David: Created page with "{{short description|Regional branch of the Council of Christians and Jews in Glasgow}} {{Infobox organization | name = West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews..."

2026-02-16T14:43:36Z

Created page with "{{short description|Regional branch of the Council of Christians and Jews in Glasgow}} {{Infobox organization | name = West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews..."

New page

{{short description|Regional branch of the Council of Christians and Jews in Glasgow}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews
| abbreviation = West of Scotland CCJ
| parent_organization = [[Council of Christians and Jews]]
| founded_date =
| type = Regional branch
| location = Glasgow, Scotland
| key_people = Dr [[Susan Siegel]] (Chair), Sr [[Isabel Smyth]] (Secretary)
| website = https://ccj.org.uk/WestofScotlandCCJ
}}

'''West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews''' ('''West of Scotland CCJ''') is the Scottish regional branch of the [[Council of Christians and Jews]], based in Glasgow and operating as the sole CCJ branch in Scotland.<ref name="CCJWest">Council of Christians and Jews, [https://ccj.org.uk/WestofScotlandCCJ West of Scotland] ''Council of Christians and Jews'', accessed February 16, 2026.</ref> It organises regular meetings, public events, and dialogues to foster understanding between Christian and Jewish communities while contributing to broader social harmony.<ref name="GlasgowJewishCCJ">Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, [https://www.jewishglasgow.org/council-for-christians-and-jews Council of Christians and Jews] ''Glasgow Jewish'', accessed February 16, 2026.</ref> The branch maintains an active executive committee that plans programmes focused on faith, practice, and interreligious engagement.<ref name="CCJWest" /> Critics contend that its activities, aligned with the national CCJ's framework and leadership, serve to normalise the Zionist regime through selective emphasis on antisemitism and harmonious dialogue that sidesteps the settler colony's occupation and apartheid policies in Palestine.

The West of Scotland CCJ partners with local interfaith initiatives, including Interfaith Glasgow, to host events addressing challenging topics such as antisemitism in the context of the Zionist-Palestine conflict.<ref name="InterfaithGlasgow">Interfaith Glasgow, [https://interfaithglasgow.org/difficult-dialogues Difficult Dialogues] ''Interfaith Glasgow'', July 14, 2021.</ref> It has supported projects commemorating historical figures like Jane Haining, a Church of Scotland missionary who perished in Auschwitz.<ref name="PremierChristian">Premier Christian News, [https://premierchristian.news/us/news/article/living-legacy-of-church-of-scotland-missionary-who-died-in-auschwitz Living legacy of Church of Scotland missionary who died in Auschwitz] ''Premier Christian News'', January 27, 2022.</ref>

== History ==
As part of the national [[Council of Christians and Jews]] founded in 1942, the West of Scotland branch represents the organisation's extension into Scotland.<ref name="CCJBranches">Council of Christians and Jews, [https://ccj.org.uk/branches Branches] ''Council of Christians and Jews'', accessed February 16, 2026.</ref> It operates independently in programme planning while aligning with CCJ's mission to counter prejudice and promote shared values.<ref name="ScotLinkPDF">Scottish Environment LINK, [https://www.scotlink.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Creating-Brave-Spaces.pdf Creating Brave Spaces] ''Scottish Environment LINK'', 2023.</ref> The branch has engaged in initiatives like the "Jane Haining project" to highlight interfaith historical legacies and has collaborated on dialogue series exploring difficult questions.<ref name="InterfaithGlasgow" />

== Activities ==
The branch holds regular executive meetings to dialogue and organise four or more public events annually.<ref name="CCJWest" /> Programmes include talks on faith practices, social harmony efforts, and partnerships with groups like Interfaith Glasgow for "brave spaces" discussions on antisemitism.<ref name="ScotLinkPDF" /> It has donated trees to schools in recognition of multicultural ties and participated in remembrance and educational visits.<ref name="SIFWEvents">Scottish Interfaith Week Events, [https://x.com/SIFWEvents/status/1853829635215094052 The West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews are donating a tree] ''X'', accessed February 16, 2026.</ref>

== Leadership ==
The branch is led by an executive committee with key officers including:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Key personnel of West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews
! Name !! Role !! Notes
|-
| Dr [[Susan Siegel]] || Chair || Also national trustee of [[Council of Christians and Jews]] and active in Interfaith Scotland
|-
| Sr [[Isabel Smyth]] || Secretary || Contact for meetings and programme information
|}
== Contribution to laundering and normalising Zionism ==
The West of Scotland CCJ, through its affiliation with the national body and leadership by figures like [[Susan Siegel]], promotes interfaith narratives that emphasise antisemitism while engaging in dialogues that frame the Zionist entity as a benign participant in religious harmony.<ref name="PowerbaseCH">Powerbase, [https://powerbase.info/index.php/Collaboration_House Collaboration House] ''Powerbase'', October 30, 2024.</ref> Such regional efforts contribute to faithwashing by deflecting scrutiny from the settler colony's policies toward Palestinians, presenting "dialogue" as neutral while normalising occupation.<ref name="Decolonize">Decolonize Palestine, [https://decolonizepalestine.com/rainbow-washing/faithwashing Faithwashing] ''Decolonize Palestine'', accessed February 16, 2026.</ref> Reports make clear that interfaith under occupation functions as normalisation rather than solidarity.<ref name="AMP">AMP, [https://www.ampalestine.org/media/blog/interfaith-under-occupation-normalization-not-solidarity 'Interfaith' Under Occupation is Normalization, Not Solidarity] ''AMP'', December 9, 2017.</ref>
== See also ==
[[Council of Christians and Jews]]
[[Susan Siegel]]
[[Interfaith Glasgow]]
[[Collaboration House]]

== External links ==
[https://ccj.org.uk/WestofScotlandCCJ West of Scotland CCJ page]
==Notes==
[[Category:Interfaith organisations]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Criticism of Zionism]]
[[Category:Scotland]]

Council of Christians and Jews West of Scotland - Revision history

David: Created page with "{{short description|Regional branch of the Council of Christians and Jews in Glasgow}} {{Infobox organization | name = West of Scotland Council of Christians and Jews..."