On Tuesday 29 July, the Cambridge Interfaith Programme was pleased to partner with Dr Marietta van der Tol (Trinity College) to welcome Lord Khan, the UK Government Faith Minister, along with aides active in the faith, communities and resettlement brief.
This was a first conversation, following up on connections made at the UK Inter Faith Week report launch in May. The session was planned with attention to two specific topics: the phenomenon of anti-Muslim hatred and its ancillaries, and interfaith dialogue on the international stage, including as channelled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s activities.
Context and challenges
The government’s ambition to provide a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia is widely reported. The mere fact of this endeavour has garnered considerable media attention and critique.
Extending previous discussion, Cambridge academics presented insights from fieldwork in the UK and Europe. Dr Iman Dawood highlighted how conflation of conservative values with extremism in public discourse has led certain Muslim groups to take fresh pride in a countercultural stance. Through two interview testimonies, Dr Ayesha Ulhaq illustrated how Muslim women are obliged to self-regulate their emotions in hope of avoiding adverse treatment in workplaces and education. (Due to adverse circumstance, Dr Iona Hine presented on Dr Ulhaq’s behalf.)
Professor Esra Özyürek relayed findings from her study of state-funded Holocaust education among Muslims in Germany and the stigmatisation of certain kinds of empathy. When sympathy with Palestinians is taken as a symptom of antisemitism, this overlooks the kinship of others in “Christian Europe”. Chairing the discussion Professor Daniel Weiss drew attention to some of the practical tools and study opportunities developed in and through CIP, including a co-taught masters module on Antisemitism and Islamophobia in “Christian” Europe.
Dr Marietta van der Tol spoke about legal categories in anti-discrimination law that are relevant to Islamophobia, antisemitism, and xenophobia. What is the purpose of a separate definition of phenomena like Islamophobia and how would such a definition relate to existing law? She also shared observations on the IPU conference on interfaith dialogue, the importance of international dialogue in the face of significant conflicts in the world. The session also heard brief comments from the other IPU co-delegates (Dr Ulhaq and Dr Vanessa Paloma Elbaz), reflecting on the promise and challenges of conducting interfaith dialogue in a Parliamentary context.
Policy and practice
In discussion, Lord Khan and aides raised the challenge of effecting change. Discriminatory messages and disinformation spread easily, and it takes time and skill to address that. How can academic work be brought to bear on that difficult domain? What is the appropriate role of different sectors and actors in addressing these complex societal problems? As Lord Khan observed, one part of the challenge is that those entrusted with delivering Religious Education in UK classrooms are often non-specialists who lack knowledge, tools, and confidence.
The agenda also included a short introduction to the work of Cambridge Interfaith Programme, illustrating how diverse research expertise is drawn together within and beyond the University of Cambridge.
Discussion was both rich and frank, with further engagement intended on all sides.
Further reading
Event report: Navigating complex discourse: Cambridge insights on defining Islamophobia in 2025
