In the days following the foiled terrorist plots in airports across England, British Muslims have come under renewed scrutiny as a threat to security. The group has always received attention in England due to their large numbers, especially in areas such as Walthamstow and the newly-trendy Spitalfields, where British Muslims are the dominant population. But studies show that the experiences of British Muslims are quite different than the lives of Muslims in the United States.
The most recent evidence suggests that Muslims living in the United States feel primarily American. The New York Times has documented how American-born Muslims are having more and more Westernized marriage ceremonies, and how moderate Muslim groups in New York have been speaking out against extreme factions.
An increasing number of students are embracing Arabic language classes and study abroad programs, a signal that the current generation sees a change in what American identity means. American Muslims seem to be both adapting to American norms and creating their own niche within American society.
But in Britain, more than 80 percent of Muslims identify themselves as Muslim first and British second, according to British newspaper The Guardian. Although Britain has a long history of immigrant integration, the trend has declined in the past 25 years in the face of increased segregation, especially among Muslims. British researchers have shown that only one percent of British Bangladeshis and Pakistanis have white partners, as opposed to 20 percent of Afro-Caribbeans. The wide array of media available in London may also fuel this isolationist sentiment, being one of the only cities that offers Pakistan's daily newspaper and where Muslims are increasingly likely to watch the evening news on Al Jazeera rather than reading the Evening Standard.
So what accounts for these differences between British and American Muslims?
Comparing the Muslim communities in the two countries shows what a powerful effect a society's deeply rooted values and principles can have on the experiences of minority groups.
Historically, the United States is known for being the original "melting pot." "In the U.S., people routinely talk of Irish-Americans, Portuguese-Americans, You-Name-It-Americans, but have you ever heard the English talk that way?" Roger Ballard, director of the center for applied South Asian studies at the University of Manchester, told the New York Times last week. The national identity in British Muslims is less strong because of the traits that, according to some, make the British so fundamentally British. "The English have always had, since the days of the Reformation, this strong commitment to homogeneity," Ballard said.
These two very different paradigms -- difference versus sameness -- may lie at the heart of the varying experiences of Muslims in the United States and England.
British Muslims' feeling of alienation from mainstream British society will stifle integration and prove disastrous as the police continue to investigate terrorist plots like the one unraveled last week. Reaching out to British Muslims for help should not seem like allying with a foreign country -- rather, it should involve a recognition that all ethnicities and religious groups are united within their country's borders. By the same token, British Muslims should attempt to reconcile their deep-seated beliefs with their national identity without estranging themselves from British values.
One week after the initial news of the terrorist plot in England, talk has circulated about future measures to increase airport security. Possible profiling of young Muslim men has topped the list, sparking anger and criticism from Muslim groups around the world.
Indeed, such a procedure would alienate the very groups that could be most helpful in tracking down the real terrorists. "If you treat a community as a problem community, you are not going to get support from them,'' said Muhammad Abdul Bari, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain.
The same maxim should be expanded: Groups within society should not have to feel continually marginalized. Marginalization becomes even more dangerous when terrorism is a daily threat. Recognizing that "Londonistan" is the new face of the city, and, in doing so, ending resistance to cultural change in England, is the first step towards increasing the cohesiveness of the British national identity.
Otherwise, the percentage of Muslims who do not feel primarily British will increase from 80 percent to who knows how much more -- and the timing of that alienation couldn't be worse.
