Centre for Social Cohesion

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The Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC) was a think tank set up by Civitas 'following widespread and longstanding concern about the diminishing sense of community in Britain'.About Us (Accessed: 6 September 2007) According to a BBC Newsnight programme on 5 September 2007 the CSC was a 'right leaning think tank'. Its main focus has to do with discussing and analysing the best means to integrate or assimilate ethnic minorities and what implications this has for the wider society. A major focus of CSC is trends in Muslim society in the UK, how they are integrating or not, and the radicalised sections of that society.
CSC and its orginal parent Civitas have been claimed by Tim Montgomerie and Matthew Elliott as part of the infrastructure of the conservative movement in Britain.Tim Montgomerie, The growth of Britain's conservative movement, ConservativeHome, 14 March 2009.
The Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC) merged with the Henry Jackson Society in April 2011. CSC director Douglas Murray joined the Society as an associate director.The Centre for Social Cohesion joins with The Henry Jackson Society, Centre for Social Cohesion, 8 April 2011.
==Organisation==
===Establishment===
Civitas spent £274,669 on the Centre for Social Cohesion Project Fund in 2007. According to its annual report this fund was "set up to encourage racial and religious harmony."Civitas Limited: Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended December 2007 (pdf), p.13.
David Green initiated the Centre's blog on 5 April 2007 with a post announcing: 
::Civitas has established the Centre For Social Cohesion because of widespread and longstanding concern about the diminishing sense of community in Britain. Work has begun and we are now actively recruiting new staff.David Green, Work Has Started, Centre for Social Cohesion, 5 April 2007, accessed via the Internet Archive, 5 March 2010.
In June 2007, a Civitas newsletter announced that the CSC would be based at Great Peter Street in Westminster with a staff of six under the direction of Douglas Murray and had already hosted an event with the Syrian dissident Wafa Sultan.The Centre for Social Cohesion, Civitas Review, June 2007, p.6.
In an interview that month with Regeneration and Renewal magazine, Murray argued that the new centre would be independent despite perceptions of Civitas, a Tory think-tank, saying that "There's a difference between being ideologically perceived to be right wing and being party political."Adam Branson, Laying down the law - Douglas Murray, director, Centre for Social Cohesion, Regeneration and Renewal, 1 June 2007.
Murray went on to argue that radical Islam was the greatest threat to community cohesion in the UK:
::Activists from all sides, he says, 'get the problem' - and it rapidly becomes apparent that, as far as the Centre for Social Cohesion is concerned, 'the problem' is the rise of radical Islam.
::Murray believes that radical Islam poses a very real ideological threat to British society. He acknowledges that other factors contribute to problems with community cohesion, but 'the main organised undercurrent behind disaffection is radical Islam'.Adam Branson, Laying down the law - Douglas Murray, director, Centre for Social Cohesion, Regeneration and Renewal, 1 June 2007. 
Also that month, "the Centre was represented at a conference in California which brought together many of the world's experts on Islamic extremism, including Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan, Ibn Warraq and Mark Steyn."Press Release, Centre for Social Cohesion, 1 July 2007, accessed via the Internet Archive, 5 March 2010. This would appear to refer to the Collapse of Europe Conference held at Pepperdine University in Malibu which Murray attended.The Collapse of Europe Conference, American Freedom Alliance accessed 15 December 2008.
The Centre's first email update, dated 1 July 2007, announced the recruitment of David Conway, James Brandon and Salam Hafez as senior researchers.Press Release, Centre for Social Cohesion, 1 July 2007, accessed via the Internet Archive, 5 March 2010.
===Incorporation===
The Centre for Social Cohesion was incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee on 3 June 2008. Its original directors were Hannah Stuart and Douglas Murray.Certificate of Incorporation of a Private Limited Company, Company No. 06609071, Companies House, 3 June 2008.
