ABSTRACT
Before the census of 2001, there was no way of accurately determining the size of the Muslim population in Britain, as previous censuses did not categorise religious affiliation. The best estimates, in 1991, concluded that the Muslim population at the time stood at one million, with 80% being of South Asian origin. The remainder were drawn mostly from the Arab world, Malaysia, Iran, Turkey, Cyprus, and East and West Africa (Lewis 2004: 14). With natural growth, continuing globalisation and post-colonial migration fuelled by economic hardship and conflict, more migrants arrived in Britain from other parts of the Muslim world. By the 2001 census, the Muslim population had risen to 1.5 million, now with some 65% of South Asian origin, indicating the increasing multi-ethnic make-up of Britain’s Muslim population.
