Centre for South Asia and Violence Prevention in Muslim Communities 

The Centre for South Asia and Violence Prevention in Muslim Communities brings contextually grounded conversations and solutions that resonate with South Asians and the South Asian diaspora across the world. Situated in the Institute of Domestic Violence, Religion & Migration, the Centre focuses on the study of domestic and gender-based violence using a South Asian lens, while providing a platform to nuance the representation of the issue and to reverse harmful understandings that perpetuate abuse. 

The Centre facilitates conversations with researchers, practitioners, policymakers and community leaders informed by a locational and decolonial lens to understand the intersections of violence, women’s bodies and religious beliefs in South Asian communities. Using the  Project dldl/ድልድል Model®, the Centre aims to generate community-focused responses by building an understanding of distinct South Asian realities, belief systems and gendered practices.  

Collectively, we aim to reverse harmful and homogenised understandings and practices through an approach that recognises the contextual realities of South Asian communities and their international diaspora. We aim to identify and challenge misused religious narratives that enable control and silence, while advancing hermeneutically grounded, interfaith and intra-faith approaches that promote inclusion, communal ownership and collaborative violence prevention responses across South Asian communities. 

As a Centre, we are especially interested in: 

• Developing community-focused and faith-sensitive solutions to domestic and gender-based violence in South Asian and diasporic Muslim communities to address the stigma and challenge harmful religious and cultural narratives by prioritising survivor agency and safety. 
• Generating prevention-oriented research and dialogue on violence, gender issues and religious beliefs in South Asia to develop culturally informed insights, practices and policy directions that provide support to survivors and individuals vulnerable to harm in social settings. 
• Strengthening capacity-building initiatives and developing educational resources that centre on the lived experiences of diverse members and groups in South Asian communities. 

The Centre invites the voices, thoughts and contributions of researchers, practitioners, non-profit organisations and interested governmental agencies.  

Centre Lead and Members