The Contemporary British Mosque

Repositioning mosques as social, cultural and political spaces, The Contemporary British Mosque provides new insights on key contemporary debates, the religious identity of Britain, secularisation, the far-right and terrorism, and gender equality.

The book explores the story of the British mosque, from humble house conversions to grand works of architecture, and the increasingly important role they play in public life and the religious devotions of millions of British Muslims. It draws on a sociological approach based on fieldwork and ethnographic case-studies, combined with reviews of databases and historical documents to provide a perspective on the British mosque based on the Muslim congregants who worship at them.

Abdul-Azim Ahmed details the establishment of early mosques in Britain during the era of Empire, and the more rapid growth in the years following the Second World War. It answers the question of what a mosque does, and what role it has for Muslims and the wider society. The case of the Muslim congregation, a poorly understood and often overlooked dimension of religion in Britain, is detailed, and through the congregation, issues of diversity, denomination, sacredness, and society are explored.