Muslims and Minority Politics in Britain

Abstract

Evidently, when Muslims emerge as a religious minority demanding religious rights, they are faced with many challenges within the British framework of religious de-emphasis. Understanding the place of religion in British society as well as the regulations on the protection of religious belief and expression provides important insights. In Britain, the discussion has focused on the discrepancies between the treatment of established and non-established religious groups. Historically, established religions have been afforded access to certain socio-political institutions which are largely denied to non-established religions. Racial, religious or other types of identities are constructed and reconstructed. Ironically, British public policy, in particular anti-discrimination laws, have not followed suit with the development of a salient British Muslim identity. Several features of the British political system impact whether and to what extend minorities, including British Muslims, get involved in electoral politics.Keywords: Britain; British Muslim identity; British Muslims; British political system; socio-political institutions