More and more white men and women are turning to Islam in a bid to escape the pub culture of western society, a senior lecturer has claimed. A growing trend? ASIAN IMAGE investigates.

Dr Simon Ross Valentine, lecturer in community religions at the School of Lifelong Education and Development at the University of Bradford, said white British people were converting to Islam despite the media's demonising of the religion.

The sexploitation of women and "pub culture mentality" was also contributing to increasing numbers of westerners adopting Islam.

Dr Valentine said, "For centuries Islam as been derided. The media has created a completely negative image of Islam. It is like a Muslim person seeing the IRA as mainstream Christianity. The media focuses on extremists like the Taliban and says this is Islam. But Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and with no compulsion whatsoever.

"Westerners are becoming increasingly sick of British so-called pub culture.

"I am not saying that because I have sympathy with Islam, I am a Christian but this is what I am seeing and hearing." Dr Valentine said he did not have precise figures because Muslims were not affiliated to one particular mosque. "I have spoken to a lot of converts and they find Islam appealing for a number of reasons.

"The first is that Islam is a religion of peace. Women in particular do not see the veil as oppressive but as liberating. It frees them from being seen as a sex object.

"The declining role of the church is also a factor."

During the past six months the media has reported on Muslim converts fighting in Afghanistan. Dr Valentine said the numbers of Muslims who had gone to fight with the Taliban, such as American John Walker were miniscule.

"John Walker was one out of the total population of America and we don't know about Scotsman James McLintock but if he does have terrorist links he has come out of the total population of 58 million. That doesn't even make it the tip of the iceberg."

There are increasing numbers of Muslim converts grabbing the headlines. It has also been reported that more yuppie types, the sons and daughters of government figures and merchant bankers are converting to Islam. And the majority of them have converted since September 11th. Famous examples include Joe Ahmed-Dobson, the son of former Labour minister, Frank Dobson, who believes Islam transformed his spiritual life and helped him get a first at university.

Speaking to Asian Image Ibrahim Master, Chairman of Lancashire Council of Mosques said, "If someone examines and studies Islam they will find the true message of the religion is one of peace. That is why I think many westerners are turning to Islam for answers.

"I heard recently of a case in Swansea where a former National Front member converted despite having been taught to despise Muslims."

"The true message of Islam is not portrayed in the media and that has got worse over the past six months."

Maroof Shaffi, president of the Bradford branch of the Muslim Society of Great Britain said, "With most people it is a gradual process, they do not just overnight decide to become Muslim."

Mr Shaffi said disillusionment with western materialism was often a contributory factor. "But Islam is different to other religions in that it provides spiritual and worldly answers. It is a code whereby you can live your whole life, every aspect of it."

He also agreed that most new converts were women. "The figures I have are that for every one man coming to Islam, there are four women but I believe the ratio to be higher. So the argument that Islam oppresses women just falls flat."