In this photo, Sheikh Mohey El Din Afifi from Al Azhar, Cairo, Egypt, greets Father Shenouda of the Coptic Orthodox Church at CARAVAN Cooperation Circle's exhibition "The Bridge" in London. The contemporary art exhibition is currently on a world tour and will reside in London at St. Martin in the Fields on Trafalgar Square through August 2. Previous stops on the tour have included Paris, France, and Cairo, Egypt. The exhibition will move to Metz, France and open on August 27. "The Bridge" uses art to bridge the Middle East to West, with multiple cultures and faith traditions represented side by side.
At the VIP opening June 8 (pictured here), The Archbishop of Canterbury (The Most Revd & Rt Hon The Lord Justin Welby) delivered an opening address on the role of art in bridging faiths and cultures. Other guest speakers included: His Excellency Nasser Kamel, Ambassador of Egypt to the UK, Archbishop Mouneer H. Anis, Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East for the Anglican Church, Rev. Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler, President/Founder of CARAVAN, Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, Vicar of St. Martin in the Fields, Mr. Ahmed Badrawi, Managing Director of SODIC (the sponsor of The Bridge), and Ms. Carelle Homsy, artist. Sami Yusuf, the celebrated Muslim singer/songwriter, gave a special performance of “The Gift of Love,” a song commissioned by King Abdullah II of Jordan for World Interfaith Harmony Week.
Learn more about CARAVAN Cooperation Circle.
