Critics of Islam often conflate religious and political issues. With the emergence of Islamic political parties in the international spotlight, it has become increasingly important to recognize where religion ends and politics begin, and how social concerns are impacted by each.
Representations of Islamic culture surround us, whether in the use of everyday objects or visual representation in our art and architecture. The historical roots of these influences can run deep, but are often unacknowledged.
Our experts explain basic but often misunderstood concepts of Islam, including differences in the religion's sects and how its practices are perceived by non-Muslims.
As new governments are created out of the revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa, what role will Islam and Islamic political parties play?
Current debates about integration, religious freedom and cultural diversity highlight growing levels of tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the US and Europe—often founded on a lack of information.
For that reason, we have set out to answer questions at the heart of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. For example, what is the role of religion in the public space? And how have the Arab Spring revolutions begun to change that?
This is a joint project between the British Council's Our Shared Future program, the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, featuring the Our Shared Future Opinion Leaders Network.
The videos on this website reflect the personal views of the participants. The British Council bears no responsibility for the content of the interviews or the views expressed by participants.
Current debates about integration, religious freedom and cultural diversity highlight growing levels of tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the US and Europe—often founded on a lack of information.
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