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.