Professor Ataullah Siddiqui's Legacy (1954-2020)

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Professor Ataullah Siddiqui was born in India in 1954 and came to the UK in 1982 for further studies and research, joining the Islamic Foundation in the same year as a research fellow. Prior to starting work with the Markfield Institute in 2000, he assumed a number of responsibilities as a research fellow in Interfaith Relations, Head of the Islam in Europe department, and was also the founder of an academic journal “Encounters,” which addressed inter-cultural perspectives.

His work enabled him to specialise in Christian- Muslim Relations and Islam and Pluralism. He was a founding President and Vice-Chair of the Christian-Muslim Forum in England, and a founder member of the Leicestershire Council of Faiths. Professor Siddiqui completed his PhD on Christian-Muslim Relations in 1994 at the University of Birmingham. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary PhD from the University of Gloucestershire for his outstanding contribution to interfaith understanding and its education.

At the Markfield Institute, Professor Siddiqui was a central figure. He held numerous roles during twenty years of dedicated service to the Institute including Directorship (2001–2008), Course Leader, Course Director for the Certificate in Muslim Chaplaincy, the Institute’s chaplain, and Head of Research.

In 2003 he designed the Certificate in Muslim Chaplaincy programme, which has been running ever since and has enabled many to develop their knowledge and skills to work as Muslim chaplains in hospitals, universities, and prisons. Additionally, Professor Siddiqui was keen to further the training of religious leadership, especially Imams in the UK. Professor Siddiqui’s accolades and accomplishments, particularly in the academic field are many.

As our part of our research objectives, the institute will continually seek to develop programmes surrounding pluralism, chaplaincy and religious leadership as part of Professor Ataullah's legacy.

Education:

▪ PhD. (Honouris Causa) from University of Gloucestershire for outstanding contribution for Inter-Faith understanding and Education 2008

▪ Ph.D. (Theology) from University of Birmingham 1994.

▪ B.A. (Honours) in Political Science from University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, 1976

Academic Career:

▪ Visiting Professor, University of Gloucestershire

▪ Professor in Religious Pluralism and Inter-Faith Relations, Markfield Institute of Higher Education

▪ Visiting Fellow, York St John University▪ Visiting Fellow in the School of Historical Studies, University of Leicester

▪ Course Leader: MA in ‘Islamic Studies’ and ‘Muslim Chaplaincy’ Programmes Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE)/ Newman University Birmingham.

▪ Course Director: Certificate in Muslim Chaplaincy Programme, Markfield Institute of Higher Education

As an external examiner, Prof Siddiqui examined over 75 PhD and 6 MPhil theses for numerous universities, including the University of Birmingham, University of Wales, University of Abarty, University of Karachi, Aligarh Muslim University, Allama Iqbal Open University of Islamabad, Peshawar University, Punjab University, Jamia Millia Islamia University Delhi, University of Dublin etc.