According to its original memorandum of association, the centre's objects were:
::For the public benefit, to research issues of social cohesion, extremism and radicalism by such means as are appropriate to the attainment of these Objects;
::to advance, for the public benefit, education in relation social cohesion, extremism and radicalisation, by such means as are appropriate to the attainment of these Objects; 
::For the public benefit, to promote greater understanding of how the Mosaic faiths can strengthen a democratic, secular society, and
::The doing of all such other things as are incidental to the attainment of these Objects.Certificate of Incorporation of a Private Limited Company, Company No. 06609071, Companies House, 3 June 2008.
The Memorandum of Association was amended on 9 December 2008, and the objects changed to:
::(a) monitoring abuses of human rights;
::(b) research into human rights issues;
::(c) educating the public about human rights;
::(d) raising awareness of human rights issues;
::(e) commenting on proposed human rights legislation;
::(f) promoting popular support for human rights;
::(g promoting respect for human rights among individuals and corporations;
::(h) international advocacy of human rights;
::(i) eliminating infringements of human rights.Members Written Resolution, The Centre for Social Cohesion, Company Number 06609071, Companies House, 11 December 2008.
Baroness CoxForm 288a, Appointment of director or secretary, The Centre for Social Cohesion, Company No. 06609071, Companies House, 5 January 2009., Dr John Marks, and Ruth Dudley EdwardsForm 288a, Appointment of director or secretary, The Centre for Social Cohesion, Company No. 06609071, Companies House, 5 January 2009. were appointed as a directors on 5 January 2009.
MurrayForm 288b: Terminating appointment as director or Secretary, The Centre for Social Cohesion, Company No. 06609071, Companies House, 7 January 2009. and StuartForm 288b: Terminating appointment as director or Secretary, The Centre for Social Cohesion, Company No. 06609071, Companies House, 7 January 2009. stepped down as a directors on 7 January 2009.
==Activities==
*It seeks to analyze why certain groups become radicalized, and in the process seeks it advocates banning some books, and not funding certain activities or resources.
*Analyze the role schools play or should play in integrating minorities or fomenting "patriotism".
*Analyze the role and effect of religious schools.
*Analyze and debate what the UK's immigration policy should be and what possible effects extant policy will have.
===A-Z of Muslim organisations===
The Centre's first publication, in July 2007, was an A-Z of Muslim Organisations in Britain which appeared on its website..Press Release, Centre for Social Cohesion, 1 July 2007, accessed via the Internet Archive, 5 March 2010.A-Z of Muslim organisations, Centre for Social Cohesion, via the Internet Archive, accessed on 5 March 2010.
By April 2008, the A-Z had been replaced by the message: "The UK Islam A-Z is temporarily off line. The Centre for Social Cohesion is currently updating the UK Islam A-Z in advance of its forthcoming publication, a Guide to British Muslim Organisations, due to be published next month. The Centre apologises for any inconvenience."UK Islam A-Z, Centre for Social Cohesion, archived on 18 April 2008 by the Internet Archive, accessed 14 October 2010.
According to a parliamentary submission by the CSC, a draft copy of the guide was circulated to organisations profiled on 26 March 2008, and received a libel threat from solicitors Carter-Ruck on behalf of InterPal on 2 April 2008. As a result the report was not published.Written evidence submitted by the Centre for Social Cohesion, Press standards, privacy and libel, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, House of Commons, November 2009.
The A-Z section on InterPal highlighted allegations by BBC Panorama that InterPal was funding charities in the Occupied Territories linked to Hamas. It also cited documents to this effect allegedly recovered by the IDF, and noted that the matter was under investigation by the Charity Commission.InterPal, Centre for Social Cohesion, archived at the Internet Archive, 21 August 2007.
In 2009, a Charity Commission report on the allegations concluded:
::The Inquiry could not verify the material suggesting that certain local partners funded by the Charity may be promoting terrorist ideology or activities, so the material was of insufficient evidential value to support these allegations.Inquiry Report, Palestinians Relief and Development Fund, Charity Commission, 2009, p.44.
===Hate on the State===
The CSC's first full length report was Hate on the State: How British libraries encourage extremism by Douglas Murray and James Brandon. This criticised the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for stocking 'several hundred books and audio-tapes by radical Islamists' in its public libraries.James Brandon and Douglas Murray, Hate on the State: How British libraries encourage Islamic extremism, 2007, p.3.
