Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity
Encyclopedia
The Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity (ISIC) was the education and research arm of Barnabas Fund
, a charity which provides aid for persecuted Christians in more than 50 countries. In the contemporary context of what it saw as increasing tensions between Islam and the West, ISIC aimed to present a robust and rigorous understanding of the relevant issues and their implications for Islamic and western societies from a Christian perspective.
Founded in 1989, ISIC provided research and publications on various aspects of Islam including its sources, history, Islamic law
, Muslim minorities in the West, Muslim-Christian relations and non-Muslims in Muslim-majority societies.
ISIC staff included academics from the Middle East
and Asia
and aimed to help increase public understanding of the intricate world of Muslim-Christian relations and a resurgence of Islam.
ISIC was committed to human rights
, religious freedom, equality
and respect for all; and stood against all forms of discrimination
and incitement
to hatred.
ISIC's director was Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
who did a PhD
on Islam at the University of London
. He is a commentator on jihadist ideology, and has lectured British and NATO military officers on radical Islam. He attended the CounterJihad Brussels 2007 conference.
This institute ceased to operate in June 2009.
Barnabas Fund
The Barnabas Fund is an international, interdenominational Christian aid agency that supports Christians who face discrimination or persecution as a consequence of their faith...
, a charity which provides aid for persecuted Christians in more than 50 countries. In the contemporary context of what it saw as increasing tensions between Islam and the West, ISIC aimed to present a robust and rigorous understanding of the relevant issues and their implications for Islamic and western societies from a Christian perspective.
Founded in 1989, ISIC provided research and publications on various aspects of Islam including its sources, history, Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, Muslim minorities in the West, Muslim-Christian relations and non-Muslims in Muslim-majority societies.
ISIC staff included academics from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and aimed to help increase public understanding of the intricate world of Muslim-Christian relations and a resurgence of Islam.
ISIC was committed to human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, religious freedom, equality
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
and respect for all; and stood against all forms of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
and incitement
Incitement
In English criminal law, incitement was an anticipatory common law offence and was the act of persuading, encouraging, instigating, pressuring, or threatening so as to cause another to commit a crime....
to hatred.
ISIC's director was Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
Patrick Sookhdeo
Patrick Sookhdeo is the director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity and International Director of the Barnabas Fund. Sookhdeo is an outspoken spokesman for persecuted Christian minorities around the world...
who did a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
on Islam at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He is a commentator on jihadist ideology, and has lectured British and NATO military officers on radical Islam. He attended the CounterJihad Brussels 2007 conference.
This institute ceased to operate in June 2009.