The British Muslim Community

Once the Muslim community develops a strong faith and sense of purpose, we see its potential in becoming a stable and cohesive community; a community that has strong family values and is independent, caring and supportive; a community with a strong sense of morality and loyalty, justice and duty, valuing all its members, young and old, male and female, empowering them to each realise their potential and make the most of their God-given talents. At the same time it would become a community, which is hospitable and neighbourly, charitable and concerned for the wider society.

We see the Muslim community, once it realises its Islamic values and teachings, becoming increasingly productive, offering a wealth of resources and ideas to society. It will comprise of caring and charitable families that will enrich and enhance the wider community.

"Britishness" is ill-defined and perhaps better kept that way. There is no precise formula for it and it is constantly changing. In spite of this, ISB envisages a Muslim community that will help define it (as the curry already has!). Likewise we hope the Muslim community will absorb the quirks and positive traits of "Britishness" within its cultural framework.

Identity is difficult to define and generates colourful debate- definitions range from the plainly superficial to the impossibly elaborate. ISB sees the Muslim community maintaining cultural and emotional ties with its sister communities in other countries, as Islam teaches that all Muslims are like a single body. This is not disloyalty as it is commonly observed that religious communities in Britain have an affinity to fellow religionists across the globe, whether they be Protestant, Catholic, Jewish or Hindu, and so for centuries members of religious minorities have peacefully lived with multiple, parallel identities.

There are scaremongers amongst us who intentionally, or through ignorance, misconstrue Islamic teachings and preach a clash of civilisations. Tensions across the world, whether between North and South, or East and West, are due largely to economic exploitation, suppression of freedoms, the legacy of colonialism and just plain ignorance. Most Muslim scholars do not see any such clash as necessary. Such a clash will only occur in the future if the peaceful majority in either region succumb to the intentions of malicious individuals who thrive on warmongering and its resultant hysteria.

The message of peace between Islam and the Western world is vital and we see the British Muslim community, even if it were for just this reason, as a crucial asset to Britain. We see the community providing a clear channel of communication, conveying to Britain, Islamic values and the aspirations of the Muslim world- and to the Muslim world, the message of peace, intellectual openness and prosperity that Britain engenders. The community is thus a bridge across the historical ravine of misunderstanding between the Muslim world and Britain. The Muslim community will become (as in part, it already is) living proof of the ability of Islamic values to co-exist peacefully and wholesomely alongside mainstream British culture.