Chris Allen (author)

Chris Allen is an academic, writer, blogger, commentator and broadcaster. Most notably, he is a leading academic voice on contemporary Islamophobia and was the co-author of the "Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001" with Jorgen S. Nielsen in May 2002. The report was the culmination of what remains the largest monitoring project on Islamophobia to have been commissioned to date.

BIOGRAPHY

Chris completed his doctoral studies in Theology (Islamic Studies) at the University of Birmingham where he was funded by the (AHRC - Arts & Humanities Research Council) to explore the discourse and theory of Islamophobia. In recent years he has also taught in Birmingham's Sociology department on its 'Multiculturalism', 'Media, Culture & Society' and 'Research Skills & Methods' imodules.

Chris is currently employed as the Director of Research & Policy at BRAP (formerly Birmingham Race Action Partnership), a Birmingham-based equalities and human rights agency. Here, he manages a research team that is rapidly gaining a national reputation. For more information about BRAP, visit their website at [http://www.brap.org.uk www.brap.org.uk] .

IN addition, he is also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton where he teaches modules on 'Islam', @religious Communities in the West Midlands' and 'Contemporary religious Landscape of Britain'. He also continues to be an Associate Lecturer at the Open University, teaching on the 'Islam in the West' course. He has also taught 'Religious Communities in the West Midlands' at the University of Wolverhampton and a postgraduate module at the Markfield Institute of Higher Education, 'Muslims in Britain'.

Beyond this, he has published and presented his research extensively both in the UK and across Europe. He is currently finalising the manuscripts for a forthcoming book on Islamophobia to be published by Ashgate and has recently been commissioned to edit a three part series entitled, 'Muslim Diversities' with Routledge. Elsewhere he has a number of chapters awaiting publication, is a columnist for the Birmingham Post and writes regularly for various newspapers and magazines.

In the past, he has worked closely with a number of Muslim and non-Muslim organisations and institutions and through this has secured a number of research grants. As a result, he has undertaken research that has been commissioned on either behalf of or submitted to, the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences, the British Council and the Higher Education Academy's Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies amongst others. More recently he has worked on projects for the European Commission on Security Issues in Europe, the Greater London Authority (GLA), the London Borough of Hounslow and Football Unites Racism Divides.

He regularly undertakes work for the media including Channel 4, the BBC (through various organisations), Central (ITV), Islam Channel and Sky News whilst also facilitating cultural awareness training. Until recently, he co-presented with [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/musab_bora/ Musab Bora] a topical weekly radio show on Birmingham based radio station, Unity FM. More recently, he has presented a news show on South Birmingham Community Radio.

He currently lives in the West Midlandsin England with his partner, who between them have four children.

PUBLICATIONS

Forthcoming:

Islamophobia. London: Ashgate.

The death of multiculturalism: blaming and shaming British Muslims in Pokiya, T. (ed.) Managing a multicultural world: policy & practice. Ahmedabad: ICFAI.

Muslim diversities volume I: communities & contexts. London: Routledge.

Muslim diversities volume II: circumstances and change. London: Routledge.

Muslim diversities volume III: conformity and conflict. London: Routledge.

Muslims and the media: unholy alliances? in Cesari, J. (ed.) Muslims in Europe and the United States after 9/11. London: Routledge.

Islamophobia: a historiography in Encounters: journal of inter-cultural perspectives.

Islamophobia in Esposito, J. L. (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Modern Islamic World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2008

KISS (keeping Islamophobia simple and stupid) in Sayyid, B. (ed.) Thinking thru’ Islamophobia. Leeds: Centre for the Study of Ethnicity & Racism.

2007

The death of multiculturalism: blaming and shaming British Muslims in Durham Anthropology Journal (issue 1, volume 14 Spring 2007).

Islamophobia in Europe in Amghar, S., Boubekeur, A. & Emerson, M. (eds.) European Islam: The Challenges for public policy and society. Brussels: Centre for European Policy Studies.

‘Down with multiculturalism, book-burning and fatwas’: the death of multiculturalism and its implications for Muslims in Journal for Culture and Religion (no.2, vol 8, Summer 2007).

