ISPU report 'Bridges and Barriers' asks interfaith work to confront systemic bias, not just courtesy

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding's report Bridges and Barriers, published in July 2026 by Nina M. Fernando and Erum Ikramullah, studies interfaith engagement among American faith communities amid rising Islamophobia. Survey data from the American Muslim Poll shows most Americans in every group are not involved in interfaith work, with Muslims (17%) and white Evangelicals among the most likely to report involvement. Interviews identify recurring problems: unclear goals, surface-level engagement, Christian dominance of interfaith spaces, tokenisation of Muslims, and pitting one form of bigotry against another. Recommendations include agreeing shared values and terms, structured dialogue on difficult topics, letting individuals speak for themselves, and turning dialogue into shared action. The authors stress interfaith work cannot replace policy change or accountability. Why it matters: it asks interfaith efforts to be judged on trust and follow-through, not courtesy.

This is a QeRN summary by Ahmed Qerni. Read the original at Institute for Social Policy and Understanding: https://ispu.org/ispu-in-iqra-new-report-offers-a-blueprint-to-move-interfaith-work-beyond-polite-chat/.