Muslims in Bristol and Britain:

FAQ’s �

Myths �

... and the Facts �

Introduction 1

1 Why are Muslims always in the news? 2

2 Do Muslims expect “special treatment”? 6

3 Do Muslim women have any rights under Islam? 12

4 What are the core beliefs of Islam? 19

5 Who are the Muslims of Britain? 24

6 Have Muslims contributed anything to civilization or Britain? 26

Contact List 30

Contents

Muslims in Bristol and Britain

By Fauzia Ahmad and Tariq Modood

The University of Bristol on behalf of theEqualities and Community CohesionTeam, Bristol City Council.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank allmembers of the Muslim Reference Groupfor their helpful comments during earlierdrafts of this booklet. Any errors however,are the authors’.

Finally, but by no means least, we wouldto thank Dr Mohammad Siddique Seddonat the University of Chester and Dr Anasal Shaikh Ali of the International Institutefor Islamic Thought UK (IIIT), and theAssociation of Muslim Social ScientistsUK (AMSS), for acting as independentpeer reviewers. Any errors however, arethe authors’.

1Introduction

This booklet was commissionedas part of the council'scommitment to mythbustingand is the third booklet of itstype (see previous mythbustingbooklets about asylum seekersand refugees and gypsies andtravellers).

The booklet is supported by ashort summary leaflet and alonger web resource, both ofwhich can be found atwww.bristol.gov.uk/equality

Islam is one of the main faithspractised in Britain today. Since9/11 and the London bombingsin July 2005 there has been a risein Islamophobia. Myths aboutIslam and Muslims are common.It is important that the widercommunity has access toinformation about Islam anddiverse Muslim communities inBristol and Britain, in order topromote better understandingand community cohesion.

This booklet aims to dispel some ofthe most commonmyths andstereotypes about Islam andMuslimsusing direct quotes from the mediaas examples and challenging themwith facts derived from the Qur’anand other sources. This chapter dealswith issues such as terrorism whichare often in the news.

Although core Islamic beliefs will bediscussed later (Chapter 4), beforeproceeding any further, it is helpful tounderstand some basic concepts.Essentially, “Islam”means “surrender” or“submission” to the will of God. A“Muslim” is a follower of Islam andsomeone who is willingly submissive toGod’s will, believes in the five pillars ofIslam and the six articles of faith (see webresource). For Muslims, Islam is more than“just a religion”, it is often described as acomplete “way of life”, or “Deen”whichencompasses personal, social, economicand political aspects with spiritual andreligious observance. The Muslim holybook is called the “Qur’an” and wasrevealed over a period of 23 years (from

610 to 632 in the 7th century) to theProphet MuhammadwhoMuslims believeto be the last and final Prophet andMessenger of God. According to theQur’an it corrects any misinterpretationsof original scriptures given to previousprophets. It has remained unchangedsince its revelation over 1400 years ago1.

� What does Islam say aboutterrorism?

There is no such thing as “Islamicterrorism”.

Some politicians, individuals and sectionsof the media wrongly create theimpression that terrorism, suicidebombings and violent jihad are part ofIslam’s teachings and that “all terroristsare Muslims”. None of these are true. Forinstance, data from the EU TerrorismSituation and Trend Report of 2007 forEuropol (European Law EnforcementOrganisation), shows that of the 498reported terrorist attacks across Europe in2006, only one was carried out by aMuslim.

There is no room for terrorism withinIslamic teachings. The Qur’an (the Muslimholy book), is categorical that the killing ofinnocents is completely unjustified.Muslim scholars and organisations in theUK and across the world have repeatedlystated that Islam does not condoneterrorism. In fact, the Qur’an says that thekilling of one innocent person is theequivalent to the killing of the whole ofmankind. For example:

“If anyone kills a person – unless inretribution for murder or spreadingcorruption in the land – it is as if he killsall mankind.”(The Qur'an, 5:32, trans. MAS Haleem, 2005)

The key message of the Qur’an is one ofpeace, faith, hope and justice amongfellow human beings. Islam is essentially,a religion of the “Middle way”and not oneof extremes. The Qur’an warns believersnot to become “oppressors” andcontinually urges forgiveness andrestraint.

Following the tragic events of September11, 2001, the Madrid bombings in 2004,the London bombings of July 7 2005, and

2 1 Why are Muslims always in the news?

1 The translation used to cite all quotations from the Qur’an is MAS Abdel Haleem’s (2005) The Qur’an, A New Translation, Oxford University Press.

recent attempted car bomb attacks inLondon and Glasgow in June 2007,Muslim organisations and scholars acrossthe world have repeatedly issuedstatements condemning the attacks. Theyhave been clear that the actions of thebombers are against the teachings andspirit of Islam and represent the views ofonly a tiny number of extremists whomany have regarded as outside the foldsof Islam. A campaign titled “Not in ourname”was launched across the UK withlarge, full-page adverts in newspapers,billboards, buses and the underground. Ithighlights Muslims’ rejection of attemptsto link violence and suicide bombing withthe teachings of Islam. It has beenorganised by a large coalition of Muslimorganisations across the UK, includingMuslim doctors.

• To see the campaign advert go to:www.islamispeace.org.uk

Some critics of Islam point to verses in theQur’an that they claim promote violence,war and intolerance. Similarly, someextremists use “snipped”quotes to back-up their own causes and actions. For

example, “kill them wherever youencounter them” (Qur'an, 2:191). However,if we look at the verses that come beforeand after these quotes, we can see theverse is talking about self-defence. This isthe only context in which the Qur’anspeaks about war or fighting. This is veryclear throughout the Qur’an.

This is why it is wrong to talk of “Islamicterrorism”because there is nothing“Islamic” about terrorism.

� What is “jihad”?

“Jihad”does not mean “holy war”.“Jihad” is an Arabic word whichmeans“to struggle”or “strive” in the way ofGod for good against evil. However, itis frequently misinterpreted as “holywar”by themedia.

The primary meaning of jihad is the moral,inner struggle a Muslim faces in their dailyefforts to practice Islam. This is sometimesknown as the “greater jihad”. This includesactions such as being on time with thefive daily prayers or not back-biting, forexample. The “lesser jihad” includes

3

Myths:“Almost all terrorists

are Muslims”

The Sun, 9 July 2007

“Muslims have a verylong tradition of

jihadist slaughter”

The Guardian, 22 July 2005

“…more than half ofour Muslims feel

sympathy for suicidebombers in Israel and afairly hefty minority(one in eight, at thelast count) for similaraction against the

cockroach imperialistinfidel scum (ie you and

me) over here.”

The Spectator, 7 July 2007.

armed struggle but can only apply whendeclared by an appropriate authority andeven then there are strict conditions suchas self-defence or when protecting andfreeing the oppressed and weak, or whenestablishing freedom of worship.

Contrary to stereotypes, Islam does notpromote the spread of Islam by the swordor force. The Qur’an is very clear on thiswhen it says: “Let there be no compulsionin religion” (Q.2:256). This applies even intimes of war.

� What does Islam say aboutSuicide Bombings?

In Islam suicide is expressly forbidden. TheQur’an states:

“You who believe, do not kill each other[yourselves], for God is merciful to you. Ifany of you does those things, out ofhostility and injustice, We shall makehim suffer Fire…”

(Qur'an, 4:29–30, trans. MAS Haleem, 2005)[Abdalhaqq and Aisha Bewley, 1999]

The Qur’an is equally clear that eventhough the right to self-defence is given, it

is forbidden to lash out against an entirepopulation of people as this oversteps thelimits of self-defence. Forgiveness andpeace, one of the predominant themes inthe Qur’an, is by far the preferredresponse.

“You who believe, be steadfast in yourdevotion to God and bear witnessimpartially: do not let hatred of otherslead you away from justice, for that iscloser to awareness of God.”

(Qur'an, Surah al-Maidah, 5:8, trans.MAS Haleem, 2005)

• See weblink to:Are Muslims a “threat fromwithin”?Is Islam compatible with British values?

