Cardiff United Synagogue in Cyncoed opened its doors this afternoon in a bid to stop young people becoming radicalised.
The inter-faith open day is part of a project called Youth Against Violent Extremism, which was set up by anti-hate charity Race Equality First.
It’s meant to stop young people being drawn to extremism by encouraging them to talk to people from other religions.
A spokesperson for Race Equality First says that some religious communities in Cardiff have become more divided in the last few months.
“Those communities are now feeling vulnerable. Vulnerability can lead to fear. This fear can make some people more likely to move towards extremism.”
They say more needs to be done to bring young people of different faiths together to help them to overcome their prejudices.
They say projects like theirs will help stop communities feeling isolated, which can lead to radicalisation.
“Having a greater appreciation of a different faith will help to break down barriers. It’ll certainly challenge the ‘us and them’ situation.”
A spokesperson from Cardiff United Synagogue says recent events have made open days like these especially important.
“Cardiff was quite quiet. There were hardly any problems with racism. But all of a sudden the world exploded, and it’s getting worse.
“What happens in Syria and Iraq affects people locally. They can become very bitter and then they need someone to take it out on.”
This event is the first of four inter-faith open days which will be held across Cardiff in local Mosques, Churches and Synagogues over the next few weeks.
