مجلة العلوم الإسلامية والحضارة
Volume 7, Numéro 3, Pages 549-562
2022-10-01

Islam In Britain From The Christian Anti-muslim Prejudice To A Modern Form Of Bigotry: Islamophobia.

Authors : Selatnia Meriem .

Abstract

Islam is the second largest religion in the United Kingdom after Christianity. The nature of the relationship between Islam and Britain has been constantly changing, from periods of conflict like the crusades to others of cooperation like trade. Hostility towards Muslims has risen in the British society after 9/11 and it was fully developed after the 7/7 London bombings, in addition to many other world events. Hence a modern form of bigotry has appeared; it was Islamophobia or the fear and hatred against Islam. In the past British Muslims faced offline islamophobic hate crimes like physical abuse, mosques being targeted and Muslim women being spat at and having their veils being pulled off. Nowadays, they are more likely to suffer from the online islamophobic hate crimes such as, threatening behavior, bullying and intimidation of persons via all platforms of social media. Britain is a multicultural society and British Muslims are an established part of this very society. However, “Britishness” and “Muslimness” are often perceived to come in conflict, leading to an identity crisis.

Keywords

Islam ; Britain ; Bigotry ; Islamophobia ; Identity