� What is Shari’ah Law? DoMuslims want Britain to beruled by Shariah law?

Shari’ah represents the ethical and moralcode of Islam based on the Qur’an and theSunnah (sayings of the ProphetMuhammad). It includes all the religious,ethical and legal systems, which guide thelives of practising Muslims. Shari’ah is notan ancient fixed code – it is flexible,evolving and adaptable to differenthistorical and cultural contexts.

For instance, a legal ruling that mighthave been suitable in Arabia 1400 yearsago may not (and probably will not) behelpful or suitable for Muslims living inBritain today. There are specialist judges inIslamic law called Qadis, who are qualifiedin Islamic jurisprudence – a very detaileddiscipline – to offer Islamic judgements ona case by case basis and help guideMuslims in applying Islamic law in theirlives if they so wish.

Since Shari’ah is such a misunderstoodconcept, it is important to recognise thatthere are differences between simplistic

4

cultural interpretations of Islam claimedto be “Shari’ah”, from the rigorous anddetailed application and processes ofIslamic jurisprudence with properlytrained Qadis.

Contrary to the impression somenewspapers and opinion polls give,Shari’ah law is not about cutting offpeople’s hands, or stoning people todeath. Nor do Muslims in Britain want toimpose “Shari’ah law”on the rest of thecountry. Instead, whenMuslims talk aboutShari’ah law in Britain, they are talkingabout the right to live according to Islamicprinciples if they choose to.

In practical terms this means things likebeing able to buy and eat halal food, theright to pray, the right to get married in anIslamic way. These are practices that in noway contradict the law of the land. It is nodifferent to Jewish people wanting to eatkosher food, or marry according to Jewishtraditions.

Interestingly, the Bank of England, withthe support of the Government and someMuslim experts on finance, hasintroduced schemes for some Islamicfinancial services in order to facilitatereligious prohibitions on usury (earninginterest). These do not mean interest-freeloans, but are closer to a form of jointinvestment. Muslims have warmlywelcomed these provisions by theGovernment and many high street banksare now offering Islamic banking services.

Further Reading• Top Ten Myths About Islamwww.islam.about.com/od/commonmisconceptions/tp/myths

• EUTerrorism Situation andTrend Reportof 2007, Europol, The Hague, Netherlands.www.europol.europa.eu/publications/TESAT/TESAT2007.pdf

• Islamic Bank of Britainwww.islamic-bank.com/islamicbanklive/GuestHome/1/Home/1/Home.jsp

5

Myths:“…almost half of

Britain's Muslims whowant Sharia law in this

country and do notremotely, therefore,share our norms and

values.”

The Spectator, 7 July 2007.

“Muslim radicals haveestablished their own

draconian court systemsin Britain. ControversialSharia courts have beenset up in major townsand cities to impose

Islamic law and enableMuslims to shun the

legitimate British legalsystem.”

Daily Express, 30 April 2007

All citizens want to have equal accessto services when they need them. Thedevelopment of social policy inBritain and Europe in recent yearsreflects the multi-racial and multi-faith societies we now live in and theways we think about socialdifferences across and withindiffering groups of people.

This means ensuring that services such aseducation, social welfare and health forexample, develop policies that reflect thereligious and cultural diversity ofcontemporary communities in Britain.Practical examples include making surethat religious needs are catered for, suchas the provision of halal (for Muslims) andkosher (for Jews) food in schools andhospitals; that schools accommodatereligious concerns about modesty inuniforms, sports and religious education;that social care provision respectsreligious, cultural and gender-relatedsensitivities; and that religious holidaysare recognised, amongst others.

For employers, public authorities andservice providers, it also means that theycannot discriminate against anyone onthe basis of religion or belief. There havebeen cases in the past where Muslimmenwearing beards or women wearing thehijab, have been told to remove theirbeard or hijab, or been dismissed fromtheir job, or been discriminated against atthe point of job recruitment because oftheir appearance. Muslims have also faceddifficulties with some employers failing toappreciate the importance of the five dailyprayers and the attendance of Fridaycongregational prayers for men, or theneed to take a day off for religiouscelebrations like Eid. The 1976 RaceRelations Act did not accommodateMuslims as they are a religious groupalthough Sikhs and Jews were protectedas racial groups rather than religiousones2. Religious discrimination inemployment was eventually made anoffence in 2003 following Europeanlegislation.

Another key practical example has beenthe recognition of faith identities and theinclusion, for the first time, of a religion

question in the last Census in 2001. Thishas helped policy-makers to not only havemore accurate data about the numbersand diversity of people in Britain, butcrucially, it assists national and localgovernment to plan for services thatreflect the needs of differing communitiesacross the country. It also highlightswhere significant social disparities interms of employment, income, education,health and housing persist across differingfaith groups. Many Muslims havewelcomed these measures because somesocial policies only responded to people’sneeds on the basis of their race orethnicity leaving those who preferred toidentify through their faith excluded ordiscriminated against with no protectionin law.

There have been other calls for recognitionby Muslim communities. The publicationof the “Satanic Verses” and thecontroversial Danish cartoons thatmocked and insulted the Prophet andIslam in 2005, have led to calls fromMuslim organisations for the blasphemylaws to be extended to include andprotect Islam from insults in the same

6 2 Do Muslims expect “special treatment”?

2 Sikhs were given protection as a racial group under the Act in 1982 following the Mandela decision of the House of Lords judges.

way that Christian communities areprotected. These have led to controversialdebates around the right to free speech.Violent demonstrations by a minority ofMuslims against offensive publicationssuch as the Danish cartoons in some partsof the world have contributed tostereotypes of Islam as restrictingfreedom of expression and deliveringharsh penalties for those who commitblasphemy. In fact, the Qur’an commandsMuslims to question all things, includingthe nature of creation and the Creator. Itencourages debate amongMuslims andnon-Muslims on issues of faith andacknowledges the individual’s right not toaccept Islam illustrated by the followingquotes:

“Had your Lord willed, all the people onearth would have believed.”

(10:99)

Say “Now, the truth has come from yourLord: let those who wish to believe in itdo so, and let those who wish to reject itdo so”.

(18:29)(Qur’an, trans. MAS Haleem, 2005)

Since Muslims believe the Qur’an to be thetrue word of God and revere all Prophets,especially Muhammad (peace be uponhim), insults directed against Islam aretaken seriously but even here, the Qur’anrecommends restraint in response andforgiveness:

“[…] you are sure to hear much that ishurtful from those who were given theScripture before you and from those whoassociate others with God. If you aresteadfast and mindful of God, that is thebest course.”

(3.186)

“When you come across people whospeak with scorn about Our revelations,turn away from them until they moveonto another topic.”

(6.68)(Qur'an, trans. MAS Haleem, 2005)

Muslims have also lobbied for theintroduction of legislation againstincitement to religious hatred, and for thestate funding of Muslim schools, in thesame way that Church of England,Catholic and a small number of Jewishschools are funded.

7

Myths:

“Muslims are alwaysdemanding specialfavours for theirculture, while

assuming a victimmentality.

It also seems thatonly Muslims havefreedom of speech;

all others aresilenced by the

police.”Daily Telegraph,

17 September 2006

� Do Muslims want tointegrate into Britishsociety?

Many Muslim groups have arguedthat a faith-sensitive approach is onethat can benefit all faithcommunities, not just Muslim, andlead to a culturally and religiouslyenriched society. This is not a viewshared by those who argue thatreligion is a private matter and soshould remain outside politics andpublic policy. They argue that thedevelopment of multicultural policieshave led to a segregation of societyalong religious lines, a rise ofreligious “fundamentalism”andextremism, and a failure of Muslimsin particular, to “integrate”.

� Does multiculturalism lead toMuslim separateness andextremism?