A normal week: Islam and Muslims in the national press in INSTED (ed.) Islam and Muslims in the UK media: text, talk and imagery. London: Greater London Authority.

2006

(Muslim) Boyz-n-the-Hood in International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World Review (no.18) Leiden, NL: ISIM.

What is Islamophobia? An evolutionary timeline in DELGADO, M. (ed.) Islam in Europa: Zwischen Weltpolitik und Alltagssorgen. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

Endemisch europees of een europese epidemie? Islamophobia in Europa na 11 september 2001 in PLATE, L. & SMELIK, A. (eds.) 11 september in de kunsten. Amsterdam: Van Gennep.

Securitization and Religious Divides in Europe: Islamophobia in the United Kingdom. Paris: European Commission on Security Issues in Europe.

MASOOD, E. (as contributor) British Muslims: media guide. London: British Council.

2005

From race to religion: the new face of discrimination in ABBAS, T. (ed.) Muslim Britain: communities under pressure. London: Zed Books.

ALLEN, C., BURKE, D., HOLINGSHEAD, D. ET AL ‘Faith literacy’ – entrepreneurship in religious studies in British Association for the Study of Religions Bulletin (no.104, March 2005). Wolverhampton: BASR.

ALLEN, C. & BURKE, D., Entrepreneurial consultancies in religious studies in Discourse: learning and teaching in philosophical and religious studies (Vol.4, no.2 Spring 2005). Leeds: Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies at the Higher Education Academy.

2004

Endemically European or a European epidemic? Islamophobia in contemporary Europe in GABRIEL, & T., GEAVES, R. (eds.) Islam and the West: a post September 11th perspective. London: Ashgate.

Justifying Islamophobia: a post-9/11 consideration of the European Union and British contexts in American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (no.3, volume 21, Summer 2004) Denver: AMSS & IIIT, pp,1-25.

Muslims on education: a position paper. London: Association of Muslims Social Scientists UK (as revising editor).

Reconsidering 9/11 and the Islamophobia backlash in the EU. London: Counterpoint.

Islamophobia: the Runnymede Trust and beyond in British Association for the Study of Religions Bulletin (no.101, March 2004). Wolverhampton: BASR.

2003

The impact of the Runnymede Trust on Islamophobia in the UK in Boce: revue romande des sciences humaines, (6 April-June 2003). Geneva: University of Geneva, pp.51-68.

Emerging from the fog: Islamophobia in a time of urgent history. Islamica Issue.10 (Fall).

Fair justice: the Bradford disturbances, the sentencing and the impact. London: Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism.

2002

ALLEN, C. & NIELSEN, J.S. Summary Report on Islamophobia in the EU15 after 11 September 2001. Vienna: European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia.

Islamophobia in the EU post-September 11th in HAMID, A. (ed.) The Quest for Sanity: reflections on September 11th and the aftermath. London: Muslim Council of Britain.

PAPERS

Forthcoming

Policy and practical consequences towards anti-Muslim discrimination in the employment arenaBeing, doing and representing workplace abjection, University of Warwick (February 2009).

2008

KISS (keeping Islamophobia simple and stupid)Thinking it Thru’, University of Leeds (7 May 2008)

Normalising Muslims: the potential impact of British Muslim convertsThe Future of Islam in Britain: New Muslims Perspective symposium, University of Birmingham (4 March 2008)

Challenging Islamophobia – ten years onPostgraduate Seminar Series 2008, Theology Department, University of Birmingham (29 January 2008)

2007

‘Down with multiculturalism, book-burning and fatwas’: the death of multiculturalism debates in the UK contextEuropean multiculturalism as a challenge: policies, successes & failures, Marie Curie Sklodowska University, Poland (10 September 2007).

The first decade of IslamophobiaConflict, citizenship & civil society, 8th Annual Conference of the European Sociological Association, Glasgow (3 September 2007).

Standing alone? The future role of faith communitiesDeveloping a faith engagement strategy, West Midlands Faith Forum, Government Office West Midlands, Birmingham (30 July 2007).

Ten years on, a retrospective of the Runnymede Trust reportA challenge for all or a challenge for Muslims? Exploring Islamophobia and its responsibilities, MIHE (2 May 2007).

