ABSTRACT
In contemporary Britain, where public debates persist about the strengths and weaknesses of diversity, its recognition and its implications for political participation and practices, Muslims have gained particular attention, subject to suggestions that they are somehow illiberal or incompatible with modern democratic British society (Abbas 2005; Lewis 2002, 2007; Modood 2005). Despite those suggestions, Muslims have sought to engage directly with government and wider society at various levels; for example: running for office, forming Muslim-interest organisations like the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) or British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD), and creating Muslim-driven media, like Q-News or Muslim News. Interest and involvement in the political process amongst young British Muslims, however, has been observed as problematically low; problematic insofar as the perceived lack of interest is viewed as causally related to tendencies towards violent or extremist behaviour (Home Office 2005). But, if a more general decline in political engagement is considered, then apathy with the political process among younger populations is not particularly noteworthy (O’Toole and Gale 2011).
