Coming back to Persia, the true parallel to Milan is the Emperor Yazdigard's Edict, which brought about freedom and toleration for Christians and indeed for other communities in the Persian Empire. This notion of Millets (tolerated communities) became important for their later status in the world of Islam. 

Then there is what is known as the Constitution of Medina. When the Prophet of Islam arrived in Medina there were strong communities of Jews and Christians there and he promulgated the Constitution of Medina (Sahifat Al-Medina), in which he recognised the equality of Jews, Christians and others with the Muslims in the new city state. The Constitution of Medina marks the first Islamic state, and when people say to me, as indeed they do quite often in my travels, that they want an Islamic state in this or that place, I say to them, will it be like the first Islamic state? And if not, why not? So history does have a relevance for us. 

Of course, there is our own history in this country. King Alfred the Great brought together from diverse sources a common law, but he made very sure that it was in agreement with teaching of the Bible, although he also drew on Anglo-Saxon and Roman law and the customs of the Celts. The great Charter of Liberty that Henry I was compelled, I think, to accept (I mean, that was a condition for his being crowned King by Archbishop Anselm) is the background to Magna Carta and once again the recognition of freedom for ordinary people. The first purpose of the Magna Carta at that time was a limitation of the powers of the King. That is also a biblical idea. The constitutional monarchy goes back to Deuteronomy 17 and to what the Prophet Samuel said to Saul and to David. So Magna Carta was certainly about that, but it also had the effect of promoting freedom.

The question that I ask myself is: if there are all these traditions of freedom and tolerance in so many different cultures, why are we losing these freedoms today in the 21st century when you might have thought there was more fertile ground for their flourishing? If I asked you when the modern age began, what would you say? Was it the Industrial Revolution, the Renaissance, or the Enlightenment? These are all very good answers and I am not saying one of them is right or wrong, but I think there is a sense in which the modern age for our purposes begins in the 13th century.