| Popis: |
Muslims in Britain, who number over two million, are mostly non-European migrants or their descendants, coming from different parts of Asia and Africa. They have been experiencing a relatively better standard of living than their counterparts do in Asia and Africa, but, on the other hand, some prejudice, discrimination and hatred is shown by many Britons towards them. Despite their contributions to rebuilding the country, especially in the wake of the Second World War, Muslims in general do not enjoy equal status in Britain in comparison with other religious communities. Consequently they have become protective of their religious, ethnic and cultural identities. And since there has been very little assistance from the British government in preserving their Islamic identities, British Muslims have organised various socio-cultural organisations and built mosques and schools for the preservation of their identities. This, however, does not mean that British Muslims have forgotten their internal differences, based on ethnicity, language and sectarian beliefs and practices. But on broader issues, such as the publication of the sacrilegious Satanic Verses or the destruction of the Babri Mosque in India, British Muslims have shown a semblance of unity and solidarity in the recent past. |
