The Church of England is to send three Bradford vicars to Pakistan in a bid to further Christian-Muslim relations.

Three reverends, yet to be named, will be given the chance to visit the country in the hope that they will better understand Muslims in their parishes on their return.

The announcement came from the Right Reverend David Smith, Bishop of Bradford, fresh back from the Lambeth Conference.

"We hope we will get three clergy to Pakistan next year. They will be clergy who have a large number of Pakistanis in their parishes.

"We are hoping to send them there for a month or so and do a special course at the Christian Study Centre in Rawalpindi."

Talking about his trip with the Racial Equality Council's Ishtiaq Ahmed to Pakistan in October last year, he said: "I know Muslims who were over the moon about my going to Pakistan."

Bradford Diocese is also expected to make the new appointment of a woman to help advisor Dr Philip Lewis in his interfaith work with a view to setting up mixed religion women's groups.

"Although good work takes place among faith and business leaders, the really important scene now is ordinary people.

"It's still far too easy for people to live in areas where everybody else is of the same culture and background and not to have any contact. It's extremely difficult but we need to encourage the setting up of these contacts."

The bishop addressed 800 others at the Lambeth Conference about Christian-Muslim relations in Bradford. As the English representative on this topic, he spoke alongside bishops from Pakistan, Jerusalem, Egypt, Nigeria and Gambia.

"I was saying our experience in Bradford is that there are many Muslims who want to live alongside Christians in peace with respect and tolerance."

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