Is going to the mosque as much part of British culture as going to the pub?

Question

Britain has a large muslim minority population. Most British Muslims were born in the UK. There is also a growing number of Muslim converts. At 100000 White British have converted to Islam so far.

So why is Islam seen as something foreign, and not part of British culture.
Isn't Britain a multi cultural place and that Muslim culture is just as British as fish and chips, and going to the pub etc..

So far 7 out of the 10 answers I received were bigoted..Very sad :-(

Answer 1

I remember seeing a young Muslim women being interviewed on BBC news, after the failed airport bombings. They asked her; Do you consider yourself Muslim, or British? And she replied; I'm both, I'm a British Muslim.
I live near a predominantly Muslim area in London (I live near Finsbury Park Mosque) and for me, seeing Muslims coming out of the Mosque while I'm waiting outside the station, and my one Muslim housemate fast for Ramadan, is a part of life, and doesn't scare me, or appear alien to me. I also lived in Stamford Hill for a while, a Orthodox Jewish community near Finsbury Park, and once more, for me, seeing them come and go to Temple, or seeing their shops closed on a Saturday, to me, was part of the cultural experience of living in Britain.

Answer 2

This is an odd question...I don't think that it is - not necessarily because it shouldn't be, but because it simply isn't. It might be an alternative ritual for Muslim people, in that whereas the pub is a very British place for meeting and socialising, the mosque is more likely to be chosen by Muslims - although not by all people who are brought up Muslim in the UK. Muslims still remain a minority group in the UK and there are far fewer mosques than there are pubs..none for miles around in some areas and so it doesn't seem comparable to going to the pub.

So, whilst going to the Mosque may be one aspect of people's experiences in multicultural Britain, it is nowhere near as mainstream as going to the pub for the majority of British people. Islam is foreign - which does not make it unacceptable or unwelcome, but just means that it does not originate in British culture, and it is not a religion which many British people were brought up to know much about.

Plus, with dwindling church attendance figures, it is questionable whether going to church even is a significant part of British culture today - and it is certainly nowhere near the scale of pub attendance!

Answer 3

The real problem is that Islam values are in collision with essential values of Western societies in general and the UK in particular. When you go to live to another country, you should share these essential values (without this meaning that you have to abandon your culture). Of course, you are free to not agreeing with them and, in that case, you should go somewhere else. There is nothing racist or xenophobic about this, it is just the right of a country to rule itself and keep their own identity. It is as simple as that.

Clearly, such adaptation did not happen with many Muslims and now we have all these clashes. Part of the Muslim community work and live in the UK, but they make no effort to interact with non-Muslim British and even continuously criticise them in their own home. Therefore, we should not be surprised if non-Muslim British regard Islam as a foreign culture or tend to feel little sympathy for it.

Unfortunately, the problem has no easy solution at this point because there are already many British Muslim born in the UK and therefore they have exactly the same rights as a non-British Muslim.

Answer 4

I would have thought that it is Islamic culture to go to the Mosque...not British Culture. A great deal of Muslims in this country consider themselves to be Muslim first and British second, some have even said that they have no allegiance to Britain even those born here which is shocking. It seems that it is the white British who are expected to adapt to other cultures, rather than other cultures adapting and integrating into the place they live. So in my opinion no, going to the Mosque is not as British as fish and chips or going to the pub.

I am not a bigot, just a realist. I live close to towns where there is a large Muslim community and I have friends who are Muslim.

Answer 5

I guess it would depend on where abouts in Britain you lived. If you were in east London or some of the textile towns in the north-west, then I would say yes, because they have a high Muslim population. Going to the mosque would be part of the daily and weekly routines round there. If you were in somewhere like Cornwall or Worcestershire, then no, as there are very few Muslims round there. Going to the pub would be a much more commonplace activity.

Islam is still seen as something 'foreign' because there is still a jaundice in the right wing media, which encourages narrow-mindedness and alienation.

They prey on the types of people who can't really think for themselves or form their OWN opinion. They go with what they 'think' their readership thinks. Unfortunately, the recent terrorist attacks and focus on Islamic extremism fuel these thoughtforms, but really they are carried out by a minority. Conveniently, the right wing media never bother to highlight this.

In saying that, I do think there is a growing acceptance of Islam, and other religions or ethnicities in Britain. Other cultures are beginning to enter the popular consciousness and pop culture more and more. There are comedies with Muslim or (more broadly) Asian characters (East Is East, Kumars at no 42) local government literature is published in a variety of languages; and shops like Clintons or Hallmarks are producing cards which commemorate special occasions of other religions. Now they have a range of Eid Mubarak and Diwali cards which add even more colour to their shelves.

Yes, Islam can still be seen as foreign, but in time it will get accepted more and more. Just look at Judaism in the UK and USA. I think that in time, second generation Muslims born in the UK will create their own brand of 'westernised Islam,' combining British elements with more traditional features from their homelands; and this will probably find it way into the popular culture quite easily.

Answer 6

Well no.Its not part of the British culture. Its part of our religion. As u knw Muslims MUST pray 5 times a day. So may be thats y u were asking this question.

And for some people who think that we should go back to where we belong, I DONT BLAME THEM. I blame some of the so-called 'Muslims' who claim they are making the holy war.
Islam is a religion of peace. I wud invite them those who think that we shud go to where we belong to go and read more about Islam b4 making offending comments. Thanks.

Answer 7

I think a major problem is that some muslims don't see themselves as British. I have heard over and over again the comment 'I am not a British muslim, but a muslim living in Britain'. That doesn't help with the view of the faith being foreign. And in fairness, even though the first mosque in England was opened in the 19th century, it doesn't have amassive British history and, therefore, can't be perceived as being as British as fish and chips.

Answer 8

like you said Muslims are a minority so they aren't the mass and living in England i can't really see it as a British culture but maybe part of the multicultural British culture which is just as important but if you have ever been to Nottingham carnival or any other in England it's not just the Caribbean people that are there but every other race so you could argue that that ah become part of the British culture but maybe in the future it could.

Answer 9

Bloody hell i hope not, muslims are not part of British culture at all,give me fish "n" chips any day thank you, and send them back to there own culture in their own land,and where did you get those figures from? about british people being converted to Islam? please do yourself a favour and wake up,just get real and a life

Answer 10

Wouldn't be so for the people who don't like change. Islam is not intrinsic to British cultural history - so far. it will take time for people to adjust.