ABSTRACT
The growing concern about the influence of religious ideology on the political perspectives and practices of British Muslims has focused on the assumption that all Muslims follow and agree on the role of Islam in politics. Among other things, this supposition holds foreign policy as crucial to all Muslims; accuses Muslims of allegiance to their religion over their nation-state; and presumes the majority of Muslims believe in political violence as a means of gaining political goals and consequently it treats as questionable any form of political activism by young Muslims. Notwithstanding that, the previous decade has seen attempts by Muslims to defend their religion and religious identity against radical elements and their extremist political agenda. This chapter analyses the perception of young second generation British Muslims regarding political violence, foreign policy, citizenship and political engagement. The chapter highlights the diversity in religious interpretation of the ‘political’; of variations in attitudes towards political violence and a progressive and varying degree of understanding of the role that Islam plays in politics. This does not undermine research on Muslim political participation, but emphasises the diversity in interpretation, attitudes and action among them.
