THE CITY CIRCLE

As we prepare to enter a new era for the UK, with the shift from Labour to the Conservatives, it is unclear where public discourse will end up with regards to Muslim communities and their role in British society. Some feel that multiculturalism has been a failure, and should be rolled back, otherwise we may face 7/7 in the future again. Others point out that the 7/7 bombers were not from isolated, ghettoised communities at all yet, with the rise of English Defence League, and the growing popularity of the British National Party, it is clear there is a deep seated concern about the future of British identity in many different sectors. Where will Britain go? 

Dr Hellyers book, Muslims of Europe: the Other Europeans considers these issues and more. He traces the history of the interchange between Muslims and Europe since before the idea of Europe itself. With more Muslims in Europe than in many countries of the Muslim world, they have found themselves in the position of challenging what it means to be a European in a secular society of the 21st century. At the same time, the European context has caused many Muslims to re-think what is essential to them in religious terms in their new context. The result of Dr Hellyers work one that has drawn critical acclaim from some of the most noted scholars in the West on a very important topic. (see more at www.hahellyer.com) 

H.A. Hellyer is Fellow at the Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations at the University of Warwick (UK) and Director of the Visionary Consultants Group (VCG) (UK, Egypt and Malaysia). Formerly Ford Fellow of the Brookings Institution (USA), Dr Hellyer is a United Nations Global Expert who has advised the US and UK governments on Muslim communities; as a critical & independent academic, he was a Deputy Convenor of the UK Governments Home Office working group in the aftermath of 7/7, and ESRC Placement Fellow at the FCO. 

Previously Member of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies of the University of Oxford, he was also Warwick Universitys Senior Research Fellow (the youngest in the universitys history). He researched Islamic jurisprudence and theology in Egypt, the UK and Malaysia, and has an academic background in law, political science and sociology. A regular international media commentator, he speaks to forums such as the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the Azhar University in Cairo, the BBC Doha Debates and the City Circle. [www.hahellyer.com]