“Multiculturalism”has been blamedfor creating “segregated societies”especially amongst Britain’s Muslimcommunities. Some commentatorshave described it as “dead” and haveinstead called for “integration”. Butwhat does multiculturalism in Britainmean and how does it relate toMuslims?

Multiculturalism, and social policiesderived from this concept, havetraditionally been defined on thebasis of ethnic origin. However, manyMuslims have wanted to identifythemselves through their faith andnot through their ethnic originbecause a faith-based identity is feltto be more relevant to Muslim needsand lifestyles.

September 11 and 7/7 have led somepoliticians and media commentators toquestion Muslims’ loyalty to Britain andwhether Muslims are committed to whatare understood as being “core Britishvalues” of freedom, tolerance, democracy,sexual equality and secularism. Instead ofviewing religious identities as part ofwider equality struggles, they are seen asa threat to multiculturalism.

However, experts on Muslim communitiesand multiculturalism have argued thatMuslim campaigns for recognition andequality on religious grounds are in fact, avery British phenomenon and one thatdemonstrates howMuslim communitieshave integrated into non-Muslim Britishsociety through their various campaignsfor recognition as British Muslims. Theyare not asking for “special treatment”, butare simply asking the State to respect,recognise and accommodate Muslimreligious and cultural beliefs as Christians,Jews and Sikhs are.

There are nowmany studies thathighlight howMuslims are discriminatedagainst in schools, employment, health

8

and social welfare, the media and arts.Muslims are therefore asking for equalityand protection from such discriminationand in doing so, are seeking integration,not “assimilation”or segregation.

• To read more see: Tariq Modood,“Muslims and Europeanmulticulturalism”openDemocracy, (15 May 2003).www.opendemocracy.net/people-migrationeurope/article_1214.jsp

Islamophobia – does it really exist?

Islamophobia, or anti-Muslimdiscrimination, refers to the “dread orhatred of Islam and therefore, to the fearand dislike of all Muslims” (RunnymedeTrust, 1997). It can include institutionaldiscrimination against a person becauseshe or he is Muslim, physical assault,verbal abuse, or speech or writing that isintended to cause harassment, publicdisturbances or lead to racial or religioustensions. Islamophobic attitudes andpractices can be both latent (hidden) aswell as overt.

In 1997, the Runnymede Trust, a racerelations think-tank, published a report

entitled, “Islamophobia: A Challenge for UsAll”, highlighting the extent and nature ofIslamophobia in Britain. The report noteddiscrimination in employment inrecruitment and promotion intomanagement positions, in social serviceprovision, in education, health andhousing. It also noted exclusion frompolitics and government, and violenceperpetrated via physical assaults,vandalism of property and verbal abuse.Finally, it noted prejudice in both themedia and everyday interactions. A follow-up report in 2004 highlighted how themedia have contributed to stereotypesand prejudice against Muslims. The recentDanish cartoon controversy and articlesthat portray Islam andMuslims as violentor evil, and the quotes highlighted in thisbooklet, are typical examples.

There is now a considerable amount ofresearch documenting Islamophobia.Following the attacks of 9/11, theEuropean Union’s Monitoring Centre forRacism and Xenophobia (EUMC) publisheda wide-ranging study into Islamophobiaacross 15 EUmember states in 2002. Itincluded examples of serious attacks such

9

Myths:Second-generation

Muslims have not onlyfailed to integrate; a

small, dangerousminority are so filledwith hatred for our

country that they turninto suicide bombers.

Daily Telegraph, 23 August2007

as death threats, attacks on mosques andprivate homes, physical assaults usingbeer bottles and pig parts, attacks onwomen wearing the hijab, and thebullying of Muslim school children. It alsoincluded “lower-level” hostility such asverbal abuse.

Following the 7/7 London attacks, anumber of local mosques were attacked.There were also incidents of SikhGurdwaras (temples) being attackedwhich were mistakenly assumed to bemosques. The Bristol Evening Postreported a particularly horrifying incidentin June 2007 where a 7 months pregnantSomali woman and her child werephysically and verbally attacked andracially abused.

• See weblink: Bristol Evening Post,“Police Urged To Protect SomaliCommunity”, 19 July 2007

www.thisisbristol.co.uk

Muslim schools in Britain –do they lead to segregated societies?

“If a Muslim child is educated in a schoolwhere the vast majority of other childrenare also Muslim, how can we expect himto work, live and interact with peoplefrom other cultures when he leavesschool? …This is a ticking time-bombwaiting to explode.”

BBC News Online, Thursday, 26 April 2007.

Muslim faith schools were first grantedstate funding, after several yearscampaigning, in 1998. Despite there beingonly 7 Muslim schools in Britain, thepresence of Muslim schools has been asource of repeated controversy in Britain,particularly in the media. The followingshows the numbers of other faith schoolsreceiving government funding3.

• Church of England 4,646• Roman Catholic 2,051• Jewish 37• Muslim 7• Sikh 2• Hindu (expected 2008) 1• Other (Greek Orthodox 2and Seventh Day Adventist)

Some of the criticisms directed towardsMuslim faith-schools – both state fundedand private – are based on mis-informedstereotypes. Critics suggest that Muslimschools encourage religious extremism,intolerance and segregation acrossvarying ethnic and faith communities, failto prepare children for citizenship in amulticultural society and discriminate inthe educational quality against girls.Some have even tried to link the northernriots in the summer of 2001 and terroristevents such as the London bombings of2005 with faith schools, though there isno evidence to support these claims.

However, research published in 2006 byLancaster University with over 400 fifteenyear olds and their attitudes towards race,religion and cultural integration, foundthat children in schools populated bymostly Asian and Muslim pupils showed agreater degree of racial tolerance thanpupils attending mostly white populatedschools (The Burnley Project, 2006).

10

3Figures for Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and other groups from speech by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, 10September 2007; Figures for Church of England schools from BBC Online, 31 October 2006; Figures for Roman Catholic schools from Hansard, 6 February 2007.

Another recent study by Bristol Universityshowed that Muslim schools could be apositive addition to the education systemand an effective way of integratingreligious minorities into British citizenship(Meer, 2007).

In addition, the evidence emerging fromMuslim faith schools is one of educationalsuccess on a par with non-Muslim schools.

This is certainly true of Bristol’s firstIndependent Islamic school, the AndalusiaAcademy Bristol, which opened its doorsin 2005. It’s OFSTED Report for 2007 gaveit an outstanding evaluation.

See:www.andalusiaacademy.org/

• Further Reading: Multiculturalismand Islamophobia

Tariq Modood (2005)Multicultural Politics:Racism, Ethnicity and Muslims in Britain,University of Minnesota Press.

Tariq Modood (2007)Multiculturalism(Themes for the 21st Century), Cambridge,Polity Press.

Mohammad Siddique Seddon (2004)British Muslims Between Assimilation andSegregation: Historical, Legal and SocialRealities, Leicester, Islamic Foundation.

Runnymede Trust (1997) Islamophobia: AChallenge For Us All, The RunneymedeTrust, London.

See weblink for more references.

11

The status of Muslim women remainsone of the most misunderstoodissues about Islam, resulting in someof the most distorted stereotypes.Some commonmyths about Muslimwomen and Islam state that Muslimwomen have no rights, are oppressedand have an inferior status to men,that Muslim women are not allowedan education or career, have no say intheir choice of marriage partner, andare forced to wear veils.

Ignorance of the Shari’ah leads tofurther stereotypes around the“stoning of adulterous women”,Muslimmen having multiple wivesand women’s lack of rights inmarriage and divorce.

Unfortunately, some stereotypes are alsothe result of male-biased, cultural mis-interpretations and a lack ofunderstanding of Islam by someMuslims,which, over the years, have distorted theQur’an’s very clear message of equalitybetween men and women. For instance,the appalling situation of women inAfghanistan under the Taliban’sinterpretation of Islam, and the tightrestrictions on women's movements inSaudi Arabia, or issues such as “forcedmarriages” and “honour killings” are oftenwrongly portrayed by the media and someMuslims alike, as sanctioned by theQur’an, when they are not.