The study was the subject of a BBC Newsnight report by Richard Watson on 5 September 2007. Among those interviewed were Murray and Ed Husain who grew up in Tower Hamlets.Richard Watson, Radical books in London libraries, BBC, 5 September 2007.
In a statement to the programme, Tower Hamlets council said:
::"The Islamic book stock came from a narrow range of publishers, thereby not reflecting the broad range of Islamic thought.
::"We recognised we needed to improve the balance of the Islamic literature in our libraries, which has resulted in us buying extra books more widely representative of Islam."Richard Watson, Radical books in London libraries, BBC, 5 September 2007.
One Telegraph report said the study was published jointly by CSC and Vigil, and carried commentary from Patrick Mercer, a conservative MP who had worked with the latter group.Duncan Gardham, The UK danger Library shelves stuffed with Islamic books glorifying terror, says report, The Daily Telegraph, 6 September 2007, via Nexis UK. However, a (presumably later) online version of the same report retained Mercer's comments but made no mention of Vigil.Duncan Gardham, Report: Libraries stock Islamic terror books, telegraph.co.uk, 6 September 2007. The study itself includes Vigil among those acknowledged for their assistance and cooperation.James Brandon and Douglas Murray, Hate on the State: How British libraries encourage Islamic extremism, 2007, p.33.
Matthew Elliott of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said of the report: "The idea that our money is being used to buy books that incite people to attack us is outrageous."Uproar over Hamza's rants in public libraries, Express, 7 September 2007.
The Telegraph's Damian Thompson praised Murray for recognising "the major threat to social cohesion in this country: Islam."Damian Thompson, Libraries stocking Islamic hate books, telegraph.co.uk, 6 September 2007.
===Hirsi Ali - Husain debate===
The CSC hosted a debate between Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Ed Husain on 20 November 2007.D'Arcy Doran, Dutch author Hirsi Ali says Muslims should protest terrorism, Associated Press Worldstream, 21 November 2007. 
===Crimes of the Community===
On 4 February 2008, the CSC published Crimes Of The Community: Honour-based Violence In The UK, by James Brandon and Salam Hafez.James Brandon and Salam Hafez, Crimes in the name of honour, guardian.co.uk, 4 February 2008.
The report appeared shortly before a speech by Archbishop Rowan Williams on Sharia, a fact which was picked up by several of the Archbishop's critics. Christopher Hitchens wrote:
::By a nice coincidence, a London think tank called the Center for Social Cohesion issued a report just days before the leader of the world's Anglicans and Episcopalians capitulated to Islamic demands.Christopher Hitchens, To Hell With the Archbishop of Canterbury, Slate, 11 February 2008. 
One Muslim woman critical of the report, Fauzia Ahmad of the University of Bristol, said that:
::"There is little to argue against in these explicit examples of abuse let alone that such abuse requires addressing, but the ‘Muslim/Asian woman as victim of her own culture and religion’ approach framing the report and informing it throughout is deeply problematic and negates the possibility of any form of female empowerment or agency through religion.Fauzia Ahmad, From another shore - The calumniator credited: ‘Honour’ and spin in Islamophobic times, 28 March 2008.
===Glees report on Universities===
In April 2008, CSC's Robin Simcox wrote that the centre would soon be publishing a report by Professor Anthony Glees on Saudi and Muslim funding of British universities.Robin Simcox, Forthcoming CSC report in the press, Centre for Social Cohesion, 14 April 2008.
The Sunday Telegraph published details of the findings:
::Prof Glees's report claims that over the past five years, 70 per cent of politics lectures at the Middle Eastern Centre at St Antony's College, Oxford, were "implacably hostile" to the West and Israel - an allegation denied by Oxford.Ben Leach, 'Extremism' fear over Islam studies donations, Sunday Telegraph, 13 April 2008.
The report also claimed that the Government's chief adviser on Islamic studies Dr Ataullah Siddiqui had links to extremist groups:
::Dr Siddiqui said: "These claims are false. I deny completely that I have any organisational or ideological links with extremist organisations. I also deny that the Markfield Institute has any such links with extremist organisations."Ben Leach, 'Extremism' fear over Islam studies donations, Sunday Telegraph, 13 April 2008.
