The Year Ahead: British Muslims in 2009 - Where Next?

SPEAKERS

Sabin Malik (Community Cohesion Specialist, Hounslow Council, London):

Communities in Britain need to focus on their “humanitarian shared values”. We all collectively need to work towards:

1. Fostering a relationship of trust with young British Muslims.

2. Empowering Muslim communities and providing practical solutions to their grievances.

3. Harnessing the leadership role of Muslim women.

4. Disseminating clear unequivocal positions that condemn terrorism, promoting scholarly work on Muslims in Britain and using language that unites Muslims with all of humanity.

There is no discrepancy between being British and being a Muslim, and British Muslims must not be afraid to assert these shared values.

Maajid Nawaz (Director, the Quilliam Foundation):

The successes of 2008 and challenges in 2009 are:

1. Government:  A growing success for the PREVENT strategy, but also a need to partner with the right people.

2. Muslim communities: The launch of a European network to empower moderate Muslim voices. Also the presence of young voices in the UK that are moving forward.

3. Media: Requires a greater understanding of red lines and a more careful use of language.

The major challenges Britain is going to face next year are the extent to which radicalization is taking place in prisons, as well as levels of radicalization amongst British Somalis.

DISCUSSION

Key issues in 2009:

- The danger of Muslim ‘enclaves’ - nurtured by faith schools and language barriers?

- An increase in the number of women wearing Niqab, and the lack of religious choice taught to them over wearing the Hijab.

- Decide how to tackle arranged marriages.

- How to reconcile our foreign policy for British Muslim communities?

- Are government strategies on counter terrorism actually working?

- How to disseminate positive messages of a British Islam so that they reach a grassroots level.

- How should progressive Muslims counter the extremist agenda of shari’ah becoming state law?

- How to stop Muslims from feeling that there is a large spotlight on them.

- Develop the key role that Muslim women can play in countering the extremist agenda, e.g. Muslim mothers.

- Better equip Muslim communities with essential English language skills.

- Encourage and provide support for emerging moderate voices, in the hope of creating a popular narrative.

- Britain needs to take responsibility for its foreign policy and act according to our principles rather than pander to Islamist demands.

- A need to counter the extremist narrative with alternative arguments rooted in Islamic theology.

 - The media and the government need to find the right partners within the Muslim community and stop giving platforms to extremist voices.

- Foster debate amongst young Muslims across the country over issues surrounding their faith, as well as their participation in British society.