The unrest between Hindu and Muslim communities that sparked in Leicester in September 2022 is now slated for a review by hate crime expert Dr Chris Allen. Dr Allen said he would follow the facts and was not going to "placate anybody or any particular constituency or group".
However, objections have now been raised to the timing of the announcement and Dr Allen's appointment. According to BBC, a group representing Hindu and Jain temples said they would not take part as they felt previous comments by Dr Allen undermined his impartiality.
The communal violence that was allegedly fuelled by social media misinformation, made global headlines, which also led to Hindu organisations writing a letter to former PM Liz Truss to protect Hindus better. At the same time, the Pakistani government said Muslims needed greater safeguards.
At the review's official launch city Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby emphasised its independent nature and said he expected conclusions by early next year.
Sir Peter said: "There have been lots of people wanting to point the finger of blame - and often pointing it at each other.
"What we need to know are the actual facts and those facts will perhaps indicate not just who was responsible but how we can work together to prevent it happening again."
The review will be led by Dr Chris Allen, associate professor in hate studies at the University of Leicester. He said he would start by asking basic questions.
"What caused the disturbances? What happened both before during and after the disturbances? Why did they happen when they did?" he said.
"What were the drivers? Were they internal or external? Were there any warning signs that we missed and do we think there is potential for this to happen again in the future?"
He also emphasised they would be working toward one main goal.
"The point of this is to try and understand," he said. "From a distance these things can look straightforward and everyone will have an opinion.
"If we can begin to understand a bit better, rather than making broad assumptions and knee-jerk reactions, actually that understanding will give us the foundation for moving forward."
