Impact case study database

At a time when Islamophobia is on the rise, this research has been a catalyst for greater cross-cultural and cross-faith awareness and dialogue. Issa’s research won the Times Higher Education Awards “Research Project of the Year” in 2019, impacting the judges who described it as: “ a terrific piece of historical recovery notable for the strength of its primary research, the timeliness of its conception and the impact of its eye-opening results” ( S01).

Building cross-cultural community understanding:

From January 2016 to March 2018, the exhibition was the main attraction at the BMHC in Manchester, attracting 29,000 unique visitors. These included HRH the Prince of Wales, the Chief of the UK Army, the Mayor of London, and the Green Party leader ( S02). Between January 2016 and August 2017, Stories of Sacrifice website visits exceeded 20,000; short videos about the research had 10,000 views; engagement on posts about the research on Facebook reached 200,000+ ( S05). Versions of the exhibition toured 20+ public venues, including Blackburn Cathedral, Oldham Library, and events in such locations as Renfrewshire (requested by the Scottish Equality Council) and Glasgow, where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended and Minister Humza Yousaf stated that rising right-wing extremism can be curtailed using this research: “ We’re faced with a barrage of negativity about communities, racism, Islamophobia... If people understood … this exhibition … then I don’t think any right-wing fascist would ever have the audacity to say to somebody ‘you don’t give a flying monkeys about this country’” ( S09). The City of Manchester put the exhibition in a prominent position in Manchester Central Library (January–March 2018), where the Lord Mayor acknowledged the “important contribution” of the research in building dialogue and stronger communities ( S10). BMHC note that “ Dr Issa’s research created greater opportunities for cross-cultural understanding”. BMHC built long-standing relationships “with high profile bodies and visitors”, was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the Armed Forces Awards ‘Lifetime Award for Enduring Support to Cohesion’, and is the first Muslim organization to sign the Armed Forces Covenant ( S05).

Altering perceptions of Muslims:

The WW1 centenary commemorations needed to be inclusive to recognise the UK’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic ( BAME) and Muslim communities (>13% and >5% of UK respectively). Stories of Sacrifice addressed the lack of diversity in the commemorations. The exhibition included letters, diaries and photographs on public view for the first time and was recognised by the i newspaper as the “first exhibition devoted to the Islamic contribution to the conflict” ( S02). It had an immediate positive impact on perceptions of Muslim integration in Britain. Sir Warren Smith, Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, described it as “exceptionally important”, adding “ Not only does it commemorate the Muslim contribution to the First World War, but it’s an opportunity for the wider community to see that for themselves” ( S04). The exhibition was covered extensively by media (e.g. Discovery Channel News, S02), most leading with the significant finding regarding the doubling of Muslims estimated to have fought in the war. The news featured on the front page of Asian Leader (UK English-language newspaper, circulation 120,000 – cf. Guardian 111,000), and was covered as far afield as Canada, the USA, India, and the Middle East ( S02). The National newspaper (UAE) noted: “As extremists and fearmongers try to create division, organisers of an exhibition in England fight back with inspirational tales of unity to remind us of how natural it is for Muslims and non-Muslims to stand side by side” ( S02). The exhibition was visited by a diverse demographic from around the UK. Exhibition visitor questionnaires show changes in perception of the Muslim contribution and of Muslims. Before the exhibition, 24% of visitors were aware of the contribution of Muslims compared to 93% post-exhibition, an increase of 291%. The attendees who had no prior knowledge at all reported back confident (97%) or somewhat confident (3%) of their newly acquired knowledge. On attendee perception of Muslim integration in British society, pre-exhibition 41% did not think or were unsure whether Muslims were integrated (10% and 31%, respectively), compared to 11% (2% and 9%, respectively) post-exhibition. 86% of exhibition attendees reported they had shared the knowledge they gained with family, friends, colleagues and other people ( S03).

