For immediate release

Two leading scholars of law and religion will claim this Wednesday that most disputes about religious freedom and equality are best solved out of court. Professor Peter Jones and Professor Maleiha Malik, speaking at the fifth Westminster Faith Debate, will call for a return to common sense, respect and restraint in dealing with disputes about religious freedom. Freedom of religion does not exempt people from behaving with respect towards those with whom they disagree, including gay people, says Malik. Freedom of expression should not be used as an excuse to insult religious people, says Jones. Both conclude from their research, supported by the £12million AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme, that the law is too blunt an instrument for these disputes.

Professor Linda Woodhead, Director of the Religion and Society Programme, suggests that equality law and appeals to freedom are being hijacked by the aggressive fringes of religion and secularism to fight their ideological battles. "These groups don't represent the majority of religious and non-religious people. Yet a string of recent cases, often pushed by campaign groups, has created a needless sense of polarisation in society. We're descending into a politics of mutual loathing and self-righteous indignation, and issues which could be solved with a bit of common sense and mutual respect are becoming unnecessarily divisive."

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The Westminster Faith debates are designed to bring the best academic research into the public eye, making the very topical debates on the role of religion in society more informed on subjects from extremism to multiculturalism, welfare reform to religious freedom. All details are available on the website: http://www.religionandsociety.org.uk/faith_debates
The Westminster Faith Debates are organised by The AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme, Charles Clarke and Theos.
Peter Jones is Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy at Newcastle University and led the Religion and Society-funded research network on 'Religion, Discrimination and Accommodation'.  Meleiha Malik is Professor of Law at Kings College London. 
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