When
I attended the Lincolnshire camp in the United
Kingdom organized by the Islamic Society of
Britain (ISB) 2003, I noticed the continuing
developments among the British Muslims and how
they try to cope with their hyphened identities,
attempting to be confident Muslims and actively
participating citizens. On the other hand, I
learned more about the challenges facing British
Muslims. Generally, the underachievement of
European Muslims is caused by different boundaries
that could be language, faith, culture, identity,
tradition, economic standing, education, employment,
and prejudice—the list goes on. In confronting
these problems, many suggestions stressed the need
for Europe to work on a long-term, coherent
integration strategy, while European Muslims
continue to redefine themselves in their
communities, discussing choices.
Despite
the dark side of the picture, I am among those who
hold more optimistic views, believing that Islam
can contribute to reflection on the place of
spirituality in secularized societies. Muslims can
be the natural allies of all those who challenge
such societies on questions of meaning, ethics,
and social justice.
The
London bombings revealed our need to look deeply
at the heart of the problems, putting the right
questions and seeking the proper answers.
One
cannot predict how the British Muslims will
respond to new challenges after the bombings,
especially when they are facing more security
measures and expected racial profiling as well as
after they have experienced unprecedentedly
intense criticism.
|
|
Islam
can contribute to reflection on the place of
spirituality in secularized societies. |
|
After
the bombings, the British Muslim community has
been asked not only to condemn what happened, but
also to do some self-criticism and to put its
house in order. Some of the recommended strategies
for the Muslim community are working more on
dialogue among themselves and engaging with all
levels of government in a balanced, dynamic way.
On
the other hand, criticizing the British
multicultural model, describing it as one of the
embedded reasons that terrorism is nourished,
cannot interpret serious phenomena in the British
society.
Blair
announced on August 5 that the July attacks should
be followed by new security measures. Although it
may sound repetitive, seeking security through
such measures and procedures cannot be the
solution to what has happened. This might actually
prevent Britain from seeking fresh, creative,
modern answers to the problems that the bombings
unveiled.
 |
|
Cover
of the book
|
The
interesting book British Muslims Between
Assimilation and Segregation: Historical, Legal
and Social Realities (Mohammad Siddique
Seddon, Dilwar Hussain, and Nadeem Malik)
contributes greatly to the ongoing debate in terms
of the formulation of new questions and valid
viewpoints that open the door to further
discussions.
Dr.
Sophie Gilliat-Ray of the Department of Religious
and Theological Studies, Cardiff University, and
the publisher of the book affirmed “Seddon,
Hussain and Malik stress the importance of Muslim
engagement in British society, and draw upon their
extensive knowledge of Islam, social sciences, and
the law, to demonstrate both the challenges and
the possibilities. … Their ideas deserve to form
the basis for debate about the future of Islam in
the UK. This book will be valuable to students of
Islamic studies, sociology, race and ethnicity,
politics and law, but also warrants a much wider
general readership.”
I
have carefully read this book, which addresses the
issues from two different perspectives. First, the
theoretical (macro-) one, discussing how we can
arrive at intellectual and judicial frames of
reference, which are clearer and better, adapted
to Muslims in the British context. Second, the
practical (micro-) perspective considering the
different experiences and views on a daily life
basis.
 |
|
Mohammad
Siddique Seddon
|
In
this interview, conducted in July of 2005,
Mohammad Siddique Seddon, a co-author of the book
and a researcher in the Islamic Foundation UK,
agreed to answer our questions and to not leave
any stone unturned.
Read
in This Intervie
The
Young Generations: Expectation?
IOL:
Given the fact that 52% of the Muslims in the UK
are young (under the age of 25), it is said that
the coming generations may be more capable of
integration as they should command the language
and the social skills. What do you think?
Seddon:
The Muslim
community in Britain is comparatively young to the
host community, and the next twenty years or so
will probably witness a greater presence of
Muslims in all spheres of British society. As far
as greater participation of British Muslims is
concerned, for example, the Muslim vote will
increase at every general election, ensuring that
it cannot be ignored by politicians. The recent
general election in Britain shows that Muslims are
considering wider political issues, locally,
nationally, and internationally. In addition, they
are moving away from the traditional voting
patterns of their migrant parents.
As
for as the increasing acculturation and
integration of British Muslims, this is a natural
consequence of migration, in that the migrant
community slowly merges culturally into the
dominant community into which it has settled.
