Scotland’s first Muslim police association is being created, and is an attempt to encourage more Muslims to join and stay in the force. Strathclyde police hopes that the groups would also tackle the fear of Islamophobia and improve understanding of Islam. Amar Shakoor, Scotland’s first Muslim officer, said that the Muslim community had been the target of negative reactions as of late, and that he hopes the association would help put Islam in a more positive light. “We want to highlight some of the positive things Islam can provide to the communities and not just the police services,” he said. Strathclyde police has more than 7,000 officers, of which only 31 are Muslim. A significant hope of the initiative is that it will encourage young Scottish Muslims, who had previously not considered a career with the police, to seriously see the force as an option with upward mobility.
