Eid reception at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Last night the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted its annual Eid reception for the Muslim community. The charming shooting star that is David Milliband and the small but feisty Hazel Blears were in attendance representing the powers that be. They popped in at the beginning, and delivered some delightful and heartwarming spiel about 'shared values and shared institutions' along with 'reinforcing similarity rather than difference' and 'showing solidarity' amongst communities.

I was at the entrance when David Milliband arrived so we were somewhat thrust into each other's paths. He looked dazed at the throngs that cluttered his path as he was guided through the attendees clutching their glasses of orange juice. As the only woman in a crowd of Muslim men respectably attired in deeply establishment dark suits (and wearing my trademark pink headscarf, and a rather pretty kurta I might add), I managed to inform him of this wonderful blog that I write, although I did forget to mention the URL. If you know David and are reading this, please forward him the address. Apparently (insider news for all of you here), he is a fan of blogs, so I'm hoping he might come and check this place out. (Hello David! Thanks for dropping by...)

It was a shame though that both the ministers disappeared early on without stopping to chat widely to those who had turned up. It was a good solid gathering from across the spectrum of the Muslim community, and the simple fact that it was hosted in the foreign office and is recognised as a 'British' event will do much to re-inforce togetherness and dialogue, and to create the backdrop to further discussion.

Milliband talked of using the global roots of the Muslim community as a way to participate in the global economy and development, moving away from the old empire which was based around running the world towards building a country that was involved instead in driving it forward. He saw the remarkably well-connected diversity of the UK as a huge plus in the new world. Blears talked about community solidarity and sharing, citing the examples of those non-Muslims who had fasted in Ramadhan along with Muslim friends. I found the words heartening and optimistic, but will they both deliver? And how can I as an indivual get involved?

Despite issues and contention facing the Muslim community, these feel-good moments are important as they allow for real human interaction, and connections to fall back on. Gestures and symbols are important, and I for one am pleased that these kinds of initiatives are not only taking place but are also becoming part of the British Muslim social and political landscape.

The next step is to make sure that those members of the government and civil service who are involved in such initatives are spending time talking, listening and communicating to members of the Muslim community especially those who are stepping forward and opening their arms in order to create relationships and positive change.