Reflections after the University of Salford’s symposium on Islamophobia in Higher Education, 5 November 2026 Yesterday I travelled to Salford to give a keynote (with slides) at the University of Salford’s symposium on Islamophobia in Higher Education, held at the New Adelphi Theatre and convened by the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Social Justice and Equity.…… Continue reading Pulling Together, Not Apart: Reflections on Islamophobia and the University
Tag: Muslims
Clash Course: Islamophobia, Power and the Generation Changing the Script
I’ve been thinking about Islamophobia a great deal. Not just reflecting on the concept and its intellectual dimensions, but also writing about it in various ways: its structural, cultural, institutional, legal, societal and political norms, outcomes and processes, and the many different ways of trying to make sense of it. This has been going on…… Continue reading Clash Course: Islamophobia, Power and the Generation Changing the Script
Birmingham’s Muslims: A Call to Action
On Friday night at Soul City Arts in Birmingham, the Muslim Institute, in collaboration with the An-Nisa Society, launched Birmingham’s Muslims – Conversations on grassroots community and change, authored by Humera Khan, a civil society campaigner, author, and activist with over forty years of experience working in the third sector on questions relating to Muslims…… Continue reading Birmingham’s Muslims: A Call to Action
Can We Unite the Kingdom? Class, grievance and the politics of division: reflections from Birmingham
On the evening of 23 September 2026, the Dialogue Society held the third in its series of conversations on polarisation and extremism at BRIG Café on Allison Street in Birmingham. The title was “Can we unite the Kingdom when money and class continue to divide us?” The panel brought together Dr Nathan Kerrigan, Cherie-Louise Waddingham…… Continue reading Can We Unite the Kingdom? Class, grievance and the politics of division: reflections from Birmingham
A Journey into Bosnia’s Wounds
I’ve taken my notebook with me on this four-day trip to Bosnia. A visit to a country that I have been wanting to see for years is finally happening, as I take part in the group visit organised by a local charity that aims to enhance cross-cultural and interreligious dialogue and engagement – a worthy…… Continue reading A Journey into Bosnia’s Wounds
The Long Shadow of 9/11: Memory, Injustice and the Politics of Security
Today marks exactly twenty-five years since 9/11. It remains, quite rightly, a day of mourning for the nearly 3,000 people killed in those attacks, and for the families and communities whose lives were altered forever. Any serious reflection on the last quarter of a century must begin there: with grief, with loss, and with the…… Continue reading The Long Shadow of 9/11: Memory, Injustice and the Politics of Security
Who Gets to Be British? The Far Right’s Dangerous Conflation
Imagine standing in a crowded town square, watching a mob chant about “taking our country back”, while a young man of South Asian descent clutches his dark blue passport — a document that legally declares “British Citizen” but is treated by the rioters as a worthless piece of paper. I am keen to explore the…… Continue reading Who Gets to Be British? The Far Right’s Dangerous Conflation
British Muslims at a Crossroads: Class, Belonging and the Politics of Representation
There seems to be quite a distinction in current commentary concerning the view that British Muslims are at a particular juncture in their history. One view suggests that they are at a precipice, about to fall into an oblivion from which there may be no way back. There is also the concern, however, that Muslims…… Continue reading British Muslims at a Crossroads: Class, Belonging and the Politics of Representation
The Pen and the Poison
Satire, Cynicism, and the Lasting Legacy of Rod Liddle’s Islamophobia Rod Liddle has died at 66. The tributes call him brilliant, provocative, inimitable. They are silent on the twenty years he spent making British Muslims the punchline — and on the industry that decided this was a style, not a record. Rod Liddle died on…… Continue reading The Pen and the Poison
Mosque Security in Britain Must Be About Trust, Not Just Protection
At a time when mosques in Britain are reportedly attacked, vandalised, or physically damaged every few days, the question of mosque safety is no longer peripheral. It sits at the centre of British Muslim life, shaping how people worship, travel, organise, and imagine their place in society. This essay reflects on the National Emergency Conference…… Continue reading Mosque Security in Britain Must Be About Trust, Not Just Protection