As of March 2010, no report by Professor Glees appeared on the list of publications on the CSC's website, although Simcox's A Degree of Influence covered similar subject matter.Publications, Center for Social Cohesion, 15 March 2010.
In a December 2009 article on the funding of Islamic Studies, Professor Glees wrote that "One might expect certain think tanks to support investigations, but they too are terrified of lawsuits."Anthony Glees, Arab and Islamic funding of Islamic studies: a question of Western security , National Observer, No.81, December 2009 - February 2010.
===Virtual Caliphate===
On 22 May 2008, the CSC, the Henry Jackson Society and Patrick Mercer MP hosted a talk by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty analyst Daniel Kimmage on Al Qaeda and the internet.HJS Event: Al-Qaeda and the Internet, Henry Jackson Society, 22 May 2008.
The CSC published Virtual Caliphate:Islamic Extremists and their Websites, by James Brandon and Douglas Murray on 11 June 2008.Douglas Murray, Virtual Caliphate, CentreRight, conservativehome, 11 June 2008. The study was largely based on material appearing on the islambase.co.uk website.James Brandon, Virtual Caliphate: Islamic extremists and their websites, 2008, p.xiii. 
Like the previous CSC report, Virtual Caliphate was praised by the Telegraph's Damian Thompson, who reported that "there is even more controversial material to come later this year."Damian Thompson, Extremists’ websites areÂ used forÂ recruiting young Muslims, telegraph.co.uk, 11 June 2008.
Vigil's Dominic Whiteman was among those credited in the report.James Brandon, Virtual Caliphate: Islamic extremists and their websites, 2008, p.ix. Whiteman's own Westminster Journal site had itself featured two articles on Islambase in January and February 2008.Guy Baldwin, Perverted Values, Westminster Journal, 8 January 2008.Guy Baldwin, PERVERTED VALUES 2, 4 February 2008. The site was also a target for the Cheerleaders blogger "Princess Calamity".ISLAMBASE EXPOSED, accessed 19 March 2010. The Ministry of Truth blog would later suggest that individuals linked to the Vigil network may have contributed to a spurious People story linking Islambase to a threat against the singer Madonna, arguing on the basis of circumstantial IP evidence that Paul Ray, an associate of former Vigil member Glen Jenvey, may have been responsible for an attempt to incite Muslims on another forum ahead of the story.Unity, EXCLUSIVE: SECOND TABLOID TERROR THREAT STORY EXPOSED AS A FAKE, Ministry of Truth, 9 October 2009.
===Post-Christian Europe and Resurgent Islam conference===
The CSC was represented at the Post-Christian Europe and Resurgent Islam conference in Vienna in May/June 2008.The Pessimism of Vienna, Centre for Social Cohesion, 2 June 2008.
===Walid Phares visit===
The CSC and the Henry Jackson Society co-hosted a lunch-time seminar for Walid Phares, director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington on 7 July 2008.Robin Simcox, CSC hosts Walid Phares seminar, Centre for Social Cohesion, 7 July 2008.
===Islam Expo Withdrawal===
CSC director Douglas Murray withdrew from an engagment to speak at Islam Expo in July 2008 after one of the organisers sued the Harry's Place blog. In an open letter to Islam Expo, Murray wrote: "I will not come on a platform hosted by people carrying out legal action against a deeply admirable and informed proponent of free speech."Douglas Murray, Withdrawing from Islam Expo, Centre for Social Cohesion, 11 July 2008.
===Islam on Campus===
Islam on Campus: A survey of UK student opinion, was published by the CSC on 27 July 2008.Hannah Stuart, New report published by the Centre for Social Cohesion, Centre for Social Cohesion, 27 July 2008. The report was based on campus visits, interviews, and an online survey carried out by YouGov. Its authors noted that "Britain has over a hundred universities", but add "We chose to focus our research on a dozen high profile universities with significant Muslim student populations and active Islamic Societies."Islam on Campus: A Survey of UK Student Opinion, Centre for Social Cohesion, 27 July 2008.