Instead, the Qur’an emphasises howmenand women are created “different butequal”. This recognises physical andbiological strengths and weaknessesbetween men and women. Recognition ofthis forms the basis of many Muslimwomen’s movements for empowermentand enables Muslim women to argue fortheir rights by referring directly to theQur’an. Many of the rights given toMuslim women over 1400 years anddetailed in the Qur’an were, and still are,

revolutionary concepts (see below) andmany of these rights were onesWesternwomen had to fight for in the 20thcentury.

In order to avoid further stereotypingthen, it is especially important thatdistinctions between what Islam actuallyteaches about the position of women, andcultural misinterpretations of the faithshould be understood.

Recent years have seen a rapid growth inthe numbers of people, especiallywomen, converting (or reverting) to Islambecause they find the egalitarianmessage of the Qur’an liberating. This initself represents a direct challenge tostereotypes about Islam.

12 3 Do Muslim women have any rights in Islam?

� Rights of Women underIslam4

Below is a selection of Muslim women’srights enshrined in Islam:

Economic Rights

The Right of Independent Ownership:This involves the right to manage her ownmoney and property independently. Shecan buy, sell, mortgage, borrow, lend, signcontracts, set up businesses, etc. Theserights are regardless of her maritalposition. She is therefore, economicallyindependent.

The Right to Inheritance:Women’s rightsto inheritance are clearly guaranteed inthe Qur’an. Unfortunately, culturalpressures can mean that women oftenfeel obliged to renounce these rights tomale members of the family.

We can compare the economic rightsaccorded to women in the Qur’an to theposition of women in England who onlyattained similar property rights by the19th century under “The MarriedWoman's Property Act of 1870”. This

allowed women to keep earnings orproperty acquired after marriage; afurther “MarriedWoman's Property Act in1882”allowed women to retain what theyowned at the time of marriage. In France,similar rights were not recognised in lawuntil 1937.

� What does Islam say aboutforced marriage, domesticviolence and honourkillings?

The Right to Marry Whom She Likes.

Islam regards marriage and the family as avaluable institution and attaches greatimportance to its well-being. Islamicmarriages are contracts made betweenthe husband and the wife. In order for amarriage to be valid, it must be betweentwo consenting adults. There is no roomfor coercion in marriage and Islamencourages women to choose theirspouses.

Both husbands and wives have specifiedresponsibilities within marriage. Menhave financial responsibilities in providing

13

Myths:“In Islam it is still the year1427. They have had noreformation. The more

Islamic a state is, the moreits women are shrouded

and confined…”

Mail on Sunday, 17 Sept 2006

“…‘honour killings’ arelargely a Muslim

phenomenon....honourkillings, the need to avengethe shame caused by a lossof honour, are rooted in

values intrinsic to the wayof life of many Muslims....”

The Times, 13 June 2007

“The Koran recommendsthe beating of women.”

Daily Mail, 18 October 2007

4See Haiffa Jawad’s book: The Rights ofWomen in Islam, An Authentic Approach, (1998), Macmillan Press.

for his wife and family, regardless of hiswife’s income or independent wealth.Women are not expected to beoverburdened with domestic duties orrestricted in their movements, or career.However, a woman’s role as mother ishighly valued and respected. There is awell known saying of the Prophet (peacebe upon him): “Paradise lies at the feet ofyour mother”. Disobeying parents,especially mothers, is a great sin.

The Qur’an describes the relationshipbetween husband and wife as follows:“they, (your wives) are [close] as garmentsto you, as you are to them” (Qur’an, 2.187).The good treatment of wives is stronglyemphasised in various places in Islam’steachings. Indeed the ProphetMuhammad’s (peace be upon him) ownexample of his actions and behaviour withhis wives is exemplary.

Despite this, some interpretations of theQur’an have wrongly led to stereotypesthat suggest that the Qur’an condones“wife-beating”. This is not the case. Here,it is important to understand the contextof the verse most often cited in this

instance (Q.4.34) and that a propertranslation is referred to. Asma Barlas, inher book “BelievingWomen in Islam:Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations ofthe Qur’an”, (Chapter 6, 2002), discussessuch issues in some detail. She notes thatreferences understood by many tosanction wife-beating are poortranslations. More accurate translationsreveal the verse to actually prohibit andrestrict violence against women.

The Right to end an UnsuccessfulMarriage

Contrary to common stereotypes, womenwere also given the right to initiatedivorce and have a say on issuesconcerning her marriage. She can eitherstipulate on her marriage contract herright to divorce instantly, or she can resortto an Islamic court to deal with thematter. Although divorce is permitted, it isregarded as one of the least favoured actsby God and therefore Islam places greatimportance on attempts at reconciliationin order to avoid divorce.

Again, contrary to stereotypes, divorce fora Muslimman is not easy. A husbandplanning on divorcing his wife has toensure that a number of conditions aremet for her well-being ranging from thetime he may divorce his wife and how theprocess proceeds. Women who aredivorced are permitted to marry again;there should be no social stigma attachedto them.

Women’s Right to Sexual Pleasure.

In Islam, “lawful sex”, that is, within thecontext of marriage, has always been heldin high esteem and regarded as an act ofreligious devotion for which the rewardsin paradise are acknowledged. If a wifefeels she is not sexually satisfied, or herhusband is impotent, she has the right toseek divorce.

Men and women are equally bound toobserve modesty and refrain from sexualrelations outside marriage.

14

� Are Muslim women allowedan education and a career?

The Right to Education and a Career

Both men and women are equallyencouraged to seek knowledge. TheQur’an commands all Muslims to exerteffort in the pursuit of knowledgeirrespective of their sex. However, todayfamily circumstances, traditions andcustoms of specific Muslim countries maywork to deprive women of education forreasons that have nothing to do withIslam.

Early Muslim societies recognised theneed for educated and skilled women toserve their communities as doctors,teachers, mid-wives, and jurists forexample, but also elevated women’sstatus as homemakers. Even here, thesocial significance of mothers acting aseducators of Islam to their children washighly valued for the overall well-being ofMuslim societies. Provided externalemployment does not compromise awoman’s dignity or her domesticobligations, the right of women to work

and earn an independent income is alsoenshrined in the Qur’an, again underliningthe central importance of women’s agencyand right to contribute to society.

Women in early Muslim history, includingthe Prophet’s (peace be upon him) wives,excelled in areas such as religious andlegal studies, literature, medicine, militaryservice, trade, politics and were skilleddebaters in public arenas. Today, manywomen in Muslim countries are highlyeducated and have successful careers.

In Britain however, Muslim women ofPakistani and Bangladeshi origin currentlyhave the lowest rates of economicparticipation. The reasons for Muslimwomen’s unemployment in Britain arecomplex but are not sanctioned by Islam.In addition, the economic support andcontributions that womenmake in familybusinesses, but which may not becategorised as “formal employment”, areoften ignored. However, recent researchon South Asian Muslim women, highereducation and employment showsgrowing participation in higher educationand that their parents, especially fathers,

have been at the forefront in encouragingdaughters to go to university and haveprofessional careers (Ahmad, 2001;Ahmad, Modood and Lissenburgh, 2003;EOC, 2006; Tyrer and Ahmad, 2006). This isa direct challenge to commonly heldassumptions perpetuated in the media(and academia) about “over-bearing”Muslim fathers.

The Right to Election and Nominationto Political Offices and Participationin Public Affairs.

Islam encourages women to be activepolitically and be involved in decision-making. In early Islam, women were givenopportunities to express themselves, toargue, and speak their mind in public.They led delegations, fought in war, gavejudgements on political matters. Two ofthe Prophet’s wives illustrated this right;one acted as political adviser and judge,another was active in grassroots politics.Both played a large part in compiling theHadiths.

