Is It Needed?
Muslims form a major part of the people who came to Britain in the wake of post-war immigration. The growth of Muslim communities in Britain's urban areas has presented professionals with various challenges. There are estimated to be over 2 million Muslims living in Britain today. General lack of knowledge and understanding about their religion and culture is often a source of tension and misunderstanding. This has especially been illustrated by the Runnymede Trust Report, Islamophobia - a challenge for us all (1997). Of the 60 recommendations made by the Report, the overwhelming theme was the desperate need for greater training and awareness of Islam and Muslims.
The impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 is significant and necessitates a greater awareness of minority faith belief and practice for everybody having an interactive interface. Ethnicity is a 'seventies' issue and although race is still a relevant factor, today minority communities are identified more by their faith. In recognition of this, the Government included a question on religion in its 2001 Census. Future allocation of resources may be made according to faith identity. More recently, the controversial Home Office Report, Community Cohesion, which was published in December 2001, specified The Islamic Foundation's Training Courses in its section on Best Practice. It stated: 'The Islamic Foundation brings together different traditions to explain what Islam stands for. It runs short courses for a range of professionals such as the PoliceÉ it believes that extremism on all sides is the result of the absence of dialogue.' Community Cohesion, Best Practice pp 66, Home Office Report, December 2001.
In today's competitive and sensitive world it is vital that professionals working with Muslims or providing services for Muslims are equipped with awareness training in order to be effective. Experience has shown the benefits of such training in developing mutual confidence, greater co-operation and more effective services. It can save much time and money often wasted in misdirected and unsuitable programmes. Cultural Awareness Training is of particular benefit to those wishing to promote equal opportunities and increase participation from ethnic minorities within their organisation.