both Israelis and Palestinians was sometimes difficult to hear but necessary to gain a more well-rounded view of how the different religions interact with each other. However I must point out I feel some of the speakers were unnecessary as they simply regurgitated what the previous speakers of the same faith spoke about. It seemed at times more emphasis was placed on one faith than spending time looking at the others.

The biggest conclusion I have come to is that politics and religion go hand in hand in regards to the Palestine-Israeli conflict. Each side thinks their loss is greater therefore use this as an excuse to attack the others. What we heard and saw, what we felt, was the suffering and pain that many people seem to go through. The holiness of the land has been lost to the petty and destructive war. But in areas such as Ramallah we did see a shimmer of hope with non-violent organisations such as One Voice and the financial investments within the city.

The majority of speakers we heard wanted cooperation, wanted peace. They respected the differences in their faith and others and were willing to engage with the other side. Is this not what interfaith is in the end? Working together despite differences in believe and learning from each other.

Nadine Miyasar is a Muslim student. She is an activist in support of youth and multi-faith and cultural dialogue; member of Frae Fife youth committee, and active in activities by Anne Frank in the World.