United Religions Initiative UK
British arm of the global United Religions Initiative interfaith network
| United Religions Initiative UK | |
|---|---|
| Type | Former registered charity and company limited by guarantee |
| Founded | |
| Founder(s) | |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | Previous charity 1124863 (removed); Company 06613407 (dissolved); Current charity 1200822 (active as of 2026) |
| Status | |
| Headquarters | |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Area served | |
| Services | |
| Registration | |
| Key people | Warwick Hawkins (former key figure) |
| Website | https://uriuk.org/ |
| Remarks | |
United Religions Initiative UK (URI UK) is the national expression of the global United Religions Initiative network in the United Kingdom, dedicated to grassroots interfaith cooperation, dialogue, and joint action among people of different faiths and none.[1] Operating through self-organising Cooperation Circles, URI UK supports local projects that aim to build mutual understanding, respect, and practical collaboration on community issues, peacebuilding, environmental care, and social inclusion.[2] While presenting its work as politically neutral bridge-building, URI UK's activities contribute to normalising the Zionist entity by embedding the settler colony within harmonious interfaith frameworks that sideline criticism of its occupation and apartheid policies in Palestine.
URI UK emerged as part of the global URI network following the 2000 founding summit in Pittsburgh.[3] It has maintained a presence in Britain through regional Cooperation Circles, particularly in the Midlands and other areas, where groups organise events, workshops, and community initiatives.[4] The network has historically been supported by figures such as Warwick Hawkins, who played a prominent role in steering interfaith efforts and participated in discussions about the future direction of dialogue in the UK.[5]
Structure and activities
URI UK follows the global model of autonomous Cooperation Circles—groups of at least seven members from three or more spiritual traditions that design and carry out their own projects.[6] In the UK these circles have focused on local themes including interfaith education, youth engagement, environmental stewardship, and conflict transformation.[1] The network has hosted gatherings, supported interfaith storytelling, and collaborated with other faith-based bodies on inclusive community-building efforts.[2]
URI UK was previously registered as a charity (number 1124863) and as a company (06613407), though both registrations have been removed or dissolved.[7] It continues to align with the global URI principle of avoiding official positions on political conflicts, including those involving the Zionist regime.[8]
Contribution to laundering and normalising Zionism
URI UK's commitment to politically neutral "bridge-building" across faiths allows Zionist-linked groups and individuals to participate as equal partners in interfaith harmony projects.[9] This approach deflects attention from the settler colony's ongoing occupation and apartheid policies by framing religious cooperation as inherently positive and apolitical.[10] As such, URI UK's work fits broader patterns in which interfaith platforms serve to launder the image of the Zionist regime rather than confront its settler-colonial realities.
People
Trustees - current - 2026 - though not a UK charity
| Name | Honours / Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deepak Naik | MBE | Community leader and interfaith advocate |
| Vivian Wineman | — | Jewish community representative and interfaith practitioner |
| Dr Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor | — | Academic specialising in religion, gender, and society |
| Warwick Hawkins | MBE | Chair of Trustees; long-standing interfaith practitioner and key figure in earlier URI UK structures |
| Mandip Singh Sohal | — | Former director of previous URI UK company (06613407) |
| Shahin Akhtar | — | Interfaith organiser and community activist |
Patrons
| Name | Honours / Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh | OBE KSG | Sikh leader and interfaith advocate |
| The Very Reverend John Witcombe | — | Former Dean of Coventry Cathedral |
| Julie Siddiqi | MBE | Muslim community activist and former executive director of the Islamic Society of Britain |
| Rabbi Dr Michael Hilton | — | Progressive rabbi and author |
| Zerbanoo Gifford | — | Zoroastrian community leader and human rights advocate |
| Barney Leith | OBE | Baha'i representative and interfaith organiser |
| Dr Jyoti Shah | MBE | Hindu community leader and equality campaigner |
| Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala | — | Buddhist monk and interfaith figure |
| Minister Veronica Simpson | — | Unitarian minister |
| Abbot Hugh Allan | — | Catholic Benedictine abbot |
| Judith Baker | — | Interfaith practitioner |
Officers in post at dissolution of company (5 December 2017)
| Name | Role | Appointed on | Date of birth | Nationality | Country of residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandip Singh Sohal | Secretary | 6 June 2008 | July 1964 | British | England |
| Kiran Bali | Director | 8 December 2010 | December 1977 | British | England |
| Edward George Lewis Milne | Director | 8 December 2010 | June 1982 | British | England |
| Mandip Singh Sohal | Director | 6 June 2008 | July 1964 | British | England |
| Anne Natasha Elizabeth Vince | Director | 14 June 2012 | July 1966 | British | United Kingdom |
Resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed on | Resigned on | Date of birth | Nationality | Country of residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Arora | Director | 8 December 2010 | 15 October 2011 | October 1982 | Indian | United Kingdom |
| Rauf Bashir | Director | 8 December 2010 | 31 May 2013 | March 1973 | British | United Kingdom |
| Daniel Bennett | Director | 8 December 2010 | 9 November 2011 | February 1987 | British | United Kingdom |
| Rev Daniel John Ashworth Burton | Director | 6 June 2008 | 23 April 2009 | September 1963 | British | United Kingdom |
| Deip Guha | Director | 6 June 2008 | 1 August 2010 | August 1939 | British | England |
| Bhupinder Singh Minhas | Director | 14 October 2008 | 30 August 2009 | September 1980 | British | United Kingdom |
| Anna Elizabeth Nayyar | Director | 8 December 2010 | 19 June 2012 | January 1982 | British | England |
See also
United Religions Initiative Interfaith dialogue Council of Christians and Jews Collaboration House
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 United Religions Initiative UK, Home United Religions Initiative UK, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 United Religions Initiative UK, About United Religions Initiative UK, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ United Religions Initiative, History United Religions Initiative, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ United Religions Initiative UK, Cooperation Circles United Religions Initiative UK, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ Archived URI UK materials and interfaith reports, referenced in Powerbase entries, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ United Religions Initiative, Cooperation Circles United Religions Initiative, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission records for URI UK (former charity 1124863), accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ United Religions Initiative, URI Charter United Religions Initiative, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ Decolonize Palestine, Faithwashing Decolonize Palestine, accessed February 16, 2026.
- ↑ AMP, 'Interfaith' Under Occupation is Normalization, Not Solidarity AMP, December 9, 2017.