23 Sep 2026

Corrymeela marked the UN International Day of Peace at Belfast City Hall on Monday 21st September. Now in its fifth year, this is a collaborative event with the NI Interfaith Forum, Beyond Skin, Join the Dots Together and the Shared City Partnership. The event brought together community builders, artists, activists, and faith leaders to celebrate our shared humanity and reaffirm an ongoing commitment to peacebuilding in our city and
beyond.

The evening opened with a welcome from Jonny Clark (Corrymeela Community) and Ed Petersen (Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum), followed by an address from the Chair of the Shared City Partnership, Councillor Joe Duffy.

The event featured intercultural musical performances, including a collaboration between Afghan musician Soraya Hosseini and Irish artist Joanne Malone courtesy of Beyond Skin, as well as lively traditional music and conversation with Niall McClean (Chairman of Ards Comhaltas) and the McClean family.

The programme also brought people together for meaningful dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing Belfast, featuring a panel conversation with Lisa Dietrich of Community Relations In Schools (CRIS) and an introduction to the Circle of Change initiative with Tim Magowan.

A highlight of the evening was a reflection delivered by Dr Raja Harun MBE, exploring peace in Northern Ireland from an Islamic perspective. Having first arrived in Belfast to study at Queen’s University in September 1966 — exactly sixty years ago — Dr Harun reflected on six decades of lived experience in Northern Ireland.

The full transcript of Dr Raja Harun MBE’s address is published below:

Peace in Northern Ireland — An Islamic Perspective

By Dr Raja Harun MBE

Delivered at Belfast City Hall to mark the UN International Day of Peace, 21 September 2026

Assalāmu ʿalaykum – Peace be upon you all.

Bismillāh al–Raḥmān al–Raḥīm.
In the name of God the Most Compassionate and The Most Merciful.

I want to begin with something personal.

I first came to Northern Ireland to Queens in 1966, sixty years ago this month. I came here before the Troubles, and what I remember most strongly is the people.

True to its reputation, I remember kind, welcoming, helpful and generous people. I remember a strong sense of community spirit and compassion.

Of course, Northern Ireland later experienced the terrible years of the Troubles — violence, fear, loss and deep division. Many families suffered.

And that is why the racism and violence we witnessed in June this year were particularly painful to see. In fact I have just seen, last Friday, how a lovely family with 2 children, who have just settled had a brick through their front door with his children intimidated daily in school which had JUST opened for the new term. I am sure you will agree with me that this is not on and not right. And mind you, this is ongoing regularly throughout Northern Ireland.

We must not ignore racism. We must confront it.

We should not want those events to cloud the vision of Northern Ireland as a potential destination for tourism and investment or define its people.

Peace requires justice. It requires compassion. It requires mutual respect.

The first Muslims themselves of more than 1400 years ago, experienced persecution and displacement. They were a small minority in Makkah, and eventually many were forced to leave their homes and migrate to Madinah.

The Qur’an describes them:

“Those who were driven from their homes without right, only because they said: ‘Our Lord is Allah”. Qur’an 22:40

But when they arrived in Madinah, They were welcomed by people known as the Anṣār — the Helpers.

The Qur’an praises these Helpers saying:

“They give others preference over themselves, even though they themselves are in need.”— Qur’an 59:9

This is a powerful lesson for us today.

When someone is vulnerable, we should not first ask where they come from, what religion they follow, or which community they belong to. We should ask: “How can I help?”

There is another lesson from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺpeace be upon him).

When Muslims were persecuted in Makkah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent some of them to Abyssinia, where a Christian king, the Negus, gave them protection.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) recognised his justice and his compassion, even though he was not Muslim.

This teaches us that Islam asks us to recognise goodness and justice wherever we find them.

This similarity happened during the recent June racial violence.

Churches , mosques, community organisations and ordinary people came together to assist those in need. These kind people refused to allow prejudice to turn into hatred.

So, as Muslims, we should contribute to peace not simply by speaking about Islam, but by living its values. To be good neighbours, to build friendships with people of every faith and none.

And when we experience prejudice, let us all challenge it firmly — but without allowing hatred to enter our hearts.

Equally, when another community experiences prejudice, we should stand with them.

Justice cannot be selective.

The Qur’an gives humanity a beautiful reason for our diversity, It says:

“We made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another.”— Qur’an 49:13

Not so that we should fear or hate one another.

The racism and violence we have seen recently should not erase the bigger picture. That There are countless people here who demonstrate kindness, generosity, compassion, friendship and community spirit every day.

Those qualities may not always make the headlines.

But they are the foundations of peace. The Peace Process demonstrated that deep divisions do not have to remain permanent.

So let us not allow the actions of a minority to define the character of the majority.

Let us not allow racism to cloud our vision of this wonderful place.

The Qur’an gives us our final guiding principle saying:

“Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better.” — Qur’an 41:34

May Allah bless Northern Ireland with peace.

May He protect every community from hatred and violence.

May He reward all those who show kindness, courage and compassion.

And may we all become, in our own way, Helpers for peace.

Thank you. Peace be with you all. Assalamualaikum.