09.09.2011
An unexpected benefit of the recent riots in Birmingham, which culminated in the deaths of three young Muslim men, is a change in the ways in which British Muslims are viewed by society. According to Dr Chris Allen, expert on Islamophobia at the University of Birmingham, the Muslims’ response to the deaths have shown changed the way Muslims are portrayed in the media – from a negative to a more positive light. Most notably, prejudice towards Muslim communities, which resulted from a negative portrayal in the media, was turned on its head by Tariq Jahan’s reaction to the death of his son, which has helped to end the riots in the city (as reported). The BBC reports that following survey with Birmingham’s Muslims about the riots, Dr Allen concluded that ‘Muslims felt the world now had a better understanding of them’.