In recent times, the Muslim world hasproduced more female heads of statethan theWest.Women have been elected

15

as Presidents and PrimeMinisters incountries such as Indonesia, Pakistan,Bangladesh and Turkey.

The Right to Keep Her Own Identity.

Women in Islam have always beenentitled to keep her family name and nottake her husband’s name, thus indicatingand acknowledging her own identity.

The Right to Respect.

Islam regards women as being equal tomen as human beings, hence itemphasises mutual understanding andrespect between the two sexes. TheProphet (peace be upon him) said,

“The more civil and kind a Muslim is tohis woman, whether wife, daughter, orsister, the more perfect in faith he is.”

All the rights outlined above are enshrinedwithin the Qur’an and Islam’s teachingson the position of women. They directlycontradict stereotypes commonly found inthe media or from some politicians.

� Muslim women’s clothingpractices

Is the hijab a symbol of maleoppression and women’s subjugationin Islam?

The “burqa”, worn by Afghan women, iswidely viewed in theWest as symbolic ofMuslim women’s subjugation andoppression and Islam’s “inability” to co-exist alongsideWestern concepts ofmodernity and democracy.

What does Islam say about veiling?

There is a strong concept of modestywithin Islam that applies equally to menas it does to women. This does not simplyapply to dress but also includes modestyin one’s personal behaviour at all times. Interms of clothing, for men this means hehas to be covered from at least the navalto the knee, while women should cover allparts of their bodies except the face andhands.

The wearing of a veil is not an exclusivelyMuslim practice. Historically, it pre-datesIslam. In the Arabian context, it signifiedwomen who were from “elite” andwealthy backgrounds. Various veilingpractices can also be found in Jewish andcertain Christian traditions as well asHindu and Sikh customs.

Hijab is an Arabic word that means“curtain”, but which also describes themany varied styles of head covering usedby Muslim women all over the world.Some women also choose to wear thejilbab (an ankle-length coat, cloak or outergarment), and / or the niqab, a veil that

16

Myths:“I find the hijab

offensive; it is a symbolof female oppression andrelegation of women tosecond-class status that

offends universalprinciples of human

rights.”

The Observer, 19 June 2005

covers the whole face except the eyes andwas the subject of Jack Straw’s commentsin 2006. The burqa refers to a head to toeshroud that leaves a space for the eyes. Insome designs it also consists of gloves.

There is debate amongMuslimtheologians and Muslim women as towhether the hijab, jilbab, niqab and burqaconstitute a religious requirement and aretherefore compulsory. The disagreementcentres on the interpretation of verses inthe Qur’an that discuss modesty andrelate to incidents in history where, inorder to avoid molestation from non-Muslims, the Prophet’s wives were askedto cover themselves:

“Prophet, Tell your wives, your daughters,and women believers, to make theirouter garments hang low over them soas to be recognised and not insulted: Godis most forgiving, most merciful.”

(Q.33:59–60, trans. MAS Haleem, 2005)

While some theologians argue that theseverses suggest that all women shouldfollow the practice of the Prophet’s wives,others disagree, and argue that there is noexplicit commandment in the Qur’an that

requires all Muslim women to dress in aparticular way. They argue instead thatthe notion of modesty in dress andmanner for both men and women is farmore significant.

There is also a huge diversity of practice inMuslim women's attitudes to veiling.Many women who choose to wear thehijab for instance, say they find itpersonally liberating as it signifies thatthey should not be judged on theiroutward appearance, but rather judgedfor their strength of character andintelligence. Other womenmay choose towear the hijab as a sign of their personalspirituality, faith and piety, while forothers, it is a response to specific socialand political climates. There are also hugevariations in style of Muslim dressreflecting diverse cultural traditions. SomeMuslim women prefer not to wear a hijabthough remain committed to their faith aspractising Muslims.

What all religious scholars do agree on isthat there should be no force in matters offaith as the Qur’an says: “Let there be nocompulsion in religion” (Q. 2:256, trans.MAS Haleem, 2005).

� Muslim women’sempowerment andparticipation

For over 20 years, Muslim women’sorganisations across the country, likeother women’s organisations, work on arange of social welfare issues such aspoverty, health, generational differences,access to education and employment,marital relations and divorce. In addition,Muslim women’s groups have been at theforefront in tackling some of the mostdifficult and controversial issues affectingcommunities such as domestic violence,forced marriages, so-called “honour”related violence and in some instances,female genital mutilation.

Violence and abuse against women arenot religious issues. They are insteadreflections of personal relationships, tribalor cultural customs. Violence againstwomen affects all communities. Figuresfrom the British Crime Survey for instance,estimate that 1 in 4 women haveexperienced domestic violence in theirlifetime. On average, two women a weekare killed by a current or former male

17

partner (Walby & Allen, 2004). Animportant point to note is the waystereotypes about Islam andMuslimwomen often result in media reportingthat “blames” Islam so that Muslimfamilies, cultures and religion are viewedas the “problem”, while cases of domesticviolence in white, non-Muslim families areoften reported as individual, relationshipissues, or “crimes of passion”.

Within Bristol, there are several Muslimwomen’s voluntary organisations andgroups providing a range of support andcounselling services, offering practicaladvice to women seeking help withaccessing benefits, language difficulties,befriending services, support for eldersand youth groups and assistance withhousing problems. Additional servicesoffered include skills training andeducational courses such as assertivenesstraining and self-defence classes, leisureand sports activities. Many organisationsoffer talks on women’s rights andempowerment in Islam. Some also runprojects and classes for Muslim boys andyoung men and offer support for elderlyMuslimmen. All these services contribute

to the well-being not just of Muslims butto Bristol as a whole through empoweringcommunities and encouraging bettercommunication and dialogue within andacross differing groups in Bristol.

Important features of Muslim women’sorganisations are that they seekempowerment for Muslim womenthrough Islamic frameworks that placethe role of the family as central andpromote an active engagement withreligious (often male) scholars.

• Further Reading

Ahmed, L. (1992)Women and Gender inIslam, Historical Roots of a ModernDebate, Yale University Press.

Barlas, A (2002) BelievingWomen inIslam: Unreading PatriarchalInterpretations of the Qur’an, Universityof Texas Press.

Jawad, H (1998) The Rights ofWomen inIslam, An Authentic Approach, MacmillanPress Ltd, Hamps.)

See weblink for more references

18

� Islam and Muslims

Chapter 1 briefly introduced some ofthe key terms about Islam andMuslims. This chapter will go on tobuild on these themes and aims toprovide an overview of Islamicbeliefs. It is important to stress thatIslam is not just about observingrituals and reading the Qur’an.Muslims are required to develop astrong spiritual bond with God andderive their personal sense ofmorality from Islamic principleswhich in turn govern their thoughts,everyday actions, choices, intentionsand interactions with others. Thissense of “God consciousness” isknown as “taqwa”. This is whyMuslims talk about Islam as acomplete “way of life”, or “Deen”.

� Do Muslims worship adifferent God from Jews andChristians?

“Allah”means the One and Only universalGod of all humanity. “Allah” is not just atranslation from Arabic of the Englishword “God”, but is also His personal name.It cannot be made masculine or feminineor pluralized. It is also wrong to think ofAllah as the “Muslim God”alone.

WhenMuslims refer to “Allah”, they arereferring to the same God that Christiansand Jews refer to in English. Christians andJews of Arab background also refer to Godas “Allah”simply because Allah is theArabic term for God. In the sameway, theFrenchword for God is “Dieu”, though no-one thinks the French have a separate God!

People living in the Middle East before theadvent of Islam would also refer to Allah.For example, if we look at the originallanguage of Jesus (peace be upon him) –Aramaic, still in use today by a smallminority of people across the Middle East,we find that they also referred to Godas Allah.

While the Christian idea of God is basedon a trinity, Muslims believe that God isUnique and has no “Son”, partners orassociates. However, there are many moreshared commonalities between Judaism,Christianity and Islam than there aredifferences.

