UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 31 OCTOBER 2014
Hate crime is set to be a key focus of a series of public talks taking place across Birmingham next week.
As part of the Festival of Social Sciences; Birmingham City University’s Imran Awan will be addressing the rising problem of anti-Muslim hate crime in the city.
According to Imran’s research, incidences like the Woolwich attack in May 2013 have led to a heightened atmosphere for British Muslims, with an increasing number falling victim to reprisal attacks; such as Birmingham based Mohammed Saleem who was murdered because of his religion.
Imran Awan, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham City University said: “If we fail to deal with this issue, than it is likely to continue to create divisions within communities and society.
“I hope the government is taking note of such events which aim to promote community cohesion and tackle anti-Muslim hate, which sadly for years has not been recognised as a problem both nationally and locally to the extent it should be.”
The series of talks will address issues surrounding equality, diversity, community cohesion, and the policing and impact of hate crime. Audience members will be encouraged to get involved in the debate and share their views alongside policymakers, academics and members of the local community.
‘Hate Crime and Islamaphobia in Birmingham’ will run from Monday 3 November – Friday 7 November at venues across Birmingham. For more details visit here.
Run by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), The Festival of Social Science celebrates some of the country’s leading social science research, giving an exciting opportunity to showcase the valuable work of the UK’s social scientists and demonstrate how their work has an impact on all our lives.