Yeast-free bread. Bitter herbs. Eggs mixed with salt water.  One of my Jewish friends has joked that while this may sound like a new low-carb diet they are, in fact, a few of the symbolic foods some Jewish people eat as they celebrate Passover.

The week-long festival marks when the Hebrew people fled ancient Egypt.
 
Recently, I experienced my first interfaith Seder night in commemoration of the Jewish festival of Passover. 

As a Muslim, there were particular aspects of the event I could relate to, like the importance placed on family and the ways sharing a meal can help bring people together. 

This year, Passover coincided with the Easter weekend and it got me thinking about all things ‘interfaith’.
 
Perhaps more importantly, it showed me the importance of promoting understanding between different communities and faiths. 

Never has tolerance and acceptance been so important. In the context of the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, these acts of interfaith solidarity become even more meaningful.

In an era where misconceptions about faith can be heightened and where differences can, at times, be inflamed by a minority, it is important to realise just how much we share in common. 

Through humour, humanity or simply having a conversation there is a lot we can learn from each other.

Now, simply saying we won’t tolerate intolerance is perhaps not enough. As the old adage goes, actions really do speak louder than words.

At Faiths Forum, every day we see actions from people of all faiths and none coming together to support each other – whether it’s through helping a colleague who isn’t well, sharing a meal with neighbours or holding joint events in the community. 
 
Al-Khoei Mosque promoted real interfaith harmony last year when they hosted the Jewish festival of Succot in their own place of worship. 

These actions help communities cross the imaginary boundaries that can too easily become entrenched.

Opening the doors of one religious building to those of a different faith is symbolic as well as physical; it enables a dialogue that prevents the spread of prejudice.
 
This same sense of togetherness was fostered throughout Ramadan last year when Muslims and non-Muslims alike broke the fast together at ‘The Big Iftar’. 

With Ramadan just a few weeks away, there is an opportunity for us all to consider how we can reach out to someone new.
 
In Iraq, where my parents are from and where I was born, there are countless examples of Christians and Muslims of all sects coming together to rebuild their communities. Despite the recent fifteenth anniversary of the Iraq war, people there have showed that religion can unite and not divide us.

Here and abroad, we have seen an outpouring of solidarity and support between communities. 

We have seen faiths come together to overcome tragedy. We have seen individuals find their common humanity with strangers, neighbours and friends. 

We should all take pride in how Brits have come together over the past year. These are, after all, just a few examples of this. 

For every story of hate, there are many more stories about people coming together.  

Over the past year, British society has proved that, together, we are stronger than hate.

Not only have we kept calm and carried on, we have showed that there is a commitment to make Britain an even better and safer place to live.
 
 Aya Bdaiwi, Faiths Forum for London