Muslim communities live isolated lives, even after being decades in Britain, a government adviser has warned. Dame Louise Casey, the government's cohesion tsar gathered evidence which reveals that Muslims keep marrying foreign wives, leading to a 'first generation in every generation' phenomenon in their communities, that acts as a 'bar' to integration. Not only that, the review has also suggested that the isolation may result into extremism or support of extremism within the Muslim community.
The review has accused Labour party and local authorities of having 'ignored or even condoned' harmful cultural traditions for fear of being seen as 'racist or Islamophobic', something witnessed during grooming scandals in Rotherham and elsewhere. The report also raises concerns that Sharia courts have been 'supporting the values of extremists, condoning wife beating (and) ignoring martal rape.' In fact Dame Louise has highlighted one northern town, which was not named, in which the local authority funded the work of a "representative" from the Muslim community who believed that Isil was not a terrorist organisation.
Her report also finds that thousands of people from all-Muslim enclaves in northern cities such as Bradford, Dewsbury and Blackburn seldom, if ever, leave their areas and have almost no idea of life outside.
The review found one northern town where every councillor of Asian ethnicity had married a wife from Pakistan, while a study by Bristol University found that half of British Pakistanis married back in Pakistan.
It warned that although the Government has tightened up marriage visa rules, men are getting round them by living with their future wives in Europe then moving back to the UK with them under free movement rules.
The report suggests that authorities have failed to tackle "harmful" cultural practices "in the name of multi-culturalism and tolerance".
A source who has read the report said: “Certain Muslims, because they are in these communities and go to Muslim schools, think Britain is a Muslim country. They think 75% of the country is Muslim.”
The correct figure, according to the 2011 census, is 4.8% of the population in England and Wales. Christians account for 59.3%.
Casey's report will be embarassing for ministers, especially Theresa May, because it will establish that the government does not have any serious integration strategy.
The report will also criticise the Home Office and other departments for not doing enough to tackle mass immigration and its consequences. While marriage visa rules have been tightened, men are getting around by living with their future wives in Europe and them moving to the UK, under free movement rules. The concerns about sham marriages and Sharia councils have also been raised in the same report.
In April 2016, after a similar revelation by Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, who ran the EHRC until 2012 had said, "In my view, we have to adopt a far more muscular approach to integration than ever, replacing the failed policy of multiculturalism"
Commenting on this ground-breaking survey, Trevor Phillips had called for a new, tougher approach to integration and the abandonment of “the failed policy of multiculturalism".
The UK has many immigrant communities settled from South Asia, among which Indians are the largest. The problems of integration, and failures to do so have been witnessed more among Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, compared to Indians, according to Home Office.
Kirit Somani, an immigrant from India, settled now in the UK told Asian Voice, “I believe this report has a tinge of racism. Living one's life as you please does not refer to failing to integrate. I am Hindu, from India, my wife is from India too. We have migrated and we have integrated with the British society very well. Migration is not directly proportionate to disintegration or not integrating with the broader culture. English may not be our mother tongue, but most South Asians speak it or learn it.”
Reaction from migrants
Adam Singh, told the newspaper, “My wife is Indian. I am British, born and brought up in the North. My wife is the first generation of Indian from her family to the UK, she speaks fluent English and have integrated very well. So mass migration has nothing to do with cultural integration. It is a matter of choice.”
Arifa Hussain said, “I have grown up in Bradford. I met my wife in Malaysia. She migrated here after our marriage. And now she is a teacher in the UK. Integration is a way of life- is a personal choice. It is wrong of the Home Office or the researcher to suggest that mass migration leads to isolation.”
Tara Mehta told Asian Voice, “I do agree with the report- at least partly. I live in the Tower Hamlets, and there was suddenly this effort from some youngsters in the Muslim fraternity to make anyone living in the locality follow Sharia laws and the Muslim culture. And these young men were evidently born and brought up here.
“A local pharmacist who is non-Muslim was threatened to wear hijab, and follow the Sharia rules. I have seen people refusing to integrate. But I don't think all migrants behave this way. It is unique to a particular culture. Change of rules affect everybody. So Home Office needs to understand the differences better, and thereafter make appropriate rules. ”
1 in 4 British Muslims 'does not believe in extremism'
However major new survey backed by a Birmingham MP shows one in four British Muslims does not believe in extremism.
The study, involving over 3,000 Muslims, finds over half of British Muslims want to “fully integrate” with society. British Muslims broadly have same concerns as the rest of society.
Attitudes towards many issues, such as the NHS, unemployment and immigration, are broadly in line with the rest of the population, the survey by ICM and Policy Exchange, the right-of-centre think tank, shows.
Birmingham Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood, who helped organise the survey, said British Muslims were amongst the country’s most loyal, patriotic and law-abiding citizens.
He said: “In an era in which intolerance and bigotry pose a growing challenge to our society, it cannot be stressed enough that most British Muslims want to integrate with their non-British neighbours.”
The research finds that 53% wanted to “fully integrate with non-Muslims in all aspects of life”.
But he also warned that a “readiness to believe in conspiracy theories and the mentality of victimhood” was holding British Muslims back.
The study finds many believed conspiracy theories about the WTC attacks in the US, such as the theory that the US orchestrated the attacks itself.
According to the think-tank, 31% of Muslims thought the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks and 7% blamed Jews, while only 4% believed al-Qaida was responsible.
It finds that 26% of Muslims did not believe in extremism and 48% would not turn to the police if someone close to them became involved with people linked to Syrian terrorism.
