News

The World Muslim Communities Council held a virtual Ramadan lecture, titled "History of Muslim Community in UK", by Sheikh Dr Mohamed Ismail, Secretary General of Association of British Scholars.

During the lecture, Ismail emphasised that with the onset of the industrial revolution in Britain, the British government started importing immigrants to labour in the iron industry, responding to the substantial demand for manpower.

According to him, during the 1960s, these immigrants started settling in Britain, fostering social harmony and bringing their families with them, a trend that persisted into the 1970s.

Additionally, he pointed out a significant increase in the Muslim population in Britain during the 1980s, attributed to a new wave of immigration, with substantial growth continuing into the 1990s and post-2000.

He highlighted that in the South Yorkshire region, Muslims comprise approximately 5% to 7% of the total population, leading to specific religious needs such as the construction of small mosques and residences, resulting in the establishment of new mosques.

Moreover, he noted the inception of Islamic schools in the 1980s, and currently, there are around 370 fully Islamic schools that adhere to national laws and curricula.

Ismail further said that Islamic faith teachers were brought from abroad to serve the community, whether they were Muslims or non-Muslims.

Furthermore, he indicated the existence of 13 centres across the UK dedicated to training imams and teachers, including both men and women, to address the needs of both genders.

Concluding his remarks, he stated, "Muslims enjoy freedom of worship, religion, belief, and engage in dialogue with followers of other religions."

TWMCC is an international non-governmental organisation, and a think tank to help organisations and associations working in Muslim communities, renew their thinking, improve their performance, and coordinate their joint work.