Strength in Cultural Diversity - 300 Years of Anglo-Muslim Relations
The UK has a powerful history of immigration, with our society getting a rich and thriving melting pot of cultures.
Who can forget Amir Khan draping himself in the Union Jack at the Olympics? Or white households sitting down to watch Goodness Gracious Me on the BBC? Even British cuisine has also been influenced by multi-cultural diversity and curry has become an integral component of British cuisine, so a lot so that, considering that the late 1990s, Chicken Tikka Masala has been frequently referred to as the "British national dish".
The very first large group of Muslims in Britain surprisingly arrived about 300 years ago when Indian sailors helped Britain and eventually happily settled in a variety of port towns. From the works of Shakespeare and references to Islamic scholars in the prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the influences of Islamic civilisation on the classic literary and philosophical traditions of the UK are forever cemented into our culture.
These days, according to a 2001 census, there a recorded 1,591,000 Muslims living in the UK, which is only around two.7% of the population. The modern day British Muslim shows the effective merging of two cultures with classic religious Islamic clothing being combined with fashionable British styles - which has led to the emergence of a fresh and modern British selection of Islamic culture.
The British fashion sector is also starting to take notice as bold new fashions: mixing the Islamic dress code with smart, urban streetwear began becoming common in 2009 which was showcased by the British Fashion Council. Muslims can spot the cultural references, whilst non-Muslims will see fashions they want to wear.
For instance, while the contemporary British Muslim is now in a position to obtain fashionable classic Islamic clothing, "Westernised" clothing such as Manchester United and Back to the Future t-shirts featuring straightforward Islamic messages are also readily on the market.
The future looks particularly vivid indeed for Anglo-Muslim creations. Despite the efforts of the BNP during the forthcoming general election, the unique bond between the UK and Islam shall continue to stay robust - just like the earlier 300 years.
