Muslim and Jewish leaders present historic joint statement to King Charles III
Twelve faith leaders thrashed out the Drumlanrig accord in a Scottish castle, pledging to work together against prejudice
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A landmark agreement between 12 Muslim and Jewish faith leaders from across the UK was presented to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
The Drumlanrig accords, named after the Scottish castle where their details were thrashed out in January, aim to establish unity between Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain to help tackle both antisemitism and Islamophobia, as well as poverty and isolation. They propose setting up a number of joint councils to encourage faith leaders and the public to work together across religious boundaries, as well as to “safeguard areas of concern” around “religious freedoms” — though they do not specify what these might be.
The agreement itself was spearheaded by imam Dr Sayed Razawi, the director general of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, and supported by the Duke of Buccleuch, Richard Scott. A statement accompanying the document says it is the first of its kind, with multi-faith buy-in, in the history of the UK.
“Muslim and Jewish communities around the world share a profound spiritual heritage. Both traditions are rooted in monotheism, the sanctity of life and a commitment to justice,” the document reads.
It continues: “Global tensions, particularly in the Middle East, often strain relationships between these communities, leading to misunderstandings and fractures at a local level. In times of crisis, these fractures can deepen escalating Islamophobia, antisemitism and societal polarisation.”
Faith leaders convened at Spencer House in London to sign the accords on Tuesday morning, following a meeting with the king in the 1844 room at Buckingham Palace.
Muslim leaders who signed it include senior imam Qari Asim, imam Sheikh Muhammad Ismail, head imam Dr Sheikh Khalifa Ezzat, and a representative of Naushad Jivraj, president of the Aga Khan National Council UK. Jewish signatories include chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, rabbi Josh Levy, rabbi Charley Baginsky, senior rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, senior rabbi Joseph Dweck and senior rabbi Moshe Rubin.
In total, the accords pledge to “explore” the creation of five new committees and councils. The first of these, the Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council, would “mediate conflicts and foster reconciliation during times of tension, particularly when global events affect local community relations”, and “develop the potential for shared public statements during Middle East crises, offering reassurance and emphasising shared values of peace”, the accords say.
Other proposed bodies have aims including “addressing misconceptions and tropes about Islam and Judaism” and countering prejudice towards both groups at universities.
Research by the Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors antisemitism in the UK, recorded 272 antisemitic university-related incidents in the 2023-24 academic year, while a report by the Runnymede Trust in November found that one in three Muslim students had experienced Islamophobic abuse.
“While we acknowledge the importance of free speech,” reads the document, “we recognise how offensive or derogatory language regarding sacred figures and practices which stand at the heart of our respective faiths can be and therefore pledge to treat them with due sensitivity and good faith.”
A key concern of the group is to improve the experience of university students and tackle antisemitism and Islamophobia on campuses. “The worry both communities share is that our students have a positive experience on campus, that they feel safe and part of UK life,” said Baginsky, chief executive of Liberal Judaism. “One of the things we love about the UK is the celebration of diversity. The dangers of Islamophobia and anti-semitism on campuses is a shared concern, and it’s important to be allies in that.”
Ezzat, head imam at the London Central Mosque, said: “We have a lot of challenges. There are lots of misunderstandings about the message of the Qur’an and Islam, that Islam is a religion that incites hatred or fanaticism. But that is not the reality — it’s a misunderstanding. That’s why it’s very important to have open dialogue and communication.
“One of the messages in the Qur’an is: ‘Mankind, we created you from various tribes so that you can know each other.’ Listening to one another and understanding each other is very important for peace and reconciliation.”
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