British Muslim Pop Culture: a Space for Identity Negotiation and Self Construction

Abstract

This work examines British Muslim pop-culture and its role in negotiating and constructing the identity of British Muslims.. The work begins by tracking the history of migration and the formation of Muslim communities in the United Kingdom from 1945 till 2024. It starts with analysing the open- door policy of post-World-War Two, which allowed the entry of a notable number of Muslim immigrants from different countries. The aim with this historical tracing is to highlight the issues Muslim immigrants have experienced ever since they began to settle in the UK. This investigation also allows for understanding the creation of Muslim Communities with all its particularities and challenges in Britain, this enables us to understand the multifaceted nature of the Muslim identity, an identity that has often been distorted and associated with stereotypes and clichéd perceptions especially since the Muslims in our study occupy a western multicultural society. The chapter then ends by looking at the public and governmental reaction to the increased migration and settlement in the country. Chapter Two sets a remarkable pivot on the representation of Muslims in British media and the way through which they have been influencing the public sphere. This part of the dissertation investigates the appearance and development of Muslim pop culture in the UK focusing on different media outlets, including newspaper articles, stand-up comedy, cinema and TV shows as well as fashion to argue that British Muslims have adopted and adapted pop-culture to provide an alternative perception of Muslims. These means of creativity, art and communication allowed Muslims to create a space for themselves through which racism, Islamophobia and preconceived notions about Muslims and Islam have been counteracted and corrected. Ultimately, the study ends by giving consideration to broader v implications of these cultural changes for understanding Muslim identity in present-day Britain.