Lunchtime interfaith event encourages thoughtful discussion

This year, the esteemed panel included representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam who came together to respond to student questions; covering a wide range of themes.

Discussion points included belief, morality and the role of religion in the modern world, with one early question exploring what the different religions might share in common.

Richard Potter spoke from a Zen Buddhist perspective, focusing on reflection and personal awareness, while Suresh Patel, representing the Hindu community, referred to ideas of the afterlife and moral continuity found across traditions.

Salah Ahras, teacher of A level Maths at Hills Road, offered engaging insight on Islam as a faith, speaking of how Muslims see the Qur’an as the preserved word of God, revealed to confirm earlier scripture.

Representing Christianity, Cathy Michel, former Hills Road Religious Studies teacher, spoke of how religion can be studied through shared elements such as ritual, belief, ethics and community.

Meanwhile, former staff member Mike Levy, of the Cambridge Reform Synagogue, spoke about Judaism’s focus on the here and now, highlighting ritual and sacred texts as guides for daily life. He also remarked how welcome it was to return to the College, noting that when he left in 1998, the Science Lecture Room was still a playing field!

The panel was held in observation of World Religion Day (Sunday 18 January 2026), an international day that promotes interfaith understanding and dialogue.

Reflecting on the event, Mr Parmenter said:

“This is an annual event at the College, and it was a pleasure to host such a diverse panel of speakers this year. It was particularly good to see so many students attending and engaging thoughtfully with the discussion.”