Understanding Britain's Muslim communities focus of groundbreaking report

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities, Local Government

The Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo), based at Coventry University, will launch a ground breaking report on the diversity of Muslim communities in Britain at a conference on April 16. 
 
The report “Understanding and appreciating Muslim diversity: towards better engagement and participation” sets out a model that highlights religious and ethnic diversity.

It illustrates where these intersect to influence the establishment of local leadership structures and networks.

This model will help those working in local agencies to identify a wider range of potential contacts in local communities, reducing dependence on traditional community leaders who may represent only a limited section of Muslim communities.
 
The model will also help local service providers ensure that services better reflect local needs and that sub-sections of the Muslim community are not over looked or misrepresented in developing and delivering local services.
 
Professor Ted Cantle of iCoCo, said: “Britain is home to probably the most diverse group of Muslim communities in the Western World.

"As a consequence of reviewing and developing community cohesion strategies in different parts of the Country, iCoCo has developed this approach to understanding and appreciating Muslim diversity.

"Too often we have found that local service providers take an overly simplistic view of local Muslim communities when engaging with or delivering services to them.

"This report helps to de-mystify Muslim communities while demonstrating how local authorities can ensure that they are talking to the real representatives of local communities.”

The report also highlights the importance of understanding local communities in order to build cohesion between them.

iCoCo believes that if there is better understanding and appreciation of the various Muslim communities it will be easier to build bridges between them and all other communities to build mutual trust and respect.

iCoCo is now extending this work to consider diversity in other communities and believes that local authorities need to reconsider engagement strategies so they reflect the increasing complexities and change within all local communities.

iCoCo was established in 2005 to provide a new approach to race, diversity and multiculturalism and represents a unique partnership of academic, statutory and non-governmental bodies, combining the experience and expertise of Coventry University, DeMontfort University, Leicester University and Warwick University with practitioners from a range of diverse backgrounds and professions.

More information is available at www.coventry.ac.uk/icoco