England’s Muslim population passes three million for the first time
Categories: Latest News
Tuesday January 28 2020
Newly released figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the Muslim population of England has increased by around 16% in five years, from 2.7 million in 2011 to 3.1 million in 2016. This means Muslims now make up 5.6% of England’s population.
The positive
contributions of these growing Muslim communities in the UK should not be
underestimated. They contribute over £31 billion to the UK economy and wield an incredible spending
power of £20.05 billion, while also donating more than £100 million every year to charity (placing them as the greatest givers to charity
amongst all social groups). Furthermore, as of September 2016, 29,200 Muslims were known to be employed in NHS trusts and clinical
commissioning groups in England, with Muslims constituting 4% of the 730,000
staff who revealed their religion. Over 31% (9,200) of the 29,200 Muslim staff
were employed in specialist positions, such as doctors, contrasted with a
general NHS rate of 10%. Moreover, Muslim doctors formed 15% of the 61,900
doctors who disclosed their faith.
Nonetheless, despite the growing Muslim population and their many
contributions, members of Muslim communities are overwhelmingly perceived in a
negative light. Over a third of Britons have been reported to believe
that Islam is a threat to the “British way of life”, while a poll
conducted by the advocacy organisation Hope Not Hate found 35% of British people
saw Islam as being incompatible with British values.
The growing Muslim population should, in theory, counter negative
perceptions of Islam and Muslims because it presents more opportunities for
members of other communities to interact with members of Muslim communities. However,
the fact that these beliefs persist suggests it is due to the Islamophobic
rhetoric which continues to dominate the public sphere; the public is more
likely to encounter negative news coverage of Muslims in the media than it is
to encounter positive. Indeed, research shows that for
every one neutral or positive mention of Muslims within print media, there are
around 21 negative mentions.
Thus, at a time where misinformation and Islamophobic narratives are prevalent,
there needs to be greater emphasis on recognising and promoting positive Muslim
role models as a counter-narrative to the Islamophobic rhetoric.
A recent study produced by Stanford University has shown that the county of Merseyside has experienced a reduction in Islamophobic hate crime since Liverpool signed the Egyptian footballer Mo Salah. The study highlights how there was an 18.9% reduction in hate crimes across Merseyside, whilst Islamophobic tweets were halved. This suggests that his performances on the pitch helped reduce negativity surrounding Muslims, and challenged the associated stereotypes, ultimately highlighting how greater representation and doing away with negative portrayals have a positive impact for Muslim communities. This is particularly so in terms of humanising them and enabling familiarity between members of different communities.
The former Chief Prosecutor in North West England, Nazir Afzal,
sets an excellent example of a Muslim who epitomises a passion for justice and
community service. Afzal is well known for his outspoken views in favour of women’s
rights and against forced
marriage and honour killings. Perhaps Afzal’s most notable moment is being the
lead prosecutor of the
Rotherham abuse cases, something which notoriously tarnished the image of the
Muslims via the media. However, Afzal, a practising Muslim, led the charge to
justice and was firm in stating how there was neither a religious nor racial
basis for grooming.
Afzal was quoted as saying
“So I know that the vast majority of offenders are British white male,” he
says, setting the number at somewhere between 80 and 90%. “We have come across
cases all over the country, and the ethnicity of the perpetrators varies
depending on where you are … It is not the abusers’ race that defines them. It
is their attitude to women that defines them”.
Increasing normalised and positive media coverage of Muslims can also help encourage Muslims to identify and feel included within the national narrative. In his speech at Channel 4’s annual diversity lecture in the Houses of Parliament, actor and rapper Riz Ahmed addressed the need for more BAME representation in film and broadcasting. He warned that the widespread prevalence of underrepresentation and stereotyping within industry can lead to serious consequences for community cohesion as Muslims may feel disconnected and potentially seek to find acceptance and belonging within fringe narratives and alternative ideologies online. This highlights the importance of needing positive role models and representation in the media.
There are great things being done by Muslims across the country – both
as individuals and communities – and it is important that such achievements are
recognised and celebrated, particularly in media coverage. At MEND, we urge
parliamentarians to support initiatives by the broadcasting industry to promote
positive portrayals of Muslims in the media.