Dates - Selection of event dates should consider religious holidays e.g. Christmas Day, Eid. There are two sides to this issue: it will impact people’s ability to attend, and it could mean a lower turnout.
Days - Fridays and Saturday events can be exclusive to people who do not follow Shabbath / Sabbath.
Times - Additionally, Friday afternoon prayers may impact Muslims who will need to decide whether to attend prayer, or the event.
A smile and graciousness always works
This is an issue of debate. The Koran states that men and women, who are not closely related to one another, should not physically touch. This means that many Muslims will not shake hands with a member of the opposite sex. An acceptable greeting is to hold a light fist over the heart, with a slight bow.
Meishi koukan Touching is inappropriate (back slapping etc) but a handshake is acceptable. A slight bow is regarded as very respectful.
Place to get changed before and after the event
There will be particular dates that are specific and important to each religion. The Shap Calendar identifies the dates and purpose of each religious festival https://www.interfaith.org.uk/resources/religious-festivals
Acknowledgement of Salawat prayer times. Often, event breaks can be co-ordinated around the prayers times.
The Angelus can be recited at 6am, noon and 6pm. If an event is held near one of the ancient Universities or Churches, the Angelus bells may ring out. This particular devotion is uncommon and the devotee can perform this prayer in private.
This is also known as Parsi faith. The Zoroastrians also pray five times a day. The prayer timings are less clear and more flexible. Zoroastrians tend to assimilate very well into their communities and they will be harder to identify. The Zoroastrians number less than 200,000 throughout the world and their numbers dwindle at 10% per decade.
Observant Jews and some Christians. such as Seventh Day Adventists, will observe Sabbath. The timing starts before sunset on Friday until the appearance of three stars on Saturday evening.
Islamic dietary laws and Jewish dietary laws are both very detailed and demonstrate some similarities. They share a common root. They are based on a code of laws found in Leviticus and repeated in the Quran.
Therefore, many food products hold both Kosher and Halal accreditation for their products.
Kosher standards are not regarded as a replacement for Halal and the foods should be marked with both labels. Muslim authorities believe the terms are not interchangeable and this is potentially insulting.
Kosher standards are constantly changing and the London Beth Din release a monthly update. More details can be found here: http://www.kosher.org.uk/
Salads without dairy or meat can regarded as parve or pareve. Parve means that neither meat nor milk products are included in the product, and that the cooking utensils have not been mixed with either food product.
Fish that have fins and scales such as salmon, trout, herring and halibut are also kosher and parve: however, fish such as swordfish, sturgeon and dogfish are non-Kosher. Similarly, shellfish is non-Kosher.
Jews and Muslims do not eat pork.
Muslims do not drink alcohol.
Muslims believe that their prayers will be rejected by Allah if they have consumed foods that are haram. The fundamental idea is that they are directed to eat the most nutritionally important foods, so that they are healthier and better physically able to share wisdom and knowledge.
In the Qur'an (2:173, 5:3, 5:90-91, 6:145, 16:115), the following foods and drinks are strictly prohibited by God (haram):
- Dead meat (i.e. the carcass of an already-dead animal that was not slaughtered according to Halal rules).
- Blood.
- Pork.
- Horsemeat is controversial (Mashbooh) so Tesco’s inclusion of horsemeat in beef lasagne was upsetting for many Muslims.
- Alcohol. For observant Muslims, this even includes sauces or food-preparation liquids that might include alcohol, such as soy sauce.
- The meat of an animal that has been sacrificed to idols.
- The meat of an animal that died from electrocution, strangulation or blunt force.
- Meat from which wild animals have already eaten.
- Cheese or whey with rennet is controversial since the Zabihah status of the animal is unknown. Cheeses coagulated with acid (cottage, farmer's, etc.) are generally permitted since they do not include rennet. Vegetarian (non-rennet) cheese is fine since they are coagulated using vegetable enzymes.
It is best to keep the vegetarian food on a separate table from meat-based food, or this could cause potential upset to Hindu individuals. The vegetarian food could be perceived as contaminated.