• See for example the very interestingarticle by historianWilliam Dalrymple(2002), “Many intricate links bindChristianity, Judaism and Islam”:www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,864994,00.html

Throughout the Qur'an, Muslims arereminded that they are not the only oneswho worship God. Judaism, Christianityand Islam are collectively known as the“Abrahamic faiths” since they share manycommonmonotheistic beliefs. The Qur’anrefers to Islam as “the religion ofAbraham”, and calls Jews and Christians“Ahle Kitab”, meaning “People of theBook”. This title reflects a shared heritagewith Muslims and how Jews andChristians were honoured with Prophetswho brought revelations from God.

194 What are the core beliefs of Islam?

The Qur'an also commands Muslims toprotect from harm not only mosques, butalso monasteries, synagogues, andchurches – because God is worshippedtherein.’

� What about Jesus?

Muslims revere and respect Jesus (peacebe upon him), known in the Qur’an as Isa,as one of God’s greatest Messengers. TheQur'an confirms his miraculous virginbirth through the same power thatbrought Adam (peace be upon him) intobeing. The Qur’an holds Mary (known inArabic as “Mariam”), in great esteem – infact a whole chapter (Chapter 19) of theQur’an is named after her. Muslims alsobelieve that Jesus (peace be upon him),with God’s permission, performed manymiracles and also refer to him as “theMessiah”.

� Pillars of Islam

There are five Pillars of Islam. Theserepresent the essential basis, orinfrastructure of Islam’s teachingsand are obligatory upon all Muslims.

First Pillar

The first Pillar is the “Shahada” ortestimonial which states, “There is no godbut God and that Muhammad is theMessenger of God”. This first Pillar is thevery cornerstone of Islamic belief andrequires that one confesses with fullconviction that God is the one and onlydeity and that Muhammad (peace beupon him) is the servant and messengerof God. Any person who utters thistestimony with sincerity is a Muslim.

Acknowledgement of the ProphetMuhammad (peace be upon him) alsomeans that Muslims acknowledge allprophets. The most well known and oftencited are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesusand Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

Weblink: Six Articles of faith

Second Pillar

The second Pillar of Islam is “Salat” orPrayer. The prayers are performed at fiveset times over the course of a day and areobligatory upon all adult Muslims (thoughthere are some specific exceptions, eg for

the very sick). The timings and namesgiven to the prayers are:

• Fajr or dawn prayer;

• Dhur or noon prayer;

• Asr or afternoon prayer;

• Maghrib or evening prayer;

• Isha or night prayer.

In order to perform the prayer, Muslimshave to first ensure that they arephysically and spiritually cleansedthrough a ritual washing known as“Wudu”or ablutions. Muslims must praytowards the “Ka’ba” or holy house inMecca, Saudi Arabia, which the ProphetAbraham (peace be upon him) built forthe worship of Allah.

• Why do Muslims congregate atmosques on Fridays?

Muslims are called to prayer through the“Adhan” – a human voice calling thefaithful to prayer. The Muslim holy day isFriday or “Jumm’a”, which is marked by acongregational service and a sermon,attendance of which is obligatory for men.

20

Other prayers that must be performed incongregation are funeral prayers for thedeceased and the prayer on the occasionof the twomajor festivals of Eid ul Fitr andEid ul Adha.

� Women and mosques

Contrary to some stereotypes, women arepermitted to attend and pray together inmosques though somemosques lackprovision for separate women’s spaces.Prayer is a deeply spiritual and physicalactivity and so it is not appropriate formen and women to pray side by side.Women are however, exempt from anyrequirement to pray in congregation,which men are obliged to do.

Third Pillar

The third Pillar of Islam is “Zakah” orObligatory Alms giving. This refers to thepayment of a certain percentage of one’sassets to the needy.

Fourth Pillar

The fourth Pillar of Islam is “Sawm” orFasting during the holy month of“Ramadan”. During Ramadan, Muslimsabstain from food, drink, smoking andintimate relations while fasting fromdawn to sunset. The aim of the fast is tolearn physical and mental self-controlwhile Muslims focus on seeking God’sforgiveness for their sins and mistakesand developing their spiritual connectionwith God. By experiencing hunger andthirst, Muslims learn to becomemorecompassionate towards the needy andshow solidarity with the poor.

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamiclunar calendar and is the month in whichthe first passages of the Qur’an wererevealed to the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) over 1400 years ago.The end of Ramadan is marked by thefestival of Eid ul Fitr.

Fifth Pillar

The fifth Pillar of Islam is The “Hajj”, orPilgrimage to Mecca. There are two typesof pilgrimage:

• Umrah: the lesser pilgrimage which canbe performed at any time but is notequal to the main Hajj;

• Hajj: the mandatory pilgrimage. There isa specified period for the Hajj during the12th month of the Islamic lunar calendarknown as Dhul Hijjah.

The Hajj is a duty on every Muslim who isfinancially and physically able to carry itout and any dependents remaining athome should also be provided for. Itshould be done at least once in a person’slifetime. The purpose of the Hajj is theglorification of God and commemorates anumber of events in the life of the ProphetAbraham (peace be upon him) and hisfamily in Mecca.

One of the most amazing sights ofdevotion is the mass circumnavigationsknown as “Tawaf”, of thousands ofpilgrims, all in the same direction, aroundthe cubical structure known as the Ka’ba,

21

a simple 50 foot high cubical building,which is the first house on earth built forthe worshipping of the one God.

Equality before God is an important factorin Islam and this is dramaticallydemonstrated during Hajj when all menand women are required to put away theirregular clothing and any signs of wealthand following a bath, make a firmintention to perform the pilgrimage. Thisspiritual and physical preparation isknown as entering into a state of “ihram”.It means abstaining from all worldlypleasures and refraining from disruptive,or indecent acts.

In addition, men have to wear just twopieces of towelling wrapped, not sewn,around the waist and chest leaving theright shoulder exposed. They must wearsandals and leave the head exposed.Women can wear what they want as longas it is modest and hides their bodies andany signs of wealth. They must leave theirhands and faces exposed.

Eid-ul-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) iscelebrated throughout the Muslim worldas a commemoration of Prophet

Abraham's (peace be upon him)willingness to sacrifice his son for God.Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated on the tenth dayof the month of Dhul-Hijjah.

(Source, Jamal Badawi, Islamic Teachings Course,Volume 1, 1982)

� Other sources of religiousguidance

In addition to the Five Pillars, there aretwo other sources of religious guidance:

• “Sunnah” : This is the established bodyof what the Prophet said, did, agreed to,or condemned. These are transmittedand preserved through the recordedsayings of the Prophet known as“hadiths”.

• “Shari’ah”, or Islamic Law: Thisrepresents the eternal, ethical and moralcode of Islam based on the Qu’ran andSunnah. It includes all the religious,ethical and legal systems which guidethe lives of practising Muslims. Itrepresents more than just family andcriminal codes that are often portrayedin the media. Contrary to stereotypes,

Shari’ah is organic and growing anddependent on local contexts (SeeChapter 2). The Shari’ ah requires humanunderstanding to interpret it and as aresult, you will often see differentopinions amongMuslim scholars for aparticular issue. A “fatwa” is anothermisunderstood word. It is a legal opiniongiven by a Muslim religious scholar orlegal authority and can relate to anymatter that comes under Shari’ah law.

The Qur’an also distinguishes betweenactions or things that are lawful,permitted and beneficial, known as“halal”, and that which is unlawful,forbidden and regarded as sinful, knownas “haram”. The most common exampleswhere these terms are frequently heardrelate to food.

22

� Visiting a mosque

Mosques are always happy to greet visitorswishing to knowmore about Islam.However, it is a good idea to check if amosque is able to receive guests as somesmaller mosques in particular may lack theresources to host visitors or the timing ofrequest may be inconvenient. Largermosques are usually able to arrange toursfor individuals and groups alike.

