Daily Times

Though things have improved vastly in the last few years with integration and community cohesion, the shift of Islam0phobic rhetoric into the mainstream has perturbed Muslims living in the UK. Moreover, the rhetoric in media is even unsettling.

Muslims in the UK have been surrounded by discussions focussing on terrorism, radicalisation, incompatibility and conflict. During this debate, the opinions and views of Muslims have not always been sought on their own terms and have perhaps been overshadowed by misconceptions, which some argue is because of the need to create a front page story. False conclusions about the hostility of British Muslims to mainstream society, their insularity and conservatism, have seized the headlines, amplifying Islamophobia and mistrust.

Muslims are the largest religious minority in the United Kingdom. The majority of today’s Muslim families arrived as migrants in the 1950s and1960s from the former British colonies in India, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. Migration inevitably takes the time to adjust to, as successive generations lay roots and find ways of applying and integrating their cultural and religious beliefs in their new context. Communities, families and individuals can come under considerable strain and pressure as they make these adjustments.

The question is to what extent do British Muslims carry their culture with them, and to what extent do they acquire the culture of their new home? The answer not only has important political and social implications; it also helps us understand the extent to which basic cultural values are enduring or malleable; and whether cultural values are traits of individuals or are attributes of a given society. Theories of cultural integration suggest that immigrants gradually absorb the values and norms which predominate in their host society, especially on an inter-generational basis.

In contrast, the theories of divergence suggest that distinctive social values and norms are enduring and deep-rooted within each nation, shaped by collective histories, common languages, and religious traditions so that migrant populations are unlikely to abandon their cultural roots when they settle in another country. Yet, alternative theories of multiculturalism suggest that Muslim migrants, who have acquired deep-rooted and enduring social norms through processes of childhood socialisation within the family, local community, and country, will carry their culture with them when they travel.

Almost every political conversation about British Muslims touches on integration. Politicians complain that instead of integrating with wider society, many British Muslim communities have integrated on a wider scale with their own Muslim communities. They do this based on ethnic background, culture, common language, and country of origin. They follow television channels and news from within their own communities while spending less effort interacting with the wider culture, social affairs, life skills, and appreciating the laws of their own countries.

It is mainly the young British Muslims who are the nexus of what are being portrayed as antithetical systems — between their homes and communities and wider British society; with ‘competing’ values, expectations and social mores. Firstly, it is important to conceptualise these young Muslims, the offspring of immigrant or first generation Muslims, in a comprehensive manner. This group contains a large spectrum of individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and with different nuances in their religious practices. Whereas a previous generation had pursued ideals of integration, these young UK Muslims want to assert their distinctive character by identifying with the global Ummah of Islam.

Secondly, it matters to argue that for years, Islamists and other extremists have taken advantage of grievances of British Muslims, and have successfully identified ways to integrate them under one “Islamic” banner. The way to tackle Islamophobia is also to tackle prejudice within Muslims as well. What it is not, is to pretend that Islamist extremism does not exist. Prejudices can evaporate in contact with other people and with the understanding on both sides that integration is a two-way process.

Historically, the self-identity of Britain itself has shifted dramatically since its inception, but group identity of young British Muslims has mistakenly appeared as a community that insists on projecting itself as a superior identity to any on offer in Britain. This has created social distancing which has been exacerbated by economic deprivation and compounded by the rise in prejudice and Islamophobia, which is both feared and experienced by Muslims, socially and institutionally. For most young people, the process of negotiating their place in the world, and forming their identity is difficult. Furthermore, occupying a politically, socially and economically marginalised front line position has added further pressure on young British Muslims and made this process more troublesome and difficult to navigate.

The disintegration of the society creates a breeding ground for the preaching of religious hatred and fosters a range of religious and political grievances. Broader social concerns within Muslim communities, such as discrimination, integration or socio-economic disadvantages, should be treated with a dialogue and not as part of extreme religious agenda, which has been counter-productive. We cannot risk further isolating marginalised British Muslim communities.

The writer is a professor of Psychiatry and consultant Forensic Psychiatrist in the UK. He can be contacted at fawad_shifa@yahoo.com