Community cohesion: is there a meaningful way forward?Birmingham United, BRAP, Birmingham (23 March 2007).

Islamophobia: a historiographyIslam in Contemporary Britain Open Lecture Series 2007, University of Cardiff (13 March 2007).

2006

Should we fear the faithful?B:Rap Faith & Equality seminar, Birmingham (19 July 2006).

Anti-Islamic Discourses in Europe: Agents and ContentsComparing Islamophobia in Western Europe, Challenge Annual Congress, CERI-Sciences, Paris (9 June 2006).

Islamophobia and religious discrimination in the UKWarwick University (26 April 2006).

‘Down with multiculturalism, book-burning and fatwas’: the death of multiculturalism and its implications for MuslimsThe Challenges of Multiculturalism: practical issues and comparative perspectives symposium, Al-Maktoum Institute, Dundee (20 April 2006).

Islamophobia: meanings, manifestations and misundertandingsIslam in Contemporary Britain Open Lecture Series 2006, University of Cardiff (14th February 2006).

2005

Islamophobia: its meanings and manifestations in the UK and EuropeIslam d’Europe, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (13 December 2005).

The interplay of global-local-regional identities: a case study into the experience of young British Muslims in the Moseley School, BirminghamEthnicity & Culture in the Global City, University of Birmingham (26 July 2005)

Good Islam/Bad Islam: the representation of ‘true’ Islam in the mediaIslam and the media, University of Gloucestershire (24 May 2005).

Contextualising the need for 'faith literacy'Religious Studies, Higher Education and Entrepeneurship, University of Wolverhampton (1 February 2005)

2004

Muslims in the Media: misunderstandings and misrepresentationsMuslims in Britain: the making of a new underclass? Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster (18 November 2004)

In the eye of the beholder: visual identifiers and contemporary perceptions of Islam and MuslimsThe Challenge Of Pluralism: the Power of Interpretation, 12th Conference of the International Society for Religion, Literature and Culture (Panel: Cultures: Cross-Cultural and Interreligious Perspectives), Uppsala University, Sweden (22-24 October 2004).

Islamophobia’s genealogyChallenging Islamophobia seminar, Islamic Foundation, Leicester (14 September 2004)

The ‘clash of civilisations’ and the remaking of European identities and enemiesReligious Tolerance and Intolerance, EASR 4th Conference-SECR 6th Conference-IAHR Special Conference, Santander Spain (8-11 September 2004)

Mapping Islamophobia: a brief timeline of the conceptualisation of IslamophobiaMuslims in Britain Research Network, Cardiff University (15 April 2004)

2003

Partners in crime: justifying Islamophobia following September 11Islam in Britain conference, University of Gloucester (11 November 2003)

The impact of the Runnymede Trust on Islamophobia in the UKColloque du Groupe de Recherche sur l'Islam en Suisse, Unifour Geneve (18 October 2003)

Undoing proximity: the impact of the local-global nexus on perceptions of Muslims in BritainThe Globalisation and Localisation of Religion conference, EASR Congress 2003, University of Bergen, Norway (11 May 2003)

Addressing Islamophobia in the EU: the role of the EUMCMuslims of Europe conference, Al Khoei Foundation, London (28 January 2003)

Islamophobia a challenge for us all: questioning the impact of the Runnymede Trust reportDepartment of Theology research seminar, University of Birmingham (21 January 2003)

2002

Legalising Muslim discrimination: race relations legislation in the UKCrossing Borders, London Metropolitan University (16 November 2002)

Data comparability and comparative methodologies across the EU: a case study on the findings of the Summary report into IslamophobiaEuropean Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia conference, Vienna (23 June 2002)

Challenging the benchmark: Islamophobia in contemporary BritainJustice or Just Us? conference, Liverpool John Moores University (11 May 2002)

Islamophobia: permeating the public domainIslamophobia and Racism conference, York University (8 May 2002)

Perceptions of Muslims in BritainPast, Present and Future conference, University of Manchester (19 March 2002)

Islamophobia in an ideological frameworkDepartment of Religious Studies Research Seminar, University of Wolverhampton (13 February 2002)

