Debate Video: Islam or Atheism? With the President of American Atheists

Debate: Islam or Atheism? With Hamza Andreas Tzortzis & the president of American Atheists from Andreas Tzortzis on Vimeo.

Research: Perceptions on Islam & Muslims

Please click here to read/download the research on non-Muslim perceptions on Islam and Muslims including their views on how Islam is presented to the wider society (known as dawah in Islamic theology). 

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The research was led by iERA's Senior Researcher Hamza Andreas Tzortzis. The results showed that the general population has displayed a negative perception concerning religion, Islam and Muslims. The dawah has had limited reach and it has not improved perceptions about Islam. There has also been a consistent trend of apparent neutrality, we believe this indicates apathy and indifference coupled with genuine ignorance about religion, specifically Islam. To put it into further context we believe that this perception lies on the negative end of the spectrum as options to provide positive answers were available in the questionnaire.

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Overall participants did seem to voice a range of opinions, mostly on the negative end of the spectrum, on subjects ranging from the role of women through to Muslim contribution, which presumably relates to information they had gained from sources other than Muslims and Islamic literature. This highlights a worrying trend about information in this modern age – that it is now largely imparted by Chinese Whispers or current narratives formed by those who have the power to shape discourse, rather than an educated interest in the literature or scholarly authority.

London to Cambridge Charity Bike Ride

On sunday 25 July 2010 I will be participating - with members of my family, their friends and colleagues - in a bike ride from London to Cambridge for the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Here are some statistics:

• Nearly 46,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK.
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK.
• 1 in 9 women in the UK will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
• Around 1,000 women die of breast cancer every month in the UK.
• Around 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.
• More women than ever in the UK are surviving breast cancer thanks to better awareness, better screening and better treatments.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a pioneering charity dedicated to the prevention, treatment and ultimate eradication of breast cancer. They believe passionately that this disease can be beaten. By fighting on three fronts – research, campaigning and education – they are determined to save and change lives by removing the fear of breast cancer for good. Please visit their website for more information www.breakthrough.org.uk.

Please make the bike ride a worthy event by supporting this cause! Click here to give your much need financial support www.justgiving.com/highburyquadrantbikers.