We met in a space within Westminster Abbey, and agreed that both religious communities must fight for safety and empathy.

Even from a place of profound pain, the women I met had the capacity to reach out and feel the hurt of others.

Hope is hard to come by at the moment, but mine was gently lifted by the women I spoke to, wept with and prayed alongside. Coming away from the gathering, I dared to wish for things to get better, and found resolve in the ripples of goodwill that came from the female solidarity I experienced.

In this inflamed political climate, with violence tearing across the world, surely we must make all efforts to embody and fight for the opposite: safety and understanding. If we burn every bridge, the ugliness will never end; but if we build bridges in the hope of a better future, humanity might just stand a chance.