There are also a few notes of etiquettethat Muslims would appreciate whenvisitors enter a mosque. One of theserequires that men and women dressmodestly in accordance with Islamicteachings when entering amosque. Formen this means ensuring he is coveredfrom at least the naval to the knee, whilewomen should cover all parts of theirbodies except the face and hands.Everyone has to remove their shoes beforeentering the prayer area; there are usuallyshoe racks for this purpose. Visitors arealso expected to respect the separateprayer areas for men and women. It isbetter to avoid taking photographs,especially when people are praying. If indoubt, seek advice.

• Further Reading

Translations of the Holy Qur’an

MAS Abdel Haleem (2005) “The Qur’an, ANew Translation”, Oxford University Press.

Sohaib Sultan (2004) “The Koran forDummies”, Indiana,Wiley Publishing Inc.

• Islam and Beliefs

Jamal Badawi (1982) “Islamic TeachingsCourse”, Volume 1, Islamic PropagationCentre International, Birmingham.

Hewer, Chris (2006) “UnderstandingIslam, The First Ten Steps”, London, SCMPress.

Lombard, J (2007) “Submission, Faith andBeauty: The Religion of Islam”, Hayward,CA: Zaytuna Institute.

See weblink for more references.

23

The history between Britain and “theEast” pre-dates Islam to the times ofthe Roman Empire. Some Arabsserving in the legions settled inBritain. Interestingly, one of thesemen eventually became known asthe patron Saint of England –St George. Later, coins from the 8thcentury minted by King Offa ofMercia (an ancient Anglo-Saxonkingdom), and bearing the Islamicdeclaration of faith, “There is no Godbut God and He is withoutassociation”, show that there wereearly, positive relationships betweenMuslims and Britain.

See:www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/g/gold_imitation_dinar_of_offa.aspx

There are also references to Muslims inthe work of European scholars such asChaucer in his Canterbury Tales (1386),while Queen Elizabeth I was known tohave sought the naval assistance of the

Ottoman Sultan Murad against theSpanish Armada in the mid-1580s. Shemaintained trade relations with theOttoman Empire to supplement theEnglish fondness for sweets andluxurious goods and gave a Royal Charterto “The East India Company” in 1600. ByQueen Victoria’s time, it became soinfluential it was used as a tool to effectcontrol in India.

Trade saw a steady exchange ofmerchants and sailors from across theOrient, Arabian peninsula, Africa, Indiaand the Americas arriving regularly inBritain’s ports. “Coffee houses” became afamiliar feature in London for about 400years, frequented by artists and writersand are even mentioned in the novels ofDickens. The first large group of Muslimsin Britain were sailors recruited by theEast India Company, arriving about 300years ago but also included ship’s cooks,which, as the British taste for curriesdeveloped, eventually gave rise to thefirst Indian restaurant opening in the19th century.

The earliest settled communities werefrom Yemen, who made homes in the porttowns such as Cardiff and Liverpool andlater moved to places like Sheffield andBirmingham, establishing the firstmosques. However, the first purpose-builtmosque was the Shah Jehan Mosque inWoking (1894), and was followed in 1944by the famous Islamic Cultural Centrenear London’s Regent’s Park opened byKing George VI and built with a donationof £100,000 from Churchill’s governmentin recognition of Muslim support for theAllies duringWorldWars 1 and 2.

From the 1950’s onward, large numbers ofmigrants from Britain’s former colonieswere invited to Britain to help in post-warreconstruction. Many Muslims arrivedfrom the Indian sub-continent butMuslims in Britain today reflect the vastdiversity of Muslims across the globeinfluencing their cultural practices, theway they dress, food they eat, languages,and customs. This diversity contributes toBritain’s overall success as a multiculturalnation.

24 5 Who are the Muslims of Britain?

� Who are the Muslims inBristol?

According to the last Census in 2001,there are now an estimated 1.6–1.8million Muslims in the UK – nearly4% of the population.

Bristol’s Muslims represent the longerestablished communities such as theIndians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis,Nigerians, Somalis, Turkish and Arabs, andnewer migrants such as Iraqis, Kurds,Albanians, Libyans, Bosnians, andKosovans. There are about 43 Muslimorganisations in the region including 10mosques and twoMuslim councillors ofKashmiri and Bangladeshi origin.

Muslims in Bristol, like the rest of Britain,contribute hugely in terms of the culturalscene – music, fashions, art, languages,cuisine – and also to the social andeconomic health of Bristol. Local Muslimorganisations regularly encourage activeparticipation in Bristol through projectsaimed at encouraging further training,employment and education of localMuslims, but also through holding social

and cultural events. "Radio RamadhanBristol", launched in 2005, the BMCSSports Team, participation in numerousmulti-cultural and faith events are just afew examples indicating a thriving andactive community. Upcoming is the“Hazrat Bilal Islamic Centre”, which iscurrently under development. This isparticularly aimed at young people andencourages diversity and communitycohesion with an open door policy.

According to the last Census in 2001,there were approximately 7664 Muslimsin Bristol, representing 2% of the totalpopulation. However, since then, recentpopulation movements suggest thisnumber is closer to around 30,000representing about 7% of the population .The numbers of Somali Muslims in Bristolhave increased in recent years as a resultof the on-going crisis in Somalia and theresulting migration of refugees. Many ofthese newer migrants are not reflected inthe Census. Other refugees come fromplaces such as Iraq, Iran and Eritrea.

For further information on Bristol’s ethnicminorities, see:

• National Statistics Online:www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/00hb.asp

• CRE Ethnicity profiles: SouthWestEngland, Bristolhttp://www.cre.gov.uk/diversity/map/southwest/bristol.html

25

Education and learning are highlyvalued in Islam. Early Muslimcivilisations sparked some of themost significant and enduringscientific and intellectualcontributions as well as everydayluxuries that are now viewed as partand parcel of our lives. Muslims inBritain have also made significantcontributions to the well-being ofBritish society.

The Manchester Museum of Science andIndustry hosted a three-month exhibitionin 2006 called “1001 Inventions”on thecontributions of Arabs and Muslims tomodern life. The exhibition, now on touracross the country, was in partnershipwith the Foundation for Science,Technology and Civilisation.

See:www.1001inventions.com

The exhibition covers Muslimcontributions ranging from the inceptionof the first universities and libraries, thespreading of knowledge in areas such asphilosophy, science and mathematics,

medicine and health, the first bankingsystems, Muslim contributions to art,architecture and interior design, food,cosmetics, toiletries and luxury goods.

� Language

The exhibition also gives visitors achance to explore the Arabic origins ofseveral words in modern day Englishlanguage, such as “algorithm”,“magazine”, “loofah”, “alchemy”,“guitar”, and gazelle.

To see more go to Arabic words in English:http://www.1001inventions.com/words

Muslims were responsible for the firsttranslations of Greek philosophers such asAristotle and thus made these texts, andArab commentaries, available for themedievalWestern world. Many Muslimphilosophers were also scientists andmade significant advancements in thefields of optics, chemistry, geology,geography, climatology, botany, biologyand psychology.

•How Islam Inspired Scientific Advance• Innovations in Islamic Scienceswww.muslimheritage.com

In science andmathematics, we learn thatearly Muslims developed the concepts oftrigonometry used in mathematics andastronomy that were later used byEuropean scientists such as Copernicus.Other advances were in the fields ofalgebra, with the word itself derived fromthe Arabic al-Jabr that appeared in the titleof a book byMuslim scholar, MohammedbinMusa Al-Khwarizmi. Muslimmathematicians also drew on the earlierscholarship of Greeks and Hindus anddeveloped the use of “zero” (“zephirum”or“sifr”) in maths and the concepts ofaddition, subtraction, multiplication,division and decimal numbers.

The exhibition shows howmany of today’ssurgical instruments and techniques arebased on early models developed byMuslim doctors such as Al-Zahrawi,known in theWest as Abulcasis, in the10th century. The Muslim philosopher andscientist, Ibn Sina (980-1037), also knownas “Avicenna”, wrote a textbook, the

26 6 Have Muslims contributed anything to civilisation or Britain?

