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About Us

Who we are

The Scottish Association for Inter-religious Dialogue (SAID) is an organisation set up in response to the call of the Pope and the Grand Imam to demonstrate that religions can be a force for genuine peace and justice in the world.

“ If you want peace work for justice “ Pope Paul VI.

Our vision

The Scottish Association for Inter-religious Dialogue (SAID), affirms with Pope Francis and grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahamad that faith is an excellent lens through which to see the dignity of our brothers and sisters the world over and creation as a whole.

With the Pope and Grand Iman, SAID affirms that the arms race, social injustice, corruption, inequality, moral decline, terrorism, discrimination, extremism, and many other causes have a deleterious effect on human dignity. We similarly affirm that cooperation between east and west is a keystone in forming a true and lasting peace, one based on justice and economic and political equality, rather than a false 'peace'. Based on injustice and the furtherance of material wealth in the hands of a very few.

There can be no peace without justice.

At the same time SAID affirms that in the east and the developing world justice involves giving to every person what they require in love, not giving to all the same, from false notices of economic equality.

In a postmodern context, in which the ideas of all are given equal gravity, SAID sees great opportunity for the spiritual, political and economical advancement for the world as a whole. In this context SAID encourages the developing world to learn from the mistakes of the so called developed world and to create a society based upon mutual respect for the inalienable right to life of every human being. By “right to life” SAID means that all brothers and sisters have an inalienable right to self-determination and commitment to the good that God provides, rather than a society in which disorder though misguided ideas of freedom prevails. SAID affirms that rights come with duties.

Although faith does not consist of morality we affirm with Pope Francis and the Grand Iman that there must be new ways of reawakening old ideas in a postmodern context. We affirm that the absence of meta-narrative makes this especially difficult, however self-mastery and self-determination in God remain key.

We have in God, from the root good, an eternal reason to affirm human dignity, past present and future, which finds its climax in true self-determination in God.

Furthermore we affirm that in the context of our times it seems obvious that true spirituality consists of union with God, people, and creation. We must look after what we have been given.

Religion can appeal to the better part of human nature. Again with the Grand Iman -Ahmed Atayib - and Pope Francis, we affirm that that in the past religion has been perverted for the furtherance of greed and power. Liberal democracy falls down when in the context of globalisation, the rise of populism means that electorates are given local short term solutions for global problems.

As something both ancient and new religion can provide an antidote for this.

In true ecumenism, lies the path to peace and Coexistence.

The Scottish Association for Inter- religious Dialogue (SAID) has adopted the document on human fraternity as basis for it’s activities.

Here is a link to the document on human fraternity:

Click Here

Association team

Peter James Cox

President of SAID

Anwar Esslimani

North Africa and Arabic Area Director

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About Us

The Scottish Association for Inter-religious Dialogue (SAID) is an organisation set up in response to the call of the Pope and the Grand Iman to demonstrate that religions can be a force for genuine peace and justice in the world.

Contact Us : support@saidialogue.org

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