Longitudinal Study Which Explores the Role of Muslim Women in British Society from 1995 - 2011

by

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Problem Statement4

Research Aim and Objectives5

Significance of the Study5

Research Questions6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW8

History and Formation of Muslim Communities in Britain8

Background on British Muslim Communities9

Demographic and Socioeconomic Data9

Political Involvement and Representation10

Economic Conditions11

Islamophobia in the UK since September '1112

Counterterrorism Strategy13

Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) Strategy and Goals14

Involvement of Muslim Women in Local Government and Mosques16

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY18

Research Design19

Sample19

Data Analysis20

Qualitative Data Analysis20

Quantitative Data Analysis20

Ethical Concerns21

Informed Consent21

Confidentiality21

REFERENCES22

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The presence of Islam can be seen in Britain since 1707 when the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the Act of Union between England and Scotland. However, Islam was not legalized in Britain until the Trinitarian Act which was passed in the year 1812. Muslims began migrating in large numbers to Britain from previous British colonies after the 1950's (Turley, 2009, 23).

The first and the most prominent Muslim populations were established during the era of mid-nineteenth century in few regions including Manchester, London's East End, Liverpool, Cardiff and South Shields. Since then, a large number of Muslims from the South Asia and other parts of the world have migrated to Britain. Most of these migrants had their origins from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Besides this, Britain has also accepted migrants from the smaller Muslim communities established in various regions which include small segments of the Middle East, Africa, Malaysia, Cyprus, and more recently, Eastern Europe (mainly Bosnia). Throughout the period of 1950s, the rate of immigration from the Muslim states remained relatively low (Amghar, 2007, 98). However, in the year 1961, it faced a radical rise with the news spread of an imminent act, which was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act (1962). The Act ultimately curtailed the automatic entry of the Commonwealth citizens in the United Kingdom. The act remained intact until the beginning of 1970s and soon after it weakened when the laws and statutes were introduced. In spite of the virtual halting of initial migration, and even some movement back to countries of origin, the reuniting of families and the movement of refugees and asylum-seekers meant that immigration, including that of Muslims, increased in the 1980s and 1990s (Amghar, 2007, 98). Now, in 2011, Islam has become the second most prominent faith in Britain and according to some estimates the total population of Muslims may be as high as 3 million.

The Muslims have contributed to the development of British society in many ways throughout history. In the field of medicine for example, where substantial numbers of Muslim doctors and other health professionals serve the nation within the National Health Systems (NHS). In fact, more than a third of medical students in Britain are from ethnic minorities of which Muslims are a large part (Turley, 2009, 24). Furthermore, within the education sector, Muslims Schools all over the country have developed a reputation for achieving very high standards of excellence, thereby creating a new generation of high-achievers, who have the potential to contribute ...