SURVEY PAINTS SPIRIT OF CITY IN ITS TRUE COLOURS

This is Samina Ali's First Person column, published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Survey paints spirit of city in its true colours

Is Leicester's reputation for managing community cohesion justified, asks Samina Ali?

The largest and most detailed study of Muslims in Leicester is published on Thursday. The research – by the Policy Research Centre, Markfield, and published by the Open Society Institute as part of its project looking at 11 cities in the EU – reveals interesting findings, largely positive, about the city.

This study reviewed Leicester's approach to integration and inclusion of Muslims in areas such as employment, health, education, policing and levels of civic and political engagement. It looked at how Muslims felt in Leicester in discussions on identity and belonging. It focused on three wards, Evington, Spinney Hills and Stoneygate, chosen for their high levels of ethnic minority population.

So what do Leicester's Muslims think? Seventy-two per cent of Muslims born abroad said they felt British, whereas 94% of second-generation Leicester Muslims consider themselves British. The responses show that they are more patriotic compared to Muslims in other EU cities and showed a stronger sense of belonging to the city. Also contrary to popular perception values held by Muslims were not much different to non-Muslims in Leicester.

But there are also challenges, and little room for complacency. As one of the researchers, I heard some of the difficulties of some Muslims in Leicester. In one focus group discussion, discrimination was talked about in relation to employment. One person said he applied for jobs and did not get to the interview stage and when he applied for a job with a non-Muslim name his application was successful.

While there were a lot of complaints about the national media, Muslims in Leicester painted a positive picture of their local media, especially the Mercury! The success of interfaith dialogue is also flagged up, particularly the role played by the Anglican Church in helping to manage a positive inter-faith ethos. But poor educational attainment and economic deprivation in parts of the city are seen as major challenges that affect people of all backgrounds.

The study recognises that Leicester offers a number of very positive practices for the inclusion of ethnic minorities, but it also makes a number of recommendations which address the need for further engagement by the council, media, police, and other key policy sectors, as well as the Muslim community itself.

Talking to and meeting Leicester Muslims, key stakeholders and the wider community gave me a sense of pride living in Leicester. Off came my rose-tinted glasses and I saw the real spirit of Leicester in its true colours.

Samina Ali is a Research Fellow at the Policy Research Centre, Markfield