Today there are 2 million Muslims in Britain, incorporated into various groups and structures. A survey at Derby University turned up 1,400 Islamic organizations!
The 1,500 mosques (Masjids) in Britain are central to Muslim community life. The Imams keep a tight hold on the Muslim believers, conforming their social behaviour to the Qur’an. There is high attendance during Friday (Jumma) prayers, and festivals (Ramadan).
There are 5,000 Qur’anic schools, providing a focus for Islamic teaching. Muslim children learn the Qur’an or ethnic languages in afternoons or at weekends. In addition, there are 60 regular independent Muslim schools, of which two have now achieved state-funding (eg the Islamia Muslim school in Brent). For Muslim parents fearing increasing secularisation in state schools, Muslim schools seem the only option. Some schools admit non-Muslims, believing they can become centres for Islamic propagation.
There are several groups mediating between the Islamic community and the government:
· The Union of Muslim Organizations of UK (UMO), which represents 180 different Muslim groups is not considered effective as it ignores local issues.
· The moderate Council of Imams and Mosques speaks for the majority of Muslims and is headed by Zaki Badawi, an Egyptian from Ealing Muslim college. It has Libyan backing.
· The Council of British Muslims speaks for fundamentalists and is supported by Iran.
· The Islamic Party of Britain was launched in 1989 to promote the Muslim agenda.
· The Muslim Parliament, led by Muhammad Ghayasuddin, was founded in 1991. It demands that legislation must pass its jurisdiction before being applied to British Muslims. It has not been taken seriously, though it now controls the Halal Food Authority. Its agenda includes imposing Shari’ah family law (which would allow polygamy, as well as Islamic laws on divorce and inheritance) and extending the blasphemy laws to cover material offensive to Islam.
There are over 90 Muslim student groups affiliated to FOSIS (UK Federation of Student Islamic Societies) which invite speakers from around the Muslim world. Topics range through science, economics, polemics, social issues and politics, but rarely theology or devotional life. Extremist groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir also target university campuses, to re-educate Muslims and convert non-Muslims. Banned by over 100 student unions here (as well as from most Middle Eastern countries, where they have attempted coups) they strive for a global Islamic state (Khilafah).
Britain is considered a safe-haven for Muslim fundamentalists. Many Islamic militant groups have moved to Britain from France, because of a crackdown there. The Home Office is now considering closing loopholes in our own anti-terrorism laws, to allow prosecution for inciting violence abroad. There are fears of violence spilling over into British streets.
· The FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) and Armed Islamic Group (GIA) involved in the Algerian crisis are now established in London. Al-Nahda leaders based in London are fighting to overthow the Tunisian government.
· Gama’at al-Islamiyav, responsible for the Nevember massacre of 60 foreignors in Luxor, has London links via the Islamic Observation Centre. Hamas, the Islamic Palestine movement, publish their newspaper Filistina al-Muslima and raise monies in London.
· Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist group has London offices, while a Taliban group has been created in London to support the Afghanistani rebel leaders and is circulating literature.
· The opposition campaign to the Saudi Royal Family is headquartered in London, run by Mohammed al-Massari, a Saudi dissident and outspoken proponent of Islamic rule.
· Al-Muhajiroun, another extremist group seeking a global Islamic state, is active in London diverting funds to terrorist groups. They intend to ‘create a fifth column [of Islam] in Europe to put pressure on its governments for the good of all Muslims’. Their leader, Omar Bakri has described the idea of democracy as ‘deceptive, dangerous and unworkable.’
These are informal groups made up of disciples (talibes) and led by charismatic individuals. Highlighting individual piety and devotion, they do not impact on the wider Muslim community, but are popular among UK converts, especially Afro-Caribbeans.
There are many Muslim institutions involved in Da’wah (mission- literally ‘to invite’):
· Association for Preaching Islam (Jamiyat tabligh ul Islam, founded by Pir Syed Maroof Hussain Shah) owns 11 properties in Bradford.
· Ahl-i-Hadith is located in Birmingham, and distributes literature and audio-video tapes with sermons by Deedat, which are distinctly anti-Christian & anti-British (IPCI material).
· UK Islamic Mission (Madinat ul’ulum) is a Bradford fundamentalist mission which provides Qur’anic school facilities for hundreds of children.
· Faith Movement (Tahrik-i-iman) undertakes preaching tours. Their largest mosque in Dewsbury accommodates 700 people and 300 students.
· Islamic Foundation based in Leicester, produces the colourful Da’wah literature of Deedat and Mawdudi, as well as material on Islamic economics and science.
· The Islamic Council of Europe, based in London, has become ‘the key to Islam’s missionary strategy’, reaching out to nominal Christians and immigrants. Their statistics show 5,000-20,000 British converts to Islam, at a rate of 100-200 annually!
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