Knife Crime Prevention through Dialogue - KAICIID Fellows’ Projects

In the last nine years, knife crime in England and Wales has reached record levels. Offences rose by seven percent in the year ending June 2019, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While the picture is mixed – with a fall in the number of homicides linked to knife crime – the number of offences involving a knife or another sharp object increased from 41,000 to over 44,000. Two KAICIID Fellows, Waheedullah Massoud and Johnson Amansunu, took on this issue through their dialogue initiative as part of their one-year training through the KAICIID International Fellows Programme. They organized a half-day event in Surrey last summer which focused on the role of religious groups in addressing issues of knife crime and youth violence in London. Funded through a KAIICID microgrant, the workshop was attended by academics and leaders of religious groups, as well as youth victims and perpetrators of knife crime and violence. Guests in attendance included Reverend Nims Obunge, Senior Pastor of Freedom’s Ark Church and the founder and CEO of The Peace Alliance, and Professor Saleem Asghar Kidwai, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Wales. Amansunu’s work on knife crime prevention also sees him engage with Christian and Muslim communities from Africa who are living in London. The workshop was an important first step towards interreligious engagement and that several religious leaders had told him they planned to raise awareness of the issue during their regular worship services, particularly since knife attacks and the violence linked to them can impact citizens of all backgrounds. Subscribe and comment to learn more! Follow us on social media:   / kaiciid     / kaiciid     / kaiciid