Confronting anti-Semitism and Islamophobia

The Centre for Jewish Studies at SOAS

Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies: University of Exeter

In association with
The Joseph Interfaith Foundation

Confronting anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
An exploration of their socio-historic and theological roots and similarities

One-day international conference
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London,
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London – WC1H 0XG

09:15 – 09:45 Registration and coffee
09:45 -10:00 Introduction
10:00 -11:00 Socio-historic Roots and Similarities
Professor Tahir Abbas: BSc(Econ) MSocSc PhD FRSA Visiting Professor, Birkbeck College,
University of London; Honorary Fellow, University of Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies
Dr Adam Silverstein University Research Lecturer, Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies;
Fellow of Queen’s College
Prof. Michael Berkowitz Professor, Dept. of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University College,
London
Dr Ziba Mir-Hosseini (chair) Research Associate, Centre of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law,
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

11:00 -11:15 Coffee
11:15 – 12:15 The American Perspective
Dr Zain Abdullah Assistant Professor of Religion, Race, and Ethnicity, Dept. of Religion, Associate
faculty, Dept. of Geography & Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
Prof. Oliver Leaman Professor of Philosophy and Zantker Professor of Judaic Studies, University of
Kentucky, USA
Prof. David Cesarani (chair) Research Professor of History, Director of Research, Royal Holloway
University, London

12:15 – 13:00 Students on the Campus
Salman Waqar Student Affairs Committee, Federation of Students Islamic Societies
Representative of UJS TBC
Dr Usama Hasan (chair) Senior Lecturer, Middlesex University; part-time Imam at Masjid-al-Tawhid
in Leytonstone, London

13:00 -14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:00 Theological Roots and Comparisons
Dr Sajjad Rizvi Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director of
MA in Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
Rabbi Prof. Marc Saperstein Principal, Leo Baeck College, London
Dr Abdelwahab El-Affendi FRSA/ESRC/AHRC Fellow, Reader in Politics; Co-ordinator, Democracy
and Islam programme, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi (chair) Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action,
Conservative Party

15:00 – 15:45 Workshops
15:45 – 16:00 Tea
16:00 – 16:30 Plenary: The way forward