Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali

Ordained as an Anglican priest in 1976, he was Bishop of Raiwind in Pakistan and the General Secretary of the Church Mission Society. He became the first Diocesan Bishop in the Church of England born abroad and also one of the final two candidates for Archbishop of Canterbury, a role which eventually went to Rowan Williams.

From 1999 he was a member of the House of Lords, and is President of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue (OXTRAD).

Between 1997 and 2003, Nazir-Ali was chairman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s ethics and law committee, and has written and spoken extensively on bioethical issues including in vitro fertilisation, stem cell research, organ donation and assisted dying. He has led the Church’ dialogue with Al Azhar and other leasing Islamic academic institutions and now works on issues of fundamental freedoms both in the UK and abroad.

He has held teaching positions at universities both in the UK and Pakistan and has been an Honorary Fellow at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Senior Fellow of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He is the author of 12 books on Muslim-Christian relations, the Anglican Communion, Ecumenism and interfaith dialogue.

Dr Nazir-Ali is married to Valerie Cree and has two sons, while his pastimes include hockey and cricket, together with poetry-writing, both in English and Persian.

In 2022, Michael was conferred the title of the Prelate of Honour to His Holiness by the Holy Father Pope Francis for his contributions to Christian thinking.