IES Lecture Series: "Understandings of European Identity among Pakistani-origin Muslims in Britain"

IES Lecture Series on European Identity: "'I am British and Asian. I am not European'. Understandings of European Identity among Pakistani-origin Muslims in Britain." Lecture by Dr. Susan Condor, University of Lancaster. Aula E.0.04.

Lancaster Professor Discusses Attitude to Europe  Survey

In the framework of the Spring Lecture Series on European Identity, IES and the University of Kent at Brussels  welcomed Professor Susan Condor of the Department of Psychology of the University of Lancaster to present the findings of a study done in the Greater Manchester area of Northern England. The study concerned the attitudes of working class Muslim youth of Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic origin towards their local, British and European identities.

Professor Condor subscribes to the notion that Britain is  “a community of communities” – an expression originating in Canadian multiculturalism. Many people in Britain identify with their region or locality especially in Scotland but also elsewhere. There are 1.6 million Muslims of these origins in England or 3% of the population and generally their attitudes to the idea of “Europeanness” and “Britishness” are not very different from the white population. They “feel” British (or Scottish as the case may be) but they do not feel European. It is noteworthy that they can feel British without having travelled in the UK but at the same time reject the notion of being European “because they have never been there”.

Young Muslims in Britain also feel that being Muslim is somehow incompatible with being European “because being European is being Christian”. “Asian is not European but can be British”. In other words, you can be British-Asian but not European-Asian; Young British Muslims also make the distinction between themselves as Asian Muslims and Muslims on the European mainland of North African or other extraction.

Rather more alarming is the view expressed by those that somehow being “European” is “an evil strategy of government” or an illegitimate construct imposed from above. They use their anti-European credentials to boost the notion of being British because they see and hear the anti-EU rhetoric in the media. (The white population are not quite so blunt about being anti-EU and use more oblique expressions.) Young Muslims seem to regard the EU as a manifestation of imperialism, that is a remote power off in the distance exercising control over their lives. Brussels is “faceless” and “we are all British together” top make sure that it does not take over. The assumption seems to be amongst this group that somehow Britain is a uniquely diverse society living in a totally different way, thus giving the country a competitive edge over the Continental countries.

Susan’s lecture was a unique insight into attitudes since the survey was conducted by psychologists rather than sociologists or political scientists. Given the prevailing mood in the UK about the EU and “being European” the results are perhaps unsurprising and it would be interesting to compare this study with comparable surveys of young Muslims in France, the Netherlands or Belgium to see how they differ. However, the results do give food for thought since they show that on this issue, the young Muslim population are perhaps only intent on a being anti-European and that only a minute proportion (the perpetrators of the attacks of July 7 2005 for instance) are really against the society in which the live.