British Muslim Youth:
An Introduction to the Topic and the Field
Sadek Hamid
Content
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British Muslim
Demographics
Education
Housing
Employment
Poverty
Crime
State of the Literature
Issues
Concerns
Demographics
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Current population of between 1.6 -1.8
million people, (total population of
approximately 60 million people)
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Around 50% are under the age of 25 and
approx 33 % under the age of 16
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Around 68% are of South Asian origin
(Source: National Statistics 2001 Census)
Demographics continued…
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46% of Muslims had been born in the UK
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34% of Muslim households contained
more than 5 people
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38% of Muslims live in London
(Source: National Statistics 2001 Census)
Education
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In 2004, 67 % of Indian, 48% of
Bangladeshi and 45% of Pakistani pupils
gained five or more grades A* to C at GCSE
(or equivalent), compared with 52% of
White British pupils
(Source: Social Trends No. 36, 2006)
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31% of young British Muslims leave school
with no qualifications compared to 15% of
the total population
(Source: 2001 Census)
Housing
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In 2001 52% of Muslim households did not own
their own home
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Muslim households were the most likely to
experience overcrowding. One third of Muslim
households (32%) lived in overcrowded
accommodation
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Muslim households were the most likely to lack
central heating (12%)
(Source: National Statistics 2001 Census report on faith)
Employment
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In 2004, 28% of 16-24-year-old Muslims were
unemployed. This compares with only 11% of
Christians of the same age
(Source: National Statistics 2001 Census report on faith)
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In 2004, a fifth of Muslims were self-employed
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In 2004 almost seven in ten (69%) Muslim
women of working age were economically
inactive.
(Source: Social Trends No. 36, 2006)
Poverty
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35 % of Muslim households have no adults in
employment, (more than double the national
average)
(Source: 'Muslim Housing Experience‘ Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies)
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Just under three-quarters of Bangladeshi and
Pakistani children (73%) are living in households
below the poverty line (60% of median income)
(Source: DWP: Households Below Average Income 1994/5 - 2000/01)
Crime
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47% of Muslim students have experienced
Islamophobia
(Source: FOSIS survey, 2005)
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Almost 10% of the prison populations are
Muslim, two-thirds of whom are young men
aged 18-30
(Source: Prison Service statistics, 2004)
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Between 2001 and 2003 there was a 302%
increase in 'stop and search' incidents among
Asian people, compared with 118% among
white people.
(Source: HO, Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System, 2004)
Books
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Young Muslims in Britain: Attitudes, Educational
Needs and Policy Implications
Islam in Transition:Religion and Identity Among
British Pakistani Youth
Muslim Britain: Communities Under Pressure
Infidel Within: Muslims in Britain Since 1800
Americanisation, Globalisation and British
Muslim Identity
Diaspora Youth and Ancestral Homeland:
British Pakistani / Kashmiri Youth Visiting Kin in
Pakistan and Kashmir
Muslim European Youth: Reproducing Ethnicity,
Religion, Culture
Young, British & Muslim
Reports
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Muslims in Britain
Muslim Youth Speak
Bengali Transition into Adulthood
Made in Bradford)
MCB’s Muslim Youth Voices
Youth & Policy : Muslim Youth Work
Muslim Youth Helpline
Magazines
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Emel
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Q-News
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Revival
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Trends
Memoirs
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‘Only Half of Me’
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‘From My Sisters Lips’
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‘Enemy Combatant’
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‘The Islamist’
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‘Hizbut Tahrir: A Thinking Mans Al Qaeda’
External Challenges
Over crowded housing
 Educational under achievement
 Unemployment
 Racism
 Islamophobia
 Demonisation of young Muslim males
 Lack of political representation
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Internal Challenges
Generation Gap
 Cultural dislocation
 Positive role model deficit
 Substance addiction
 Rise in crime and anti-social
behaviour and related gang violence
 Apathy
 Fear of radicalisation and extremism
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Concerns
According the Muslim Youth Helpline 2007
report, the top five main concerns affecting
British Muslim Youth are:
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Relationships
Mental Health
Religion
Offending & Rehabilitation
Sexuality & Sexual Health
Also identified:
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ineffective services for young Muslims
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discontent over foreign policy
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the difficulties of integrating when people have
the dual identity of being British and a Muslim
Concerns continued…
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Many young Muslims feel they have an
inadequate grasp of their own heritage and
history, against which to balance the other
influences in their lives.
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Young Muslims are concerned about the
way they are understood by the public (nonMuslim and Muslim) and portrayed in the
media
(Source: Young Muslims Speak, Peace Direct, 2006)
Main Religious/Ideological
Trends
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Hizbut Tahrir
Salafi (apolitical & activists)
Jihadists
‘Traditional Islam’ (activist Sufi)
Young Muslims Organisation (moderate Islamists)
Young Muslim UK (moderate Islamists)
Barelwi ( Devotional Sufi)
Deobandi/Tablighi Jamat (apolitical reformists)
Is this the Face of British Muslim Youth?
…or this ?