Jeff Morshed on Muslims in London

By: Jeff Morshed

March 1, 2010

After being raised Muslim and joining the Muslim Student Association at Georgetown, I was curious to see how Muslim communities live in England. I conclude that Muslims in London live as openly and as freely as Muslims in the United States do. However, there are marked differences in the manner in which Muslims conduct themselves on both sides of the pond. These aren't necessarily bad things, but noteworthy.

I find that at the heart of London, Muslims have found a positive comfort zone. In the United States, while it is frequent to see women wear hijabs, I have rarely seen women don niqabs. In London, both are frequently adorned, and from my observations, women who wear hijabs and niqabs have integrated themselves into society equally as well as those who do not wear them. Moreover, I have seen Muslim South Asian males dress in kurtas or other garbs frequently worn in South Asia and at mosques, which admittedly is more frequent in the United States as well. That being said, comparatively, it is more common in London. Religiously, and culturally, wearing these clothes in English society is not unexpected. Furthermore, if you are new to Britain, you will become habituated to it shortly, as many wear these articles of clothing as they go to and from school or work. I associate the fact in which Muslims freely attire themselves as a positive reflection of their integration into British society and comfort with their faith.

Coming from Georgetown’'s Muslim Students Association, I was intrigued to see the social atmosphere of the Muslim community here at King’s College. The Islamic Society of King’s College (ISOC) differs tremendously from Georgetown’'s Muslim Student Association (MSA). Georgetown has a very moderate Muslim community. While members of the MSA may be viewed as relatively more conservative compared to the general Georgetown populace, it has often times been characterized by other MSAs in the United States to be more liberal. ISOC would most definitely be labeled as a more conservative organization from any vantage point. As with many other Islamic Societies in Britain and even in the United States, males and females are separated (for the record, this is less of an enforced rule and more an accepted and appreciated feature of the organization and social formation). While Muslims at Georgetown are mindful of gender relations, most students interact frequently as friends. Muslims at Georgetown are also equally interested in interreligious dialogue as they are in learning about their own faiths. King’s College ISOC members are more of a grab bag in this regard. Many are interested in learning about other faiths, but it is not a high priority for the community as a whole. King’s College as an institution does not emphasize this interreligious dialogue much as Georgetown does though, so perhaps ISOC members may be a product of their institution as much as MSA members from Georgetown are.

Moreover, another area where Muslims at King’s differ from Muslims at Georgetown is the kind of messages they deliver at Friday prayers, referred to as Jum'ah. Jum'ah is the Islamic equivalent of Mass on Sunday. Specifically, the kind of khutba’hs, or sermons, delivered at King’s is quite different from Georgetown. I find Georgetown typically has a brand of khutbahs that emphasizes peace, coexistence, and the facile reconciliation between one's Muslim identity and American one. Here at King’s, I have yet to encounter a khutbah focusing on any of these topics. Rather, khutbahs here have been delivered on a multitude of topics ranging from how human beings perceive and relate with death in life to biographical accounts of prophets and caliphs. I find Georgetown khutbahs to be cognizant of identity and the responsibilities of Muslims to society, whereas King’s College underscores the identity and responsibilities of Muslims to themselves.

In one notable khutbahs delivered by a philosophy major at King’s, a student spoke about how Muslims must begin to appreciate life being cognizant that death is the sole absolute in society. He, nevertheless, challenged the crowd to attempt to re-conceptualize life, presupposing death as simple a possibility – and then proceeded to unravel how this cannot be done. Ultimately, he concluded his khutbah explaining that our relationship with God and other humans hinge tremendously on our perceptions of death. Those that forget the finite nature of human existence limits their ability to appreciate their relationships, blessings, and God. It was a novel topic, and I found that the khateeb (or individual delivering the sermon) was very receptive to the audience’'s commentary after prayer ended.

I find another difference between Georgetown and King’s College is the diversity of their student populations. Not only is the general undergraduate student body much larger than Georgetown’'s in number, its applicant pool catches a wider net of students globally. Whether from South Asia, West or East Africa, continental Europe, East Asia, or Latin America, there is an extremely diverse group of people attending King’s College. Georgetown might have a similar spread of represented nationalities, but by comparison, it is not nearly as much of an international university. As a result, King’s' overarching diversity trickles down to the Islamic Society because Muslims of every nationality seek out the same venues, such as the prayer rooms or speaking events. It makes for interesting and enlightening conversations, because you may find yourself prayer and speaking with Somalis, Malaysians, and Iraqis simultaneously. Furthermore, you may find yourself praying with Somalis, Malaysians, and Iraqis the next day—but different ones from the day before.

All these differences I mention are not indicative of anything inherently positive or negative for either Georgetown or King’s; nonetheless, it is worth distinguishing between the Muslim communities at King’s College and Georgetown, or in London and the United States at large. Granted, I have only been here for two months, so I have more to uncover. Additionally, I have targeted a younger Muslim population who wish to particulate in Islamic Society activities, so my reflections may be unrepresentative of the general Muslim population in London. Yet, although these are limited observations, I hope they can be illuminating glimpses of a community across an ocean. There is one commonality on both ends of the pond though: for those who choose to learn, develop, and express their faith, there are outlets and niches for them to join. In that sense, there is no faith gained or lost in either location – rather, we just live differently.

Opens in a new window