ANALYSIS: Shiaphobic hate crimes were highlighted in the wake of the recent Lady of Heaven film controversy, and came to the fore gain last month with the religious celebration of Eid al-Ghadīr; Michael Dhanoya of the University of Leicester’s School of Criminology explores the context and background to Shiaphobia, and the importance of recording and investigating it as an Islamic sectarian hate crime, rather than as examples of Islamaphobia.

ANALYSIS: Recent protests in the UK around the screening of the Lady of Heaven film have prompted criticism and media debate focusing largely on the issues of freedom of speech, ‘British values’ and cancel culture; but as Michael Dhanoya and Dr Chris Allen of the University of Leicester’s School of Criminology explain, the protests are rooted in a much deeper religious schism which could in turn create challenges for policing around the issue of sectarian hate.