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.
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