Online course in Languages & Cultures

Muslims in Britain: Changes and Challenges

Develop your understanding of Muslims and their faith through an exploration of communities in Britain.

Muslims in Britain: Changes and Challenges

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Overview
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Requirements
Educators
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  • Duration 4 weeks
  • Weekly study 4 hours

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Why join the course?

Islam is the second largest religion in the world today and dominates much of the current geopolitical discourse. People are increasingly bombarded by dramatic headlines, yet general knowledge of Muslims and their faith can be poor. There is consequently a need for a balanced and well-informed understanding of the current debates.

This course uses Britain as a case study to shed light on wider issues. It reflects the work of the Islam-UK Centre at Cardiff University, the research that we have conducted and focuses on the everyday lives of Muslims in Britain.

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What topics will you cover?

  • Islamic Practice: An outline of Islamic practices and beliefs plus an introduction to the different viewpoints within Islam.
  • History of Islam in Britain: An exploration of the longstanding associations between Islam and Britain, including Islamic influences on British society and the well-established connections between Britain and the countries from which many British Muslims originally hailed.
  • Settlement Patterns: The origins and makeup of today’s British Muslim communities.
  • Cultural Diversity Confronting the ‘myth’ of a homogenous Muslim community through an exploration of the various religious and cultural influences that characterise and inform Muslim communities in Britain today.
  • Contemporary Debates: An examination of how the above topics feed into the contemporary debates and what the future might hold.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Describe the basic beliefs of Muslims in Britain
  • Explore issues relating to the challenges that Muslims may face in observing the tenets of their faith in Britain today
  • Reflect on the historical context of the relationship between Britain and Islam
  • Investigate the patterns of settlement of Muslims in Britain and their socio-economic dimensions
  • Discuss issues of identity for British Muslims with reference to religious, ethnic and cultural diversity

Who is the course for?

The course is open to anyone with an interest in religion, culture and history, whether you are a beginner, experienced learner or returning to study.

Who will you learn with?

Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray

Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray

Professor of Religious & Theological Studies at Cardiff University and the Founding Director of the Islam-UK Centre. I have written numerous articles and books about Islam and Muslims in Britain.

Mark Bryant

Mark Bryant

Development Officer for the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK , Cardiff University and lead academic producer for 'Muslims in Britain' course.

MV

Matthew Vince

Research Associate at the Islam-UK Centre, Cardiff University.

Michael Munnik (educator)

Michael Munnik (educator)

Lecturer in Social Science Theories and Methods with the Islam-UK Centre. Research interest in Muslims and the news media.

Dr Riyaz Timol

Dr Riyaz Timol

I'm a Research Associate in British Muslim Studies at Cardiff University where I teach the MA module 'History and Development of Muslim Communities in Britain': https://cardiff.academia.edu/RiyazTimol

Who developed the course?

Cardiff University is a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities and is ranked within the top 150 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings.