BLACKBURN Library is to host a major conference on Islamophobia next month.

Keynote speaker will be Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.

The evening seminar on Friday, November 20, is organised by the Blackburn working group of national organisation Muslim Engagement and Development, know as MEND.

Attending will be a cross-section of influential East Lancashire Muslims, community leaders, local businesses, women’s groups, cohesion groups and other significant community figures.

It marks November being Islamophobia Awareness Month.

MEND is hosting a series of such seminars nationally.

They focus on issues which concern many Muslims related to prejudice in today’s multi-cultural society.

Also speaking at the event Blackburn Library in Town Hall Street will be Josh Durham from Victims’ Voice and MEND chief executive Sufyan Ismail.

MEND is a specialist Muslim organisation, which is dedicated to tackle and educate the general public on Islamophobia.

It also advocates in Westminster, and works on grass roots community empowerment across the UK and in the European Union.

MEND gave oral testimony in the Leveson Inquiry on press ethics, it sits on the Crown Prosecution Service’ national hate crime sub-panel, and works with police forces across the UK to reduce the number of Islamophobic attacks.