Canon of Medicine, that was usedthroughout Europe. The first free healthsystems were also founded in the early9th century in Baghdad.

The beauty and breadth of Islamic art andarchitecture, with its characteristicgeometric and floral patterns stillinfluences and inspires art and design ininteriors, exteriors and gardens today.These can be seen in the design of theRoyal Pavilion in Brighton, which wasstrongly influenced bymosque design inits four large, bulbous domes and interiordesign. Similarly, the work of the designerWilliamMorris is clearly influenced by thefloral patterns found in Persian carpetsthat were popular in 19th century England.

See: The impact of Islamic arts on theWestwww.islamicart.com/main/architecture/impact.html

Cosmetics such as eye kohl (derived fromthe Arabic al-khol), lipstick, and perfumeoils, and toiletries such as under-armdeodorants and hand lotions wereimportant to early Muslims. Soap, forexample, was developed in 7th centuryMiddle East and was very popular

amongst Muslims from all socialbackgrounds at a time whenMedievalEurope shunned the idea of regularbathing.

See: Muslim Contribution to Cosmeticswww.muslimheritage.com

� Contributions of Muslimsin Britain

Today, Muslims in Britain contribute to itsvibrant diversity in a wide range of fieldsfrom the sciences, medicine and healthcare, the legal profession, government,financial services, politics, the arts, thesocial sciences, community and voluntaryservices, sport, media and entertainment.

The Muslim News newspaper hosts TheMuslim News Awards for Excellence, anannual event that seeks to raise theprofile of Muslim role models – both thewell-known and unknown, ordinarycitizens who contribute to the bettermentof society.

The website known as “Salaam” lists a“Who'sWhoMen”and “Who'sWhoWomen”with brief profiles of professional

27

Myths:“Arab countries are not

exactly shining examplesof civilisation, are they?Few of them make much

contribution to thewelfare of the rest of the

world. […] We havethousands of asylum

seekers from Iran, Iraq,Algeria, Egypt, Libya,

Yemen, Saudi Arabia andother Arab countriesliving happily in this

country on socialsecurity.”

The Express on Sunday, 4th Jan2004

British Muslims and their contributions ineducation, medicine, law, media, charitywork, politics and sport. The “MuslimPower 100” is another initiative aimed athighlighting Muslim contributions toBritish life.

Some of the best known individuals fromthe world of journalism include RagehOmar (formerly BBC and now Al-JazeeraEnglish), Asad Ahmad and Zenaib Badawi(BBC), Sameera Ahmed (Channel Four),and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown of theIndependent newspaper. Other well-known writers include the commentatorand academic Zia Sardar and SarfrazManzoor. The Muslimmedia is alsothriving with a number of establishedpublications such as Q-News, The MuslimNews, The MuslimWeekly and the glossylifestyle magazine, Emel.

There are now four elected members ofParliament two of whom are juniorministers, Sadiq Khan and Shahid Malik,and eight members of the House of Lords,four of whom are women. Among politicalcampaigning groups, the head of AmnestyInternational is Irene Khan, a Muslim.

Sir Anwar Pervez is a Pakistan-bornbusinessman who has been ranked as the12th richest Asian in Great Britain withassets valued at £390 million.

In sport, familiar names are “Prince”Naseem Hamed, Amir Khan and DannyWilliams – all boxers, while in cricket,there is the Lancashire fast-bowler SajidMahmood. In addition, a Muslim women-only team regularly represents Britain atthe IslamicWomen’s Games held in Iran.

In music, Yusuf Islam, formerly known asthe singer Cat Stevens, is a regularpresence on the public scene through hismany humanitarian projects, and morerecently again for his music. Sometraditional forms of music, such as theQawali, influenced by Sufi mysticism, havelong held an appeal amongst many non-Muslims. The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

was well-known for his collaborationswithWestern artists such as Peter Gabriel.The Muslim theatre company, Khayyal,regularly performs Arabic plays in Englishand have in the past collaborated withShakespeare’s Globe Theatre in organisinga season of plays and talks on“Shakespeare and Islam”.

Muslim influences can also be seen in theintricate embroidery and distinctive styleof manyWestern fashion and jewellerydesigns such as the popular kaftan tunicsand embroidered shawls, while images ofthe Muslim word captured by thephotographer Peter Sanders, can be foundin international publications such as TimeMagazine.

� Other famous Muslims

There are also many famous non-BritishMuslims who are household names. Forinstance, Mohamed Al Fayed, the colourfulowner of the world famous Britishdepartment store and tourist attraction,Harrods; the French footballer, ZinedineZidane, has claimed every top honour thatthe game has to offer and led France tovictory in the 1998World Cup; the

28

Pakistani cricketer turned politician, ImranKhan, who led his team to win theWorldCup in 1992; and the Iranian human rightsactivist Shirin Ebadi, who became the firstfemale Muslim to receive the prestigiousNobel Peace Prize in Norway 2003. Butperhaps the most famous and iconicfigure of modern times is the worldfamous boxer Muhammad Ali, three-timeworld heavyweight champion, and oftendescribed as the “most recognisable manon earth”.

This short summary of Muslim historicalcontributions to civilisation and Muslimcontributions to Britain gives a smallflavour of the ways Islamic influenceshave helped shape society as a whole, andshows how vibrant and diverse Muslims inBritain are.

• Further Reading

England's Past for Everyone: “Identity andthe City: a History of Ethnic Minorities inBristol 1000 – 2001”, University of theWest of England (in progress)

Hattstein, M and Delius, P (2001) (Eds)Islam Art and Architecture, Konemann.

29

Muslim Community Ahle-Sunni

• Bristol Central Mosque(Bangladeshi)

Owen Street, Owen Square, Easton,Bristol BS5 6AP

• Bristol Jamia Mosque

Green Street, Totterdown, Bristol BS3 4UBt: 0117 977 0944t: 0117 971 1310 Nisar Ahmed

• Easton Islami Darasagah

2 Roman Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 6DLt: 0117 951 0156

• Easton Masjid

St Marks Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 6DHt: 0117 951 0317

• Islami Darasagah Bristol (Brailvi)

109 Lower Cheltenham Road, Montpelier,Bristol BS6 5LAe: islami-darasagah-bristol@blueyonder.co.uk

• Shah Jalal JameMosque

468 Stapleton Road, Bristol BS5 6PAt: 0117 951 9988

Muslim CommunityAhle-Shia Ithna Asheri

1 Apsley Street, Eastville, Bristol BS5 6SP

t: 0117 951 9194Maulana Syed Fida Hussain Bukhari

Somali Muslim Community

• Majid Albaseera

20Wade Street, Bristol BS5e: somaliislamic@hotmail.com

Ismaili Community

• Bristol Community

Meets at Friends Meeting House,Hampton Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6JEt: 0117 968 5094Angela Norris

Community Groups

• Bristol Muslim Cultural Society

404 Stapleton Road, Easton,Bristol BS5 0JEt: 0117 952 1802 Mr Farooq Siddiquee: bmcs@bmcs.org.ukw: www.bmcs.org.uk

• Daru-Al-Moameneen

e: info@dalma.org.ukw: www.dalmo.org.uk

• Islamic Information Centre

460 Stapleton Road, Eastville,Bristol BS5 6PAt: 0117 902 0037 Abdul Majeede: iic.bristol@hotmail.comw: www.islamicinformationcentre.co.uk

• My Town Foundation(serving the community, women inparticular)

t: 0870 755 412f:0870 1369 939e: info@mytownfoundation.org.ukw: www.mytownfoundation.org.uk

30 Contact list

� If you would like this information in a differentformat, for example braille, audiotape, large print orcomputer disk, or community languages,please contact 0117 922 2329 orequalities.team@bristol.gov.uk

www.bristol.gov.uk

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