However, global factors, 9/11, and the subsequent
invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq mean that Muslim
identity is still a feature of young British
Muslims’ character regardless of their emerging
“Britishness.”
After
the London Bombings
IOL:
But as the London bombers are from that young
generation, do you expect any drastic changes in
the future of the young British Muslims?
|
|
We
failed to realize the depth of anger and
frustration of a minority of young British
Muslims. |
|
Seddon:
It seems that what
we failed to do as a community was to realize the
depth of anger and frustration of a minority of
young British Muslims. Beyond this reality, of
course, there are tiny minorities who have been
drawn into the “global jihad” through the
polemical views of extremist groups that have been
allowed to propagate their ideas in Britain [e.g.,
Al-Muhajiroun and Hizb at-Tahrir]. Our failing was
that we did not believe that their “jihadi”
rhetoric would actually manifest into acts of
terrorism and murder. If the police response is
not measured and sensitive, which at the moment it
is, I am afraid that the fanatics might be able to
convince our disenfranchised youth that they were
right all along and that Muslims are the target of
indiscriminate anti-Muslim laws and policies.
IOL:
How can the Muslims fulfill the governmental
security demands and keep their own independent
stances currently and in the future?
Seddon:
We should resist
outside attempts to “nationalize” us. Yes, we
are British, but we are British Muslims in much
the same way that other faith communities are
British—the Christians, the Jews, the Sikhs, the
Buddhists, etc. All faiths have a universal
dimension to their character, and we as Muslims
should not be afraid of maintaining our ummatic
universal Muslim identity. Nor should our
universal identity be seen in opposition to our
national political identity. When there is a
contention, for example, we might disagree with
our government’s international polices;
expressing our dissent through lawful protest
should not be viewed as disloyalty but rather as
our ability to engage in the democratic process.
Many Christians oppose the invasion of Iraq but
they are not seen as being disloyal to Britain.
IOL:
The British Muslim community has been asked not
only to condemn the London bombings but to do some
kind of a crucial self-criticism and to put their
house in order. To what extent do you agree?
|
|
Our
universal identity should not be seen in
opposition to our national political identity. |
|
Seddon:
The British Muslim
community did not need to be asked to condemn the
terrorist murders, they responded immediately and
unanimously in the condemnations. However, these
terrible events have been used to scapegoat the
community by launching vicious attacks on its
religious leaders, its institutions, and its
beliefs to the extent that many secular liberals
have claimed that Islamic theology rather than
dangerous international government policies are to
blame for the attacks. Yes, we do have problems in
communication between first-generation migrants
and their British-born children, but these are
largely social and cultural problems rather than
religious ones, and the community has been
addressing these issues with little or no support
from local or central government.
Islamophobia:
A Multi-Level Phenomenon
IOL:
You mentioned in your book that Islamophobia is an
established phenomenon that is deeply rooted and
has wide-reaching impact. What are the most
important manifestations in the British society?
Which is more dangerous against the Muslims,
Islamophobia on the state or the individual level?
|
|
At
the present only government legislation will
offer protection against Islamophobia. |
|
Seddon:
Islamophobia is a
new form of racism that focuses specifically on
the cultures, beliefs, and practices of Muslims. A
recent report for the European Union (EUMC report
on Islamophobia) acknowledged that it is on the
increase and that Muslim minorities need
protection through laws against this religious
hate crime. The reality of “religious racism”
has been recognized against Jews and Sikhs here in
the UK and racism against black and Asian
communities has also been prohibited by law.
Unfortunately for British Muslims, they are
protected by law as blacks or Asians but they are
unprotected as Muslims. This means they still
suffer discrimination for their religious beliefs
and practices. Until the government acknowledges
Islamophobia as a crime and institutes new laws to
protect Muslims, this form of discrimination will
continue on both the individual and institutional
levels. At the present only government legislation
will offer protection against Islamophobia, and if
they do not offer protection to Muslims against
this crime, we really need to ask why.
IOL:
How can the British Muslims face the disadvantages
of lacking the legal recognition and being
attacked under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and
Security Act?
Seddon:
At the moment we
cannot and we have been told by Hazel Blears, a
Home Office Minister, that we should expect to be
targeted under these new draconian and
undemocratic anti-terror laws in which, it would
appear, all Muslims are suspects by virtue of
their religion alone.
Ethnic
and Religious Groups: Confusing Definitions
IOL:
Islam is not a religion confined to one ethnic
group, and I know that the British law protects
other religious groups from any offensive action
against them as ethnic groups (Jews, Sikhs, etc.).
