Robert Rachied Stanley: Muslim History of Manchester
Lead Proposer: Shamim Miah
Report
The history of Muslim communities in Woking, Liverpool, Cardiff and South Shields is
well documented by a number of academics (Matter 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, Ansari
2004, Seddon 2007, Geaves 2009, Halliday 2010). This project intends to explore the
life and work of an important Muslim personality through an educational DVD (15 mins),
that is available for Universities, Colleges and other educational institutions (see below).
This project documents the life and works of Robert Rachied Stanley (1828-1911)
through a short documentary DVD. Mr Stanley’s story is particularly important given
that he served twice as Mayor of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in the early 1900’s
and his links to William Abdullah Quilliam’s, Liverpool Muslim Association.
This project explores the history of Islam prior to Muslim mass-migration from the Indosubcontinent, through interviewing family members of Rachied Stanley and a leading
academic. Moreover, this project explores a number of wider issues of culture, identity
and religion. This educational resource will be highly beneficial for the HE sector and
the wider educational community. This documentary will also include historical footages
(newspaper cuttings / family photos etc.) to explore nature of Muslim communities prior
to 1945. It is envisaged that this resource will be used as a stimulus to explore a range
of topics, including Muslim history, culture, religion and identity.
Resources:
Books
Ansari, H (2004) The Infidel Within: The Muslim History of Britain 1800 to the Present.
London: Hurst .
Geaves, R. (2009) Islam in Victorian Britain: The Life and Times of Abdullah Quilliam.
Markfield: Kube Press.
Haliday, F. (2010) Britain’s First Muslims: Portrait of an Arab Community. London: I.B.
Tauris
Matter, N. (2000) Turks, Moors and Englishmen in the Age of Discovery. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Matter, N. (2008) Islam in Britain: 1558-1685. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Salamat, M.P (2008) A Miracle in Woking: A History of the Shah Jahan Mosque.
Chichester: Phillimore.
Seddon, M (2009) Global Citizenry Ancient and Modern: British Yemenis and Translocal
Tribalism, in, Krause W. (ed.), Citizenship, Security and Democracy: Muslim
Engagement in the West. London: AMSS & SETA.
In addition to this educational DVD, the following resources will also be of great use:
Websites:
Information on the Woking Mosque can be found on the following link. This link also
contains pdf versions of the Islamic Review published in Woking, London from 19131960. The link also contains interesting newsreel films, books, photographic footages of
Muslim Communities prior to the Muslim mass migration.
http://www.wokingmuslim.org/
Music
The following link provides links to songs and poems from the British Muslim tradition,
including those written and sung by William Quilliam’s congregation. These songs are
brought to life by the Harmonia Alcorani.
http://britishmuslimsong.co.uk/?page_id=143
Copies of the DVD - Robert Rachied Stanley: Muslim History of Manchester is
available on request: s.miah@hud.ac.uk . Copies of the DVD will also be available
through Higher Education Academy – Evidence Net.
Shamim Miah
February 2012