Hostility towards Muslims in North at its worst since 9/11

ANTAGONISM towards Muslims has been more prevalent in the North since the September 11 attacks, an academic claimed yesterday.

Javaid Rehman, a law professor at the University of Ulster's Magee campus in Derry, claimed the province's 4,000 Muslims had experienced Islamophobia since the attacks as the person on the street misunderstood that classical Islam was opposed to violence and terrorism.

"Islamic law is not pro-terrorism and does not encourage violence or terrorism," he said.

"The problem arises through erroneous interpretations of the Islam faith which are picked up by non-Muslims.

"The interpretation that is often demonstrated in United States foreign policy is distorted."

Prof Rehman, a member of the International Law Association's Committee on Islamic Law and International Law, said he regretted Islamophobia was at its worst in the North.

He said that while people in the North were warm, they were also quite strident in putting forward their opinions.

The academic urged people to guard against misconceptions about Muslims.

"In Northern Ireland people are loving but at the same time they are very expressive, they don't hold back," he said.

"But they must be careful not to adopt wrong notions about Muslims, and to consider that community's sensitivities."

Prof Rehman said Islamophobia had also manifested itself in racial attacks on the Muslim community and in opposition to the building of mosques.