Do you think that this should be changed and how?
Seddon:
British Muslims
are very diverse ethnically and culturally, and we
have Muslims present here from all over the world
as well as a large convert community. This means
that they cannot be defined as a religious group
ethnically because the sub-division would be too
many and too diverse. Therefore, specific
legislation has to be introduced that recognizes
the two million British Muslims as a religious
entity in its own right.
IOL:
You explained that there are diverse Muslim
cultural expressions that can be seen around the
world. However, this does not mean that there are
many “Islams” but there are many expressions
of the Muslim way of life. But still, many people
do not see this interpretation as an answer for
their question, “What is the pure Islam?” What
do you think?
Seddon:
The idea of
“pure Islam,” I believe, is an abstraction and
if by using it we mean the “Islam of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) and his
Companions,” then this, too, has a context. By
this I mean the doctrines of Islam (`aqeedah)
are enshrined in our religious texts, the Qur’an
and the Sunnah; they are universal and
unchangeable beliefs and rites. However, how they
are particularly manifested in any historical era
or society depends upon many social factors. Islam
does manifest itself culturally—from one place
and time to another—and, providing the practices
and beliefs of a particular Muslim society do not
contravene the teachings of the divine texts, then
what they do, wear, eat, etc. (‘urf), is
all permissible, in fact encouraged. The Qur’an
tells us clearly,
(Oh
Mankind! We have created you from a male and
female and set you up as nations and tribes, so
that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the
noblest among you before God are those who have
attained awareness (taqwah).)
[Al-Hujurat 49:13]
This
does not mean that there are many “Islams,”
but it does mean that there are many different
Muslims!
“European
Islam”: Possible Renaissance?
IOL:
Coming to the problematic term, identity, you
emphasized that living in any society involves a
constant negotiation of our different values and
ideas, allegiances and loyalties. How can such
understanding produce the so called “European
Islam”? Is it possible to expect a renaissance
from the West to cause an Islamic revival
affecting the Muslims in the East?
|
|
For
Muslims, we are not ethnically bound. |
|
Seddon:
This question is
very well put and is a complex one to answer
briefly, but I will endeavor to address some of
the key issues it raises. Identity is a
“problem” of the European Enlightenment,
whereby man was “de-essentialized.” That is,
his purpose of being was no longer seen as a part
of the divine schema. The application of
scientific rationalism and philosophical reasoning
demanded that religion should be empirically
tested by historical critical analysis. For many,
their religion “failed” the rigors of
rationalism and therefore the “reason” for
man’s existence had to be redetermined. In
addition to the effects of the Enlightenment, the
Reformation, a theological and political break-up
of Western Christendom, resulted in the formation
of nation-states with distinct religions and
races, e.g., “England and Anglicanism.” The
advent of religious skepticism and denominational
Christianity gave rise to the idea of
“others,” religiously and racially—those who
were “loyal” and could be identified as
“us.” In this current understanding of
“us” in Western Europe, shaped by exclusive
religious and racial definitions, Muslims are seen
as the outsiders, the “others.”
Fortunately
for Muslims, we are not ethnically bound and
therefore we can be or become French, English,
German, etc., without having to abandon our
religious beliefs or our “original identity”
as the creation of Allah and the sons of Adam. As
for a European Islam, why not? Provided we do not
lose our universal Islamic identity in the
process.
Between
Nation-State and Ummatic Universalism
IOL:
The Western European concept of identity through
national and racial constructs is really a result
of the creation of modern nation-states. As we are
approaching the formulation of the new Europe and
its constitution, can we expect any differences in
defining the word identity?
Seddon:
I believe Europe
has to think beyond itself, that is, it must place
itself in the new world in which we all now
live—the “globalized world.” In this new era
we have to question restrictive ideas concerning
identity. This is where what I call ummatic
universalism has a distinct advantage because
Muslim identity is not defined to the here and now
of the globalization phenomenon; it extends the
exclusive space of the here and now back to the
beginning of man’s creation through our
prophetic father Adam and to the final hour when
the universe and everything in it will be
reclaimed by its owner, God. In this context identity
has no fixed definition and the term Muslim
is not an identity but, rather, a state of being.
By this I mean a Muslim defines someone who
is in peaceful submission to God.