Enhancing Diversity and Equality Training in the Armed Forces:

The Armed Forces engaged significantly, which transformed their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategies. The Deputy Commander of the British Army in the North West publicly praised the “fantastic” exhibition ( S04). He subsequently requested support reviewing the army’s diversity training. Issa worked with the project manager Ashraf Ali (awarded an MBE in 2020 for this project) to embed the research into diversity training days (250+ cadets in two years), helping develop and deliver new material that covered BAME contributions to Britain historically ( S05). The Commander of the 42^nd Infantry Brigade confirmed the relevance of this new material to the Army’s training strategies: “It’s absolutely critical that we inform everyone of the importance of the Muslim contribution to the Armed Forces” ( S04). During 2016-2017, 12+ group visits to the exhibition were organised for different military brigades. The HQ 11^th Signal and West Midlands Brigade displayed an abridged exhibition in Birmingham and the Army arranged for the exhibition to be featured at Edinburgh Military Tattoo (attendance 217,000). In 2018, Army recruitment commercials included “Keeping My Faith”, centred around a Muslim soldier praying.

Police Education and Recruitment:

The research benefitted Greater Manchester Police ( GMP) in the immediate, unstable aftermath of the Manchester Arena Attack (May 2017). The week following the attack, the mobile version was installed in the main lobby of the GMP Force Headquarters (upon request of GMP’s Chief Constable). Issa was invited to launch it (July 2017) alongside the Head of the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit to the entire Counter-Terrorism team. A GMP Detective Inspector and senior figure in the Muslim Police Association notes: “ The exhibition … was a great way to make GMP staff aware of the contribution and sacrifice made by Muslims from across the world” ( S06). Times Higher Education reports that GMP “acknowledged how important this had been for non-Muslim staff and how it had helped to combat the dangers involved in racial profiling” ( S01). Issa received confidential correspondence from Muslim officers detailing how the research increased their sense of pride and belonging.

These events also served as a manifestation of the Force’s continued efforts to engage collaboratively with Muslim communities at difficult times. GMP twice worked with Issa and the BMHC (the second time in July 2018), whom they acknowledge as “a partner in promoting Greater Manchester Police vacancies to underrepresented groups”, as a springboard for diversifying recruitment practices and generating suitable recruitment processes for minority communities ( S06). By attending the exhibition, GMP met and recruited community members. GMP’s successful strategy was enhanced by the connections and spaces forged by and at Stories of Sacrifice. They became the most successful UK force outside London in recruiting BAME individuals in both volume and percentage, having increased the percentage of new recruits to more than double the national average: in the three annual cycles since collaboration, 350+ BAME officers were recruited (21% of new recruits), and in in the four annual cycles since collaboration, BAME officer numbers rose from 4.9% of the total GMP force to 9.2%, with other forces now seeking GMP’s advice ( S07). This success led to Issa being invited to sit on the Police Uplift Programme's national working group for diversity and inclusion. In recognition of the Detective Inspector’s recruitment successes, he was promoted and appointed as the Police Uplift Programme’s national lead for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in 2020 where he supports all 43 UK forces in striving to achieve similar success.

Schools and curricula:

In cooperation with two schoolteachers, the research was developed into course packs for Key Stages 3 and 4, linked to the UK curricula for integration into classes. The lessons – with learning objectives and outcomes, available for English, Geography, History, and Religious Studies – are unique to the research. For instance, English lessons use extracts from soldiers’ diaries uncovered by Issa. Lesson structures include start, main, and expansion exercises, plus detailed notes for teachers and downloadable resources from the research (e.g. maps from the National Archives). Islamic faith schools also used these to assist with Citizenship lessons on integration. The packs are free to download and have been distributed countrywide to 150+ schools and used by 1,000+ students. Schoolteachers describe this as “ an important resource for making the curriculum relevant to their students today” ( S05). The research was also developed into three educational resource packs, each containing research findings and group tasks, utilised on school trips to the exhibition; in a one-year period, 1,000+ schoolchildren aged 6-18 visited ( S08). In particular, students identifying as Muslim reported that, after the knowledge acquired at the exhibition, they felt a sense of pride and belonging (e.g. “This exhibition has made me proud to be a British Muslim, and has made me feel an important part of society”), while some wished for Muslims to be recognised and appreciated further in British society (e.g. “[…] they deserve to be recognised for their efforts” and “We should be treated equally and with respect as we helped Britain a lot in the World War.”) ( S03).