The first key finding highlighted in the report's executive summary was that:
::Just under a third of Muslim students polled (32%) said killing in the name of religion can be justified - the majority of these said killing could be justified if the religion was under attack, and 4% of all respondents supported killing in order to preserve and promote that religion.John Thorne and Hannah Stuart, Executive Summary, Islam on Campus: A Survey of UK Student Opinions, Centre for Social Cohesion, 10 August 2010.
This finding was headlined in a number of newspapers. The Telegraph headlined it as:
::Killing for religion is justified, say third of Muslim studentsKilling for religion is justified, say third of Muslim students, telegraph.co.uk, 26 July 2008.
It appeared in the Daily Mail as:
::One third of British Muslim students say it's acceptable to kill for Islam.One third of British Muslim students say it's acceptable to kill for Islam MailOnline, 28 July 2008.
However the original poll question asked of Muslim students did not mention Islam, but stated:
::Is it ever justifiable to kill in the name of religion?
::Yes, in order to preserve and promote that religion 4%
::Yes, but only if that religion is under attack 28%
::No, it is never justifiable 53%
::Not sure 15%Islam on Campus: A Survey of UK Student Opinion, Centre for Social Cohesion, 27 July 2008, p.95.
A number of commentators have suggested that this question was itself misleading. Blogger Martin Robbins wrote:
::I'm curious to know what percentage of Christians would give similar answers, and what proportion of human beings in general if we substitute "religion" for "philosophy" or "way of life". Would you be willing to fight an opponent to the death to protect your family's way of life from attack?Martin Robbins, The Disgusting Misrepresentation of British Muslims, The Lay Scientist, 31 July 2008.
Although a similar question was asked of non-Muslim students, these were not broken down by religion.Islam on Campus: A Survey of UK Student Opinion, Centre for Social Cohesion, 27 July 2008, p.99.
===Campaign against Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation===
CSC has led a campaign against the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation, alleging that it is a front for the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, based on the fact that one of its trustees is married to an HuT member and has in the past been a member herself. The research was used by David Cameron to attack the New Labour government in parliament. However, the Conservatives admitted some of their allegations turned out to be false. Houriya Ahmed, co-author of the CfSC report, appeared on BBC's Newsnight claiming that the state is funding a school allegedly run by HuT.Francis Elliot, Tories admit David Cameron Islamic schools claim 'had mistakes', The Times, 26 November 2009
===A Degree of Influence===
David Shariatmadari of the Guardian has criticized CSC for its 'relentless Islamophobia', which he argues has 'spread poison and whipped up anti-Muslim paranoia at every turn'. Commenting on the CSC publication "A Degree of Influence", Shariatmadari concludes that it 'makes a mockery of these legitimate concerns by presenting trumped-up arguments to push a barely disguised anti-Muslim agenda.' David Shariatmadari, A study in scare-mongering, The Guardian, 2 April 2009, accessed 2 Mar 2010
==CSC and the Anglican Communion==
A strand of opinion within the conservative-evangelical wing of the Church of England which is strongly critical of Islam was heavily represented on the CSC's 2007 advisory board.Who We Are, Centre for Social Cohesion, archived at the Internet Archive, 29 August 2007, accessed 17 February 2010.
Examples included:
*Lord Carey: Religious commentator Damian Thompson wrote of the former Archbishop of Canterbury in 2006 that he had gained stature among Anglican conservatives in part because he had "developed a knack that eluded him in office: of talking common sense. He was the first senior churchman to attack moderate Muslim leaders for not condemning Islamic suicide bombers "clearly and unequivocally".Damian Thompson, The archbishop's days are numbered, telegraph.co.uk, 24 November 2006.
*Michael Nazir-Ali: Thompson wrote in June 2008 that the former Bishop of Rochester was "building a creeping power base inside the Church of England" which was "almost entirely the result of his brave stance against the creation of islands of Sharia law in Britain."Damian Thompson, Nazir-Ali boycott will cause chaos at Lambeth, 22 June 2008. 
