A recent survey by Whitestone Insight for the Institute on the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) found that 70% of British Muslims identify primarily with their religious identity, with only about 25% identifying most strongly with their British/English identity. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger Muslims (85% of 18-24 year olds).
The article suggests several reasons for this finding. The centrality of Islam in the lives of many British Muslims, including the concept of the Ummah (global Islamic community), plays a significant role. However, the author notes that many British Muslims, especially those born in the UK, are integrated in terms of education and employment, engaging in social mixing outside their religious group.
Despite this, the author argues that many law-abiding, socially conservative British Muslims find that integrating into mainstream British society is undesirable due to factors such as:
These factors lead some British Muslims, particularly younger, politically engaged individuals, to prioritize their religious identity and feel alienated from mainstream British society.
The author concludes that the idea of “diversity is our strength” feels increasingly hollow in the face of these complex societal issues. The author, a British Muslim of Bangladeshi origin, expresses concern that political leaders lack an understanding of how to address these challenges.