Islam, ethnicity and South Asian religions in the London 2001 census

Abstract

The paper examines the relative strengths of the cross‐cutting variables of religion and ethnicity. British Muslims are often referred to as if they were a single community. The 2001 Censuses of England and Wales and Scotland demonstrate that Muslims are ethnically heterogeneous. Ethno‐religious ward‐level data for London from the 2001 census are used to test whether Islam binds together peoples of different ethnicity or whether ethnicity links groups despite religious differences. London Muslims, as a whole, are much less segregated than Sikhs, Jews or Hindus. Paradoxically this low level of overall segregation is produced by high intra‐Muslim ethnic segregation. Intra South‐Asian mixing irrespective of religion is greater than intra‐Muslim mixing, irrespective of ethnicity. Intra‐Black mixing is high irrespective of religion, while religion over‐rides race and ethnicity for Christian groups.

Geographical contributions to understanding contemporary Islam: current trends and future directions

“…Much of this work seeks to explore the complexities of ethnic and racial segregation (Phillips 1998(Phillips , 2007 drawing upon census data (Howard and Hopkins 2005) and has recently drawn attention to the urban spatial patterning of Muslim populations (e.g. Peach 2006;Phillips 2006). Alongside observations that new patterns of settlement are seeing Muslim populations locating in suburban locations (Peach 2000), this important work has also sought to interpret and explain the complex relationships between areas of Muslim settlement, society and space (Hopkins 2007b;Peach 1990Peach , 1996Peach , 2006Phillips 1998Phillips , 2006.…”

“…Alongside observations that new patterns of settlement are seeing Muslim populations locating in suburban locations (Peach 2000), this important work has also sought to interpret and explain the complex relationships between areas of Muslim settlement, society and space (Hopkins 2007b;Peach 1990Peach , 1996Peach , 2006Phillips 1998Phillips , 2006. For example, Peach (2006) has recently used the UK 2001 census to analyse the distribution of Muslims and other South Asian groups in London, highlighting that there is 'considerable residential separation between Muslims of different ethnic origins' (Peach 2006: 367). Challenging homogenous perspectives on Islam, this work shows that 'family, ethnicity, and region of origin are the dominant determinants of location' (Peach 2006: 368).…”

Bangladeshi Female Students in Higher Education: ‘Agentic Autonomy’ at the Race/Gender Trajectory

“…However, it is precisely the existence of admissions policies, widening participation and outreach work of the 'old' universities that has resulted in the gradual increase in minority ethnic students studying at degree level (Reay, David & Ball, 2005). Despite the increase in numbers in higher education institutions, evidence indicates that institutional racism, stereotyping and tokenism continues into employment (Bhavnani & Mirza, 2005;Jones, 1993;Mason, 2003;Moosa, 2008;Peach, 2006). Although widening participation has encouraged the inclusion of previously marginalised groups, one of the participants stated the following about the Bangladeshi community and being a Muslim female:…”

Integration and the negotiation of ‘here’ and ‘there’: the case of British Arab activists

“…Alba and Nee 1997). This conceptualization of integration also underlies an important component of geographical literature that uses settlement patterns of immigrants and minorities to assess a particular group's social and spatial proximity to, or distance from, 'mainstream' society (Allen and Turner 1996;Clark 2003;Haverluck 1998;Peach 1996Peach , 2006.…”

“…In the context of rapid ethnic diversification of major cities, there has been a growing interest among North American and European geographers in measuring and classifying levels of spatial concentration and assessing the degree to which groups remain separate from the majority society and/or from other minority groups (Bolt, Hooimeijer and van Kempen 2002;Johnston, Forrest and Poulsen 2002;Pamuk 2004;Peach 2006). Such literature has taken on added significance in the British context, where public discourse has revolved around the claim that the 'ghettoization' of Muslim communities is leading young British men to sympathize with and to commit terrorist acts.…”