Blair consults Muslim leaders at Cambridge conference on Islam

The event, to be held in London on 4th and 5th June, aims to explore ways in which greater unity and understanding might be fostered between Muslims and non-Muslims in the societies in which they live. Representatives from more than 30 countries will be attending.

It is hoped that the discussions will not only address policy and policy makers at a domestic and international level, but also speak to the concerns of local communities both in Britain and elsewhere. A key question for the conference will be to consider how to extend the debate on to the streets and into local communities.

The conference is being organised by The Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme (CIP), based in the University's Faculty of Divinity. CIP is a teaching and research programme that seeks to achieve a deeper understanding of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. It also aims to develop public outreach programmes for the benefit of faith communities and wider society. The Weidenfield Institute for Strategic Dialogue (WISD) and the Coexist Foundation are sponsoring the conference.

The event will open with a video message from HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, while the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, will host a reception in the evening. Other speakers will include the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly; the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shaykh Ali Gomaa; the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Mufti Mustafa Ceric; Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Glasgow; the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres and the Leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron.

Professor David Ford, Director of the Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme, said: “There is an urgent need for Islam and traditionally Christian cultures to understand one another specifically from a religious perspective.

“The conference will focus on the relationship between Islam and the non-Muslim world, inviting Muslims from this country and abroad to discuss the challenges we all face in creating communities that can accommodate and thrive on the religious diversity that exists in Britain, Europe and beyond.

“In the past, policy has too often focused on the question of integrating Muslims into secular society. In fact we live in a complexly religious and secular society where the expression of religious beliefs remains important to huge numbers of people.”

Speakers and guests will be encouraged to consider the contribution Islamic debate has made to a host of contemporary topics including citizenship, the place of Islamic law, women and human rights.

Timothy Winter, lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, said: “The question facing British society, and society as a whole, is not how we encourage minorities to engage with western countries, but how those countries define themselves as a collage of different religious cultures. We hope that this conference will enable those responsible for encouraging and building unity in communities to approach the task from that perspective.

“If we are to overcome the problems of religious ignorance and misunderstanding, we need to have precisely these sorts of conversations and collaborations across religious and secular boundaries.”

A Downing St spokesman said: “Our British Muslim communities make a significant positive and growing contribution to modern Britain. This conference will give authentic voices of Islam an opportunity to ensure their voices are heard in debates and discussions which too often are dominated by extremes.

“The Prime Minister has often emphasised that Islam, like all our major religions, plays a major role in making our society work. He wants to listen to those who have devoted their lives to promoting greater understanding of Islam, both in the UK and around the world.”