Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mrs. Afshan and welcome to our lesson.

Today we are going to explore a very interesting and important topic, Muslims in Britain today from the unit Muslims: What are the joys and challenges of being a Muslim in Britain? We'll be looking at the history, growth, and influence of the Muslim community in the UK and how they have shaped the country over time.

Let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is: I can understand Islam in the UK including how it is represented and how it has grown.

These are some of the key words.

Let's look at what they mean.

Islam is a worldwide religion that teaches people to believe in one God, called Allah in Arabic, and follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Census is a big count of all the people in the country to learn things like how many people live there and where they live.

And finally, British Empire, a group of countries around the world that were once ruled by Britain.

Would you like to note them down so you can go back to them throughout the lesson? Let's get started.

Today's lesson comprises of two cycles.

First, we would look at how has the Muslim population grown in the UK.

Alex explains how we use social sciences in religious education 'cause today's lesson is based on the core principle of social sciences in religious education.

Alex says, "Social scientists are interested in how people live and how contexts like where they live or when they lived affects this.

We can better understand people's worldviews by looking at photographs or analysing data.

We can survey or interview people to find out more about their worldview." In today's lesson, we'll look at photographs and listen to interviews with Muslims who settled in the UK.

We can hear their stories and see how their experiences have changed as the Muslim population has grown.

Look carefully at the image.

What can you see? Think about where might this have been used? What might it tell us? Look closely.

This is a coin in the British Museum from the reign of King Offa.

He was a Saxon King.

Offa Rex is King Offa in Latin.

We can also see Arabic texts around the outside.

This text was copied from Arabic coins.

This coin is interesting because it shows us that Britain and the Muslim world have been in contact for centuries.

Could you see the Arabic writing around the outset of the coin? Well done.

Muslims have traded across the world for hundreds of years.

The first Muslims probably arrived in the 16th century during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there were traders coming to trade goods.

Muslims have lived in the UK for many hundreds of years.

What can you see in this photograph? Where do you think this might have been taken? Well done if you recognise it is a mosque.

Absolutely, it is the Shah Jahan Mosque, which is in Woking near London.

It was first built in the UK, the first mosque built in the UK.

It was built in 1889.

It is more evident that Muslims have lived in the UK for hundreds of years.

Time for a check.

Muslims arrived in the UK in the 20th century, true or false? What do you think? False, because we have historical evidence that Muslims have lived in the UK for hundreds of years.

They arrived as traders in the 16th century.

Well done if you chose false as you answer.

The Muslim population in the UK increased in the 20th century.

Many Muslims first came to the UK during the 1950s and 1960s from countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

They came to work in factories, transport and other industries.

In the 1980s and 1990s, they were joined by Muslims from the Middle East and Africa.

Time for another check.

Why did many Muslims move to the UK? Was it to work in factories, transport and other industries, or to visit the beaches, or to study ancient history? What do you think? That's correct.

They moved to the UK to work in factories, transport and other industries.

Well done.

You got that right.

During the first quarter of the 20th century, it was estimated that there were around 10,000 Muslims in Britain.

Every 10 years, a national census takes place that counts everyone in England and Wales.

In 2001, it asked people to state their religion for the first time.

2.

7% of people identified themselves as Muslims. What do you predict the percentage was in 2021? Let's have a look, 'cause here is the census data for 2021.

What percentage of people identified as Muslim? Well done.

You got that right.

6.

5% of people in England and Wales were Muslims. This shows that Muslims make up the second largest religious group in the UK.

Let's check if you got that.

The Muslim population makes up 6.

5% of the total UK population, true or false? What do you think? True, that's correct.

Present census data shows population growth from 2.

7% of the population in 2001 to 6.

5% in 2021.

That's correct.

Well done.

Time for our task.

Here we have Jacob.

Jacob is explaining what he understands about the Muslim population in the UK.

Jacob says, "Muslims only arrived in the UK in the 1950s.

Now about 20% of the population is Muslim." Is Jacob correct? Can you use what we've learned about the history of Muslims in the UK and the census data as evidence to explain your answer? You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your answer.

Let's check our answers.

Is Jacob correct? No, Jacob is incorrect.

We have evidence that Muslims have lived in the UK for centuries.

A coin from King Offa shows that there was contact between Muslims and the UK for centuries.

Muslims built a mosque in Woking in 1889.

And only 6.

5% of population of England and Wales is Muslim according to the census taken in 2021.

Well done if you included this information in your answer.

Great work.

Let's now look at why did many Muslims settle in the UK? What do you know about the Second World War? The Second World War, between 1939 and 1945 CE, was an important event that affected almost every country in the world.

Britain and its empire fought in this war.

Many soldiers from the empire lost their lives alongside British soldiers.

After the war, many countries, including the UK, had to rebuild because so much had been destroyed.

Let's check for understanding.

