Media fuelling rising hostility towards Muslims in Britain

Mainstream media reporting about Muslim communities is contributing to an atmosphere of rising hostility towards Muslims in Britain, according to a University of Cambridge/ESRC Roundtable held at the House of Lords. The attack on Charlie Hebdo brought into focus how vulnerable the relationship is between free speech and the security of the societies in which we live. Roxane Farmanfarmaian The findings, drawn from research developed across the University of Cambridge and presented to journalists, politicians and lawmakers, as well as representatives of faith communities, found Britain's Muslim communities - fragmented and often uncomfortable with the media - to be ill-equipped to counter negative narratives with more balanced reporting. "Can we have freedom and security at the same time?" said Roxane Farmanfarmaian, lead scholar on the ESRC project and principal at the Centre of the International Studies of the Middle East and North Africa (CIRMENA). "And how do we balance the right to speak and think freely with the protections necessary for a life without fear? "In January 2015, the attack on Charlie Hebdo brought into focus how vulnerable the relationship is between free speech and the security of the societies in which we live. Fulfilling its responsibilities to its citizens, the government enacted laws to suppress extremist activity, clamp down on radicalisation and protect British values. This included 'vocal opposition to British values'.