ISLAMOPHOBIA comes under the spotlight at a conference in Batley tomorrow.

Organised by Batley Muslim Association, speakers will include religious experts and Batley and Spen Labour MP Mike Wood.

The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the direct and indirect discrimination faced by British Muslims every day.

Mr Sulaiman Kazi, convenor of the Batley Muslim Association, said: "These are particularly worrying times for the Muslim community."

He said the Government was making a bad situation worse, adding: "The conference is also held against a backdrop of the decision in France to call for a ban on the wearing of headscarves and proliferation of Islamophobia in Europe generally."

As well as Mr Wood, speakers will include the Rev Professor Richard Bonney from the University of Leicester, Massoud Shadjareh, the chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain and Ahmed Versi, editor of the Muslim News.

The event takes place at the Zakaria Educational Centre in Taylor Street, Batley, starting at 4.30pm.