Why did people from countries like Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh moved to the UK after the war? Was it to pursue higher education or to help rebuild the UK after the war, or to start businesses in the UK? What do you think? That's correct.

They moved to help rebuild the UK after the war.

That's the correct answer.

Well done.

Do you know which countries were part of the British Empire? Countries including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh were part of the British Empire.

After the Second World War, the UK needed help to rebuild and people from these countries were invited to the UK to help with jobs such as in hospitals, transport and factories.

In the photograph, you can see an image of an Eid-Ul-Fitr celebration at an East London mosque in 1941.

Muslims were living in the UK before and during the war.

When the Second World War ended in 1945, many Muslims saw the UK as a place where they could find better work and opportunities than in their home countries, especially after the war.

They took jobs in places like trains, factories and hospitals.

They worked hard to help rebuild the country.

Thanks to their hard work, the UK became stronger and its economy got better.

These workers played a big part in helping the UK recover after the war.

Let's start with the case study of Mr. Ismail who arrived in the UK in the 1960s and faced many challenges as he settled here.

Hearing interviews with Muslims will help us better understand how Muslims settled in the UK.

Let's hear a story from Amina.

<v Amina>Hi, I'm Amina,</v> and today I would like to talk about my granddad, Mr. Ismail, who came to the UK in 1963 from a country called Zambia.

One day a mosque in Derby invited him to teach people about Islam.

Despite not knowing much about living in the UK, he thought it was important to share his knowledge with others, so he moved to Derby, told people about the religion, made friends and helped others.

Many Muslims like my granddad, came to the UK to share their knowledge, build communities, and practise their faith.

After a while, his family joined him and settled in Derby.

It was a big change, but they made Derby their home.

Today, Muslims from different countries, including Zambia, have helped to make the UK a more diverse and special place.

<v ->Time for another check.

</v> What happened after some Muslims settle in the UK and found work? They brought their families and built strong communities, or they move to other countries, or they open schools.

What do you think? That's correct.

They brought their families and built strong communities.

That's the correct answer.

Well done.

Once some Muslims had settled in the UK and found work they would often bring over their families to join them.

This helped establish strong Muslim communities.

The families would continue to practise their faith, and many Muslims in the UK began to establish mosques, cultural centres and businesses that reflected their traditions.

When Mr. Khan was 14 years old, he moved from his home country to a place called Nottingham in the UK to join his family.

He went to live with his uncle.

After some time, Mr. Khan decided to stay in Nottingham because he found a really good job working in a factory that makes things.

He worked hard at his job and over the years he was able to build a happy life for himself.

He has been living there ever since and loves his home.

Let's see if you got that.

Why did Mr. Khan decide to stay in the UK? That he wanted to explore new cities, or he was offered a scholarship for school, or he found a great job in a factory? What do you think? That's correct.

He found a great job in a factory.

Well done.

Here's Zainab.

Zainab is a British Shi'a Muslim.

She has a Muslim worldview.

Zainab says, "As a young British Muslim, I think the stories of people like Mr. Khan and Mr. Ishmail are really inspiring." Zainab has learned from Mr. Khan and Mr. Ishmail's lives.

She says, "They moved to the UK, faced many challenges and worked hard to make a new life.

It helps me understand how brave they were and how they, as part of the Muslim community, have contributed to making the UK a diverse and interesting place." Here's our next task.

Laura is learning about the history of Islam in the UK but is unsure why many Muslims settled here.

Give two reasons to help Laura understand.

Use the case studies to explain your ideas.

We've learned about Mr. Ishmail and Mr. Khan as case studies in our lesson today.

Write two reasons to help Laura understand why many Muslims settled in the UK.

You can post the video now and come back when you're ready to check your answers.

Let's check our answers.

You possibly included these as your reasons.

Many Muslims came to the UK from countries that were part of the British Empire.

Because of the empire, it was easier for people from these countries to travel to the UK.

They were able to move here for better job opportunities and a chance at a better life.

After the Second World War, the UK needed workers to help rebuild the country.

Many Muslims, particularly from countries like Pakistan and India, moved to the UK to work in industries such as transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare.

These workers help the UK recover and build a stronger economy.

Well done if you included this information using our case studies.

Great work.

Let's quickly review what we've learned in today's lesson.

We've learned how Muslims have lived in the UK for many hundreds of years.

Muslims make up the second largest religious group in the UK.

The 2021 census shows that this population is increasing.

Many Muslims came to settle in the UK due to links with the British Empire.

After the Second World War, the UK needed help to rebuild and people from these countries moved to the UK to help with jobs such as in hospitals, transport and factories.

The Muslim community continues to make significant contributions to British society despite facing challenges.

By understanding the history and experiences, we gain a better understanding of the diverse and interconnected world we live in today.

That's all for today's lesson.

Well done for good listening.

I'll see you in our next lesson.

Goodbye.