Inclusive Spaces: Accelerating Islamophobia and emerging ‘Mosquephobia’

In this talk, Professor Ali Alraouf will discuss the concept of Islamophobia and explain how it is related to inclusivity in the built environment, particularly in Mosques. He will explain how creativity in a mosque's design, alongside activities, openness, and its relation with the community and the urban context would lead to a better perception of Muslims and Islam. Architecture, in his proposed design conceptual proposal, can provide and enhance equity, celebrate diversity, and attain inclusivity.

The session will conclude with an analysis of selected case studies from the East and the West to highlight how a mosque can be transformed from a "ritual space" to "my place."

The event will be a lecture followed by Q&A session.

About the speakers:

• Prof. Ali Alraouf is an architect, urban designer, and planner interested in research and practice in the domain of theory, criticism, and creativity in architecture and urbanism. He is head of research and development at the Ministry of Municipality in Qatar and is also a professor at HBK University in Qatar Education City. Prof. Alraouf is the leader of Green Urbanism and Planning Group at Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC).

• Sara Motwani is a second-year student studying Engineering and Architectural Design (MEng) at the Bartlett School of Architecture. Having witnessed the coexistence of diverse structures from numerous religions whilst growing up in her city of New Delhi, Sara recognised the importance of instilling ‘inclusivity’ in every phase of existence and raise awareness of the different ways Islamophobia presents itself.

Join The Bartlett’s monthly Inclusive Spaces event series, where we’ll delve into the latest research and ideas from The Bartlett’s world-leading thinkers on race, gender, LGBTQ+, disability – and other dimensions of diversity in the built environment.

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The Inclusive Spaces lecture series will be streamed live through Zoom. Please ensure you download Zoom and create an account prior to the event.

This session will be recorded and sent to registered attendees along with a transcript after the event has ended.

If you have any accessibility requirements or additional queries, please contact Nishat Tasnim at n.tasnim@ucl.ac.uk. Please note we require 2 working days notice for requests.