Seeking Accommodation
Posted by The Platform | Posted in Politics and Civic Participation | Posted on 02-03-2010
4
By Malieha Malik
Can Muslims be accomodated into Britain- ten years and beyond?
Muslims are not the first religious and cultural minority to seek accommodation within the category ‘British’. There has always been cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity in Britain. The official public accommodation of this diversity within the definition of the nation has depended on different forces: the social and political power of the group that is seeking accommodation; the relationship between the domestic and the international context; as well as access to socio-economic wealth.
Looking back on the last ten years, the task of accommodating British Muslims has been made more difficult by the combination of international and domestic politics. The events of 9/11 in New York and the 7/7 bombs in London led to an unprecedented interest in whether Muslims can be ‘British’. One consequence has been to exaggerate the role of ‘cultural and religious difference’ as a cause of the bombings of July 7. Religious differences between British Muslims and other Britons (e.g. the wearing of the nikab) have been converted into entrenched ideological differences – a clash of civilisations – that is beyond political debate and negotiation.
Although leading politicians and public figures have been leading the field as critics of multiculturalism and reviving the debate about ‘Britishness’ as a bulwark against security risks, it is significant that one leading political thinker, John Gray, has reached the opposite conclusion. He observes that, “The attempt to create a liberal monoculture, which many commentators have urged, founders on the fact of diversity. The fantasy of a morally cohesive society has inspired some of the worst types of repression. It is ironic that a panicky reaction against the idea of multiculturalism should have engendered a liberal variant of this dream. The reality is that we cannot hope to share many of our fundamental values. But we can still rub along together, if we can relearn the habit of tolerance.1
Looking forward to the next ten years, there are a number of key priorities that can facilitate the task of accommodating British Muslims. First, and foremost, the primary responsibility falls on those with the greatest power – state agencies. National legal and political institutions, as well as key public bodies and local authorities, need to put into place legal and policy frameworks that deliver political, social and economic equality for British Muslims. Second, media and public figures, both Muslims and non-Muslims, should engage in this debate critically but with a greater awareness that the words and images about Islam and Muslims that they introduce into the public sphere may encourage the harms of prejudice, discrimination and social exclusion.
Third, and finally, there is an urgent need for an internal critical debate. One consequence of the external criticism of British Muslims since 9/11 and 7/7 has been to reduce the space for an internal critical dialogue about greater equality for British Muslim women or responding to Muslim youth. Whilst it is true that the public space for this internal critique will depend on international events in the Muslim world, it is also the case that this domestic debate cannot be indefinitely suspended. Ultimately, British Muslims may have very little control over how state institutions, the media or public figures respond to them. They do, however, have control over how they organise and build their community institutions. The challenge, after all, is not just about the next ten years; it is about how to safeguard a prosperous – and permanent – future for British Muslims.
Maleiha Malik is Reader in Law at the School of Law, King’s College University of London. Her research and teaching interests include Discrimination Law. Her recent relevant publications include ‘Anti-Muslim Prejudice in the West = Past and Present,’ published by Routledge, 2010.
Great article!
I know this is a tad bit mean, but it’s a good job Samuel Huntington’s no longer around to spew his “Clash of civilisations” nonesense.
It is not about monoculture, it is about accepting universal human rights and, clearly, that offends a minority of the religious in this country.
Well, tough. We have done religious balkanisation in this country to death (literally) particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the reaction against this that lead Britain (thankfully) away from sky cultism and towards science and rationalism.
There are deep seated reasons in the UK for its, largely, hands off approach to religion as you may or may not be aware of. It has served us well.
You speak of muslims being accommodated in the UK, I agree, religious and ethnic discrimination is clearly wrong and this country has often lead the fight against such (not exactly a perfect record but at least we have tried) But how about Muslims accommodating the UK and accpeting that perhaps that are certain religious/cultural practices that are just beyond the pale?? Like the nikab, forced marriage, arranged marriage, any form of civil or criminal shariah, female circumcision and inequality based on gender, sexuality or choice of religion or absence of religion or, indeed, the total freedom to move from one religion to another without fear of violence or intimidation.
Just to make a quick comment, THC – as Yahya has noted, you are making some very common tabloid provoked mistakes about Islam. Just to draw on a few: Forced Marriages and FGM are not part of Islam. They may be part of some cultures, and yes, they are beyond the pale. As for Nikab – if a woman chooses to wear it, then I don’t see how it is anyones business to intervene. Re civil or criminal shariah, I suggest you get a grounding in that highly complex field before you go making genaralised comments on it. The Daily Mail really isn’t a manual on Islamic Law. Ditto for gender equality. I’m a Muslim woman and have been studying Islamic Law for several years now. I know my rights, and they are absolutely equal if not better. It’s touching when random non-muslim men seek to ‘liberate’ me, but really, I can fend for and speak for myself, thank you very much :p.
For Heavens sake Common Humanist, you’re making the very typical mistakes of a Daily Mail reader.
Maliha isn’t defending silly cultural practices such as female circumsision, forced marraiges or the Nikaab; 9/10 educated muslims wouldn’t do either. All it takes is a little education for people to snap out of these practices. I can give you a whole list of pretty silly practices of underprivileged and poorly educated parts of the non-muslim community if you wish?
Neither does the majority of the muslim community call for Shariah in the UK; it’sa point ridiculously overplayed by the media. Furthermore; (far from the hand-chopping I’m sure you’re all too used to reading about) those that do, advocate a non-binding civil form of the Shariah in which both parties are willing to abide by any ruling. I don’t see any problem in that. The Jewish community exercises the same privileges.
Briefly, to address your other points (some of which on a theological level would be hard for muslims to justify in an ISLAMIC state) : there are several passages in Islamic texts which advise muslims to live by the “law of the land” if they find themselves living in a non-muslim community. Also, may I refer you to the very famous “there is no compulsion in religion” quote from the Qur’an.
With regard to “arranged marriages”; you clearly have no idea what they entail. I’m a muslim; I’ll most probably have an arranged marriage. All it means is that I’ll introduce my parents to a prospective wife (and vice versa) and her family prior to deciding to marry her. The muslim community is incredibly family orientated, and no where near as solitary as the rest of British society: to a certain extent you – as a muslim – marry the family as well as your spouse. If you take a look at the statistics as well, arranged marriages on the whole are far more stable than non-arranged; rarely do divorces occur. Although you semi- distinguished between arranged and forced marriages in your post, there is a HUGE difference between the two.