*Caroline Cox: Baroness Cox spoke along with Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali at the launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.Anglicans Need To Repent And Refocus On Mission - Press Release, Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, 11 June 2009.
===Opposition to Rowan Williams===
The Centre and its director closely reflected the views of this group and its opposition to the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
Following a February 2008 lecture by Williams which addressed the relationship between Islamic law and the civil lawRowan Williams, Archbishop's Lecture - Civil and Religious Law in England: a Religious Perspective, The Archbishop of Canterbury, 7 February 2008. CSC director Douglas Murray called on Williams to resign.Douglas Murray, Who will rid us of this embarrassment?, CentreRight, ConservativeHome, 8 February 2008.
Murray wrote that "The beautifully hostile press reaction to Rowan Williams' disgusting views is the only aspect of this story that could provide any hope", and accused the Archbishop of "calling for the institution of Islamic sharia". 
A statement issued on the Archbishop's website stated that "The Archbishop made no proposals for sharia in either the lecture or the interview, and certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law."'Sharia law' - What did the Archbishop actually say?, The Archbishop of Canterbury, 8 February 2008.
===Support for Muslim faith schools===
The CSC's conservative religious roots have occasionally been reflected in tensions with more secularly inclined groups. In May 2008, the CSC took issue with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown after she accused the government of "pandering to Muslims" in a speech at the launch of British Muslims for Secular Democracy.
::Many of us will certainly want to respond to this part of Ms Alibhai-Brown’s remarks by saying: ‘Amen to that, sister!’
::However, the specific issue she picked on to illustrate the sort of favourable government treatment of Muslims to which she was taking exception gives some cause for concern. For the specific example of such pandering that she claimed ‘would only damage us in the long run’ was the government’s acquiescence to Muslim demands for separate faith schools.
::The problem with her choice of example is that this is precisely an instance of Muslims seeking parity of treatment with other faith groups, rather than any especially favoured treatment.Another Season, Another Reason For Making Whoopie … Or Is It Quite Yet?, Centre for Social Cohesion, 6 May 2008.
==CSC and the Quilliam Foundation==
The Centre for Social Cohesion has a complex relationship with the Quilliam Foundation (QF), another think tank working on Muslim issues.
In May 2008, the CSC defended Quilliam against criticisms by the Muslim Association of Britain.Muslim Association of Britain spokesman organises anti-Quilliam Foundation campaign on facebook, 1 May 2008. Robin Simcox hailed the think-tank as one of two muslim groups committed to democracy to launch in two weeks. The other being British Muslims for Secular Democracy.Robin Simcox, British Muslims for Secular Democracy officially launches, Centre for Social Cohesion, 2 May 2008.
After joining Quilliam, former CSC researcher James Brandon strongly criticised Douglas Murray's approach to Islam in a January 2009 Comment is Free article:
:: My time there was a constant struggle to "de-radicalise" Murray and to ensure that the centre's output targeted only Islamists – and not Muslims as a whole. This October, however, I had finally had enough of this constant battle and resigned. To his credit, Murray has privately retracted many of his more noxious comments – but he apparently lacks the courage to do so publicly.James Brandon, Reining in the preachers of hate, Comment is Free, 13 January 2009. 
Brandon particularly criticised Murray's claim that: "conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board."James Brandon, Reining in the preachers of hate, Comment is Free, 13 January 2009. 
Murray responded to this in a Comment is Free article in October 2009, stating:
::Some years ago, in a speech in the Netherlands, I said I wanted the culture of extra rights to stop, and for the rights of Muslims to be brought in line with those of all other people. Long after the fact and purely for positioning reasons, QF has condemned me for this.Douglas Murray, Quilliam's toxic take on liberty, Comment is Free, 23 October 2009.
He went on to accuse Quilliam of "using public money to advocate increasingly totalitarian attitudes towards the general public and judging Muslims by their own early standards."Douglas Murray, Quilliam's toxic take on liberty, Comment is Free, 23 October 2009.
