SPIOR is the Platform of Islamic Organisations in the Rijnmond (or greater Rotterdam) area. It has led or participated in a range of interfaith activities.
SPIOR has developed since 1988 as an Islamic umbrella organisation which builds links and capacity across different Muslim individuals and groups in Rotterdam and neighbouring towns. There are currently 68 member organisations, including most of the mosques in Rotterdam and many socio-cultural organisations, youth and women’s organisations, across at least twelve different cultural origins. A key focus of this organisation’s work is to connect people, groups and organisations to contribute to the realisation of shared values, common ground and joint activities whilst improving the participation of Muslims in the Netherlands. These include, among others, work in the fields of education, anti-discrimination, youth, employment and women’s empowerment.
SPIOR emphasises that it takes time to build relationships of trust, and how easy it is for this to be undermined. Hence, there is a focus on investing in good relations over the long-term, and this being needed in peaceful times and not just when there is an incident/stressful times, either in the local area or abroad. For example, when the terrorist attacks happened in Paris, because of their existing relationships, they were able very quickly to bring together a meeting between those from different religious and humanist traditions, and publically stand together for peace.
Other examples include an ‘interfaith travel agency’ has enabled groups in Rotterdam to visit each other within the city and attend different places of worship. This programme has included getting thousands of pupils from schools across the city involved in these activities. A key component of this programme is enabling people to see diversity within, as well as between, religions stressing that there isn’t just one version of each, but that there are different people and views within religions too.
Within the same city, reflecting the need to do activities together as well, there is also an interfaith mini-marathon, where participants focus on running together not finishing first, wearing t-shirts bearing messages such as ‘running for understanding’.
Another project in the same city has involved people from the local mosque working with people with disabilities and others from a particular neighbourhood to make a gravel square more beautiful, using plants, trees, flowers, etc.
