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Sep 20, 1558
Queen Elizabeth I
From the beginning of her rule, Queen Elizabeth I began seeking diplomatic, commercial and military ties with Muslim rulers in Iran, Turkey and Morocco. -
East India Company
Around 300 years ago, the first large group of Muslims arrived in the UK. They were sailors (lascars) recruited in India to work for the East India Company. This is why many of the first Muslim communities were founded in small port towns across Britain. -
Henry Stanley
Lord Stanley was the first Muslim member of the House of Lords (parliament). I think this is a big step in Muslims becoming a part of the British society, through politics. -
Immigration Wave
With the opening of the Suez Canal, there was a wave of Muslim immigrants who made their way to Britain. There were many fueling stops in the UK, in places such as Cardiff, and South Shields for ships heading to the Far East. Most of these men came from Yemen. The increase in trade meant that there was a high demand for workers in the ports, and on the ships. It is estimated that there are 70-80,000 Yemenis living in the UK, forming the longest established Islamic group in Britain. -
Abdullah Quilliam
William Henry Abdullah Quilliam was a solicitor from Liverpool, who, after a trip to Morocco, converted to Islam. It is thought that he was one of the first native Englishman (thus British person) to convert to the religion, and become such an influential figure, and role model to his religious peers. -
Shah Jahan Mosque
The first "purpose built" mosque was built in Woking, Surrey, in England. It is named the Shah Jahan Mosque. I think it is interesting to note that it is a Sunni mosque. This was a big step in the spread of the religion across the UK, as it provided the Muslim's in this area a place of worship. -
Sheikh-ul-Islam
Abdullah Quilliam was appointed as Sheikh-ul-Islam of the British Isles. He was appointed this title by the last Ottoman Caliph of Islam, Sultan Abdul Hameed. He is the only British Muslim to have been given this role. -
Division of British India
Many Muslims came to the UK in the 1950s in fear of their war stricken country during the division of British India. This involved the division of Pakistan (now also Bangladesh) and India. -
British Nationality Act
This act enabled those British native's, who had converted to Islam, and the groups of foreign Muslims already having made the move,to be joined by their "brothers in faith". It allowed citizens from ex-colonies to gain Commonwealth citizenship. This resulted in an influx of immigrants, many of whom were Muslim, from countries such as India. -
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act
This act removed the right that the British Nationality Act instilled for the citizens of the commonwealth. You could now only enter the UK under permission to work. With this act set to be in place, many people rushed to get into Britain before they no longer could. Therefore this act resulted in an increase in Muslims arriving in the UK. -
Sharia Law
Although the Sharia Law is not part of the British legal system, it has been supported by several British establishment figures. For example, the Archbishop of Canterbury (head of the Church of England) lectured at the Royal Courts of Justice on Islam and English law. He spoke of the possibility of using Sharia under certain circumstances. It is a large stepping stone for the Islamic law to be considered in the British legal system. -
Mosques
From today, there are now 1750 mosques in the United Kingdom. -
Demographics
Today, there are 2.9 million Muslims living in the UK (Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales), representing 5.02% of the entire population. It is expected that by 2051, if immigration policies remain the same, there will be 26 million Muslims out of the 77 million Britons.