::Around the time Ed Husain came to public notice, I recruited him to work with me (through Civitas, the organisation that originally hosted the Centre for Social Cohesion). He liked my views and I had great hopes for him to become a source for real reform. This gave him the time and financial freedom to set up QF. But the increasing oddness of his opinions (particularly relating to my own freedom of speech) meant that eventually we parted ways. What is scandalous is that QF – set up to counter extremists such as their former colleagues in Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) – has done nothing substantial to challenge HT in the UK or radicalisation on UK campuses, the things it was actually set up for.Douglas Murray, Quilliam's toxic take on liberty, Comment is Free, 23 October 2009.
Ed Husain himself contributed to Comment is Free a week later, with an article which described Murray as an 'acolyte' of journalist Melanie Phillips, and called on them both to "cease attacks on Muslim scripture that were based on bin Laden's understanding of Islam".Ed Husain, The personal jihad of Melanie Phillips, Comment is Free, 31 October 2009.
==People==
*David Green – Chairman
*Douglas Murray – Director
*David Conway – Senior Research Fellow
*Salam Hafiz – Senior Research Fellow
*John Thorne – Senior Research Fellow
*Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens – Researcher
*Hannah Stuart – Researcher
*Houriya Ahmed – Researcher
*Robin Simcox – Researcher
===Company Directors===
*Baroness Cox of Queensbury
*Dr John Marks
*Ruth Dudley Edwards
===Advisory Council===
*Lord Carey of Clifton (former Archbishop of Canterbury)
*Baroness Cox of Queensbury
*Frank Field MP
*David Goodhart (Editor of Prospect Magazine)
*Neill Lochery (University College, London)
*Denis MacEoin (University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
*John Marks
*Michael Nazir-Ali, The Lord Bishop of Rochester
*Andrew Roberts
*Robert Rowthorn (University of Cambridge)Who We Are, Centre for Social Cohesion, archived at the Internet Archive, 29 August 2007, accessed 17 February 2010.
===Authors===
*Edmund Standing – Author of the Center's 2009 report on BNP's online activities.
===Former Staff===
*James Brandon- former Senior Research Fellow
==Publications==
*James Brandon and Douglas Murray, Hate on the State: How British libraries encourage Islamic extremism, 2007.
*James Brandon and Salam Hafez, Crimes of the Community: Honour-Based Violence in the UK, 2008.
*James Brandon, Virtual Caliphate: Islamic extremists and their websites, 2008.
*John Thorne and Hannah Stuart, Islam on Campus: A survey of UK student opinions, 2008.
*Douglas Murray and Johan Pieter Verwey, Victims of Intimidation: Freedom of Speech within Europe’s Muslim Communities, 2008.
*The West and the Future of Islam: A debate between Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Ed Husain, 2009.
*The Beth Din: Jewish Law in the UK, 2009.
*Robin Simcox, A Degree of Influence: The Funding of Strategically Important Subjects in UK Universities, 2009. 
*Edmund Standing, The BNP and the Online Fascist Network, 2009.
*Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart, Hizb ut-Tahrir: Ideology and Strategy, 2009.
*Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens and Edmund Standing, Blood & Honour: Britain's Far-Right Militants Blood & Honour: Britain's Far-Right Militants, 2009.
*Robin Simcox, Hannah Stuart and Houriya Ahmed, Islamist Terrorism: The British Connections], 2010.
*Robin Simcox, Control Orders: Strengthening National Security, 2010.
==Affiliations==
*Civitas
*Based in Clutha House, 10 Storey's Gate, London where Policy Exchange is based
*Henry Jackson Society – has co-sponsored events
==Resources, Contact and References==
===External Resources===
*WHY THE CENTRE WAS FOUNDED, Centre for Social Cohesion, via the Internet Archive, as archived 20 December 2007.
===Contact===
:Centre For Social Cohesion
:77 Great Peter Street
:Westminster
:London SW1P 2EZ
:Tel: +44 (0)20 7799 6677
:Fax: +44 (0)20 7799 6688
:Web: www.socialcohesion.co.uk
===References===
Category:Think Tankscategory:neoconsCategory:Conservative movementCategory:Islam Critics