IOL:
You shed the light on the notion that
cosmopolitan citizenship seeks to rectify
this by giving power back to the individual and
local communities. The theory builds on the ideal
that as “citizens of the world” people should
have a sense of citizenship that can travel with
them and can be accepted by whichever community
they decide to base themselves in. This ideal of a
global community is compatible with the Islamic
notion of a global Ummah. How can the Muslims
contribute in the formulation of that new concept
of citizenship?
|
|
The
right to dissent religiously and politically
is eroding. |
|
Seddon:
I think I have
largely answered this question in a previous one,
but for me the defining difference between
“belonging to the Ummah” and “being a
citizen of the world” is that citizenry implies
the legitimacy and unreserved sovereignty of the
state in which the individual and the state enter
into an implicit and unwritten “social
contract” in which rights of the citizen are
granted by the state, providing loyalty and
fidelity are unquestioned. For people who define
themselves primarily through their religious
beliefs, it is only God Who is the unreserved
sovereign.
I
am extremely wary of citizenry largely because I
come from a society and culture that has a great
history and tradition of religious and political
dissent and this new form of
nationality—citizenry or citizenship—appears
to bind the individual in an unbalanced hegemonic
power relationship with the state. I believe that
states and their governments are merely
representatives of the people and rule by mutual
consent, ruled through power invested by the
people. In the developing citizenship-style states
and their governments, the implicit “social
contract” is becoming less and less optional,
meaning that the right to dissent religiously and
politically is becoming eroded in a politic where
the will of the people is becoming exclusively
decided by the state and its apparatus. If this
system is allowed to impose itself globally, I
believe it will have dire consequences for freedom
of humanity.
Boundaries
Against Integration
IOL:
You mentioned that the invisible boundary against
integration is a wall with many bricks—bricks
such as language, faith, culture, identity,
tradition, economic standing, education,
employment, prejudice—the list goes on. How can
the Muslim communities face these obstacles,
especially the underachievement in education and
employment?
|
|
We
should avoid becoming victims of our own
self-exclusion. |
|
Seddon:
I believe that the
best form of help is self-help, and tackling
issues of social exclusion—whether in education,
employment, culture, etc.—will require that
Muslims create their own opportunities. This is
already happening in education, for example. We
have around 138 Muslim faith schools in Britain
with 5 higher education institutes awarding
British degrees. In the field of employment,
Muslims are 3% above the national average of
self-employed. Culturally, British Muslims are
challenging the notions and definitions of what it
means to be British as they maintain their
traditional religious identity whilst negotiating
new forms of Britishness.
We
should avoid becoming victims of our own
self-exclusion, and wherever we can make positive
in-roads into the mainstream we are obliged, as
Muslims, to do so. All of the above does not
relinquish the responsibility of Western
governments to respond to the needs of their
Muslim citizens and to facilitate their full
participation and equal place in the country to
which they now belong.
IOL:
What are the channels that should be taken by
Muslims to evolve their understanding of
“Islamic activism”? Is it possible for a
Muslim in Europe to contribute in the different
fields to live Islam rather than to talk to the
people about it?
|
|
We
must become the moral conscience and spiritual
harbingers of our Western and European
counterparts. |
|
Seddon:
We cannot offer
the Western world anything materially nor can we
compete with them militarily, scientifically, or
politically. Instead, we have something that the
West no longer has—that is religious fidelity
and moral integrity, and it is here that we must
remind the West (and the rest) where they are
causing great spiritual harm and moral damage to
themselves and to the rest of the world. We must
become the moral conscience and spiritual
harbingers of our Western and European
counterparts, but this will not come about by
maintaining a victim mentality.
Yes,
we have suffered under the imperialism and
colonialism of Western nation-states, but we
cannot allow ourselves to be continually yoked by
the past. Prolonging a victim status harbors a
mindless hatred and provides an excuse for
inactivity and perpetual sufferance. Islam is a
religion of selfless service (khidmah), and
while we may be unable to give economically, we
can serve the communities in which we live by
helping to make them a better place to live
through our neighborliness and kindness. We also
can raise moral objections to unethical
developments in our societies, genetic crops,
human cloning, pre-emptive military strikes, etc.
We can only achieve this by seeking the common
good through appealing to the moral and spiritual
natural disposition (fitrah) of our
brothers and sisters in humanity.
If
Muslims want to be active, then let them be busy
in good works (`amal salih). We can evoke a
sense of purpose and meaning to life by reminding
of all of our spiritual origins and of our final
destination. This is the kind of “Islamic
activism” I would wish to see.
