I'm not awfully sure what this is, or what I'm supposed to do to help; I think that my mild confusion might come across when I arrive at the St Philip's Centre. But it doesn't take long to catch on. This is part of a research project being carried out, in various sites around the country, by the University of Durham. The purpose of the research is to find out what sort of effect "anti-terror" legislation has had on the public image (and our private perception) of the Muslim community. This meeting in Leicester this evening is the only focus groups which are not exclusively Muslim. There are six of us in the meeting room; another group of the same size is ushered into the library. Our 90-minute (digitally recorded) discussion is facilitated by Sugra Ahmed, research fellow at the Islamic Foundation. Do my ears deceive me, or does she really greet me with "Hello Georgie" as she arrives?
Here are some of the questions that Sughra asks us (starting with some general ones about our feelings on crime and disorder, before moving on to ones more related to anti-terror legislation and its effects):
"What are your main concerns about crime and disorder in your neighbourhood?"
"How likely are you to report a crime to the police?"
"Have any of you reported a crime in the past year?"
"How much of a threat do you feel there is to the country at the moment from terrorism?"
"Do you think that any particular legislation or policy has had an impact on your neighbourhood or on you personally?"
"Does this kind of 'anti-terror' legislation make you feel differently about other people in your neighbourhood or city?"
"How do you feel about other people in your neighbourhood or city in the light of this kind of legislation?"
"How do you feel about people in your own community (however you want to define that) in the light of this kind of legislation?"
"Are there any changes that you'd like to see in this kind of legislation or policy?"
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