2001

Tackling IslamophobiaNUS Conference on Racism, University of Leeds (3 December 2001)

Oldham: the impact of contemporary negative stereotypes of MuslimsAnti-Racism seminar, Oxford University (8 November 2001)

Islamophobia and its role in the war against terrorismWar, Racism and Islamophobia conference, London School of Economics (14 October 2001)

Islamophobia in the media since September 11thExploring Islamophobia conference, University of Westminster (29 September 2001)

Locating Islam in contemporary IslamophobiaPortcullis House, Houses of Parliament, London (16 July 2001)

JOURNALISTIC ARTICLES & FEATURES

"Big Brother can be a religious experience for a socialite" Birmingham Post (24 July 2008)

"Community cohesion: from Mars, Venus or Whitehall" Birmingham Post (26 June 2008)

"From annus horribilis to super sweet 16" Birmingham Post (29 May 2008)

"Britishness can be so uninspiring" Birmingham Post (1 May 2008)

"Take note: now Easter's a hard core consumer event" Birmingham Post (3 April 2008)

"Maybe the twain shall meet between British and Muslim" Birmingham Post (6 March 2008)

"Between tragedy and farce, Muslims are all the same aren't they...?" Birmingham Post (7 February 2008)

"What is reality tv good for? Absolutely nothing" Birmingham Post (9 January 2008)

"Happy Christmas...no offence" Birmingham Post (13 December 2007)

"Measuring individual worth in years is not a good idea" Birmingham Post (8 November 2007)

"Is home where the heart is - or is it just where you live?" Birmingham Post (18 October 2007)

"The first decade of Islamophobia" Islam channel Magazine (January 2007)

"Challenging the myth of the 'clash'" The House magazine (Houses of Parliament and Lords) (November 2006)

"There's no FUN in Islam" The Birmingham Post (November 2006)

"Creating space for just one world" The Birmingham Post (November 2006)

"One World - the myth of the Clash" The Muslim Weekly (November 2006)

"(Muslim) Boyz n the Hood" The Muslim Weekly (November 2006)

"Hear no evil, Speak no evil, See no evil..." Meeting Point (October 2006)

"Multiculturalism, Muslims and being British" The Muslim Weekly (July 2006)

"No RESPECT for Salma" The Muslim Weekly (July 2006)

"What else British Muslims can learn from the BNP" The Muslim Weekly (June 2006)

"Islam and the multiculturalism debate" ISLAM Magazine (May 2006)

"Cartoons of the Prophet (pbuh): responses, realities, ironies & own goals" Meeting Point (February 2006)

“Re-visiting El-Ejido” Q News (February 2004)

“Inspired by Islam: Mathematics” Emel (January 2004)

“Gadgets” Emel (January 2004)

“Virtual Classroom: Inspired by Islam” www.thevirtualclassroom.net (August 2003)

"Fair justice?" Forum Against Islamophobia & Racism newsletter (Spring 2003)

"What's the problem with raiding mosques?" Black to Black (March 2003)

"Making sense of the census" Q News (February 2003)

"FAIR's success" Association of Muslim Social Scientists newsletter (January 2003)

"Lording it up" Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations newsletter (February 2003)

"Muslim family attempt to delay deportation by seeking refuge in mosque" Ummah News (August 2002)

"Raid on a sanctuary" Q News (August 2002)

"Righting Bradford's wrongs" Q News (August 2002)

"High IQ? Not when it comes to Islam" Ummah.com (March 2002).

"Islam: time to end the myths" Mensa International magazine (November 2001)

"Mentioning the unmentionable: Islamophobia in Britain" Q News (August 2001)

The above is merely a representative example of the type of articles published. Other articles have also appeared in the following publications:

Ahead (UK)

al-Ahram (Egypt)

Arab Media Watch (UK & Middle East)

Cry Wolf (UK)

Emel (UK)

HonestReports.com (International)

Predator (UK)

Raw Edge (UK)

StudentMagazine.com (UK)

VirginStudent.com (UK)

VS (UK)

External links

* [http://www.chris-allen.co.uk For more about Chris Allen see www.chris-allen.co.uk]