IOL:
You mentioned that most of the studies consider
Islam incapable of rooting itself within British
culture and civilization, that it is somehow
linguistically “chained” to somewhere else.
According to these fears, how can you evaluate the
importation of Islamic thought from the East? I
mean, what the European Muslims should take and
leave?
Seddon:
Again another very
good question! I consider myself a traditionalist.
Understanding Arabic is a prerequisite to
understanding the Qur’an, and therefore I
believe that maintaining, preserving, and
developing our traditional `ulema is
essential to our continued ideas about our
religion and ourselves. However, like the
traditional scholars of deen, I am aware
that Muslims should respond to their new social
and cultural environments.
|
|
The
`ulema need to respond to a completely
new set of social and cultural problems. |
|
The
situation of Muslims in the West is far removed
from those living in the traditional Muslim spaces
where society is dominated by Islam, historically,
culturally, linguistically, socially, and
politically. In traditional Muslim spaces, there
is an unspoken engagement with Islam that
permeates every aspect of life regardless of how
religious individuals may or may not be. In this
environment, traditional scholars understand the
society in which they live and the society
understands them. Where Muslims live as
minorities, particularly where their presence is a
relatively new one, the `ulema need to
respond to a completely new set of social and
cultural problems. This requires serious research
and study instead of transposing ready-made
solutions created under different circumstances.
This is the challenge facing our respected `ulema
today, and I believe, along with many others, that
part of the solution lies in training traditional `ulema
in traditional Islamic sciences—fiqh, tafseer,
hadith, etc.—here in the West so that they can
serve their communities in a much more informed
way.
Overseas
and Domestic Agenda
IOL:
How can studying the important turning points such
as The Satanic Verses and the Gulf War help
in understanding the development of the social and
political role of the British Muslims? How can you
evaluate the different reactions of the Muslim
organizations toward the overseas and the domestic
issues varying from the coordination with the
government to the coalition with the
anti-globalization movement?
Seddon:
For any society to
move forward and progress, it has to learn from
its history, from its mistakes, and from its
successes. British Muslims are aware of how their
image changed after both the Satanic Verses
Affair and the first Gulf War, and they responded
accordingly, organizing both locally and
nationally to create a representative body that
could enter into dialogue with the government.
There has been some progress in this field, and
the process of representation is still developing.
Links and cooperation with the wider society
through organizations like the anti-war coalition
and the anti-globalization movement are also on
the increase as Muslims here in the West extend
their political spheres of interest.
IOL:
Do you think that imaging Islam and Muslims
becomes the role of literature and media after it
has been the role of Orientalism? How do you
consider the new waves of Orientalism in
contemporary time?
Seddon:
Addressing issues
of Muslim representation in the media requires
both active protection through government
anti-Islamophobia legislation and continued
monitoring and lobbying of the Muslim community in
order to counter-balance the negative and
prejudiced stereotypes. Again, things are slowly
beginning to change as Muslims take up
professional posts in the media, academia, and
politics. At the moment, however, Muslims are the
“perpetuated other” in some of the
representations of the “neo-Orientalists” in
the media and academia.
The
Converted Muslims: A Double Challenge
IOL:
The converts to Islam may face a double challenge
in their societies. What do you think about that?
How can they contribute more effectively in
bridging the gaps?
Seddon:
The double
challenge of the convert is the acceptance of his
or her former society and community in
acknowledging the legitimacy of their new Muslim
faith, and the acceptance of the established
Muslim community of him or her as the genuine
Muslim article. I might also answer your question
with the question “when does one stop being a
convert?” We never think of the Prophet’s
community as “converts” but all of them were,
without exception. Converts should not internalize
the reserved acceptance by other “more
qualified” Muslims. Instead they should do what
the Prophet’s community did—learn their deen
to the best of the knowledge and ability and then,
wherever possible, teach it. It is through this
process that one qualifies oneself as the genuine
article. On another level, I believe that the
Muslim convert communities of Europe are important
cultural bridge builders between both communities,
and in this sense they have an almost unique role
to play. This is particularly true when it comes
to expressing Islam in a Western cultural context,
if you like, in the process of the indigenization
of Islam.
Related
Links:
**Dalia
Yusuf is IslamOnline.net’s European
Muslims specialist. She is a graduate of English
and Comparative Literature from Cairo University,
where she also received her postgraduate diploma
in journalism. You can reach her at Bridge@islam-online.net.
