Islam

Contemporary challenges

In the early days of migration and settlement, Muslims imported imams to run their local mosques and give their children a basic Islamic education. Nowadays, the children’s language of communication has increasingly become English, and a generation gap has developed.
Also, the use of imams from villages of the Indian sub-continent and the emphasis on fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) seems a potential problem. Very few imams possess the skills and the vision to understand the meaning of living as a Muslim in a pluralist society.
Lastly, Muslim youth who become actively involved in Islamic activities during their college and university lives may come to question their parents’ beliefs and practices. Some become very zealous. External factors such as the Gulf crisis, the massacre of Muslims in Bosnia, and the issue of wearing the head scarf (hijab) in France strengthens their view of non-Muslims as potential enemies of Islam.
Today, the Muslim community in Britain is a relativly settled community. There are two tendencies for the youth: one associated with the religious ethos, and the other more inclined to ’bhangra’ culture. Both groups are restless, and the future of Muslims in Britain largely depends upon their choice of direction.

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A 2005 report

EUMAP, a programme of the Open Society Institute, has produced a report on Muslims in the UK: Policies for engaged citizens. The report focuses on employment, education, the criminal justice system, and equality and community cohesion.

Muslims in Scotland

– Report of the British Council on Integration of Muslims in Scotland, 2013
– Report of the Scottish Government Social Research, Experiences of Muslims living in Scotland, 2011