Suffragan Bishop of Loughborough to speak on ‘Justice, Faith and Belonging in a Changing World’

The unit for Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement (DICE) at the University of Leicester, in conjunction with Leicestershire County Council, is organising a fascinating and free public event on Thursday 10 October for all those interested in the role of faith in Britain today in delivering social justice. Guli Francis-Dehqani, the first Suffragan Bishop of Loughborough, will speak on ‘Justice, Faith and Belonging in a Changing World’

When appointed, Bishop Guli was one of only four BAME Bishops in the Church of England. Born in Iran, her father, Hassan Dehquani-Tafti, was the first Iranian Anglican bishop. Her family fled to Britain in May 1980 when she was 14 years of age.

Bishop Guli’s extraordinary experiences of persecution in Iran and then her coming to the UK as an immigrant, initially struggling to ‘fit in’, provides her with a real sense of what it is to be on the margins of society.  These experiences also provide her with a unique perspective, in this very timely presentation in multi-faith Leicester, on matters of justice, faith and belonging in a fast-changing world.

County Councillor Louise Richardson, Cabinet Lead Member for Equalities, said: “The themes of identity and faith, and what they represent, have always been highly relevant to our society but are now even more so in a rapidly changing world. The observations that Bishop Guli has made throughout her experiences in life, ministry and now as the first Bishop of Loughborough, offer lessons to us all, regardless of our connection or commitment to faith, belief or parallel values.”

Professor Surinder Sharma (for DICE) said: “In many ways, Leicester is the ideal venue for a presentation and discussion of this kind. Leicester has successfully supported many individual and personal journeys of people of very different faiths, generally, in harmony. The University of Leicester is hosting the Journey to Justice Festival around memories of the civil rights movement and local people’s stories of justice. Faith can play a crucial role in supporting people who live on or near the margins of British society.”

The event, which is part of the city’s Journey to Justice festival, will be held in the Ken Edwards Building on the University of Leicester campus from 6.30pm to 8.00pm on Thursday 10 October. It is free and open to all; places can be booked via Eventbrite.