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Social Policy, Cultural Integration and Faith: A Muslim Reflection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2012

Dilwar Hussain
Dilwar Hussain*
Affiliation:
Policy Research Centre, Islamic Foundation E-mail: dilwar@policyresearch.org.uk
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Abstract

This article is a reflection on some of the discussions around faith and public life, within the context of Muslim communities and their interaction with public policy. It looks at the gap between popular debates on Muslims and the actual lived socio-economic reality of most people of Muslim background, and then goes on to look at aspects of identity formation and Muslim identity politics in the UK. It also considers the idea of integration and looks briefly at emerging Islamic discourses that are grappling with some of the challenges presented by modern British society. Finally, the article explores the role of faith in the public sphere and if it can help to build social capital and play a role in ideas such as the Big Society. The article concludes by emphasising the need to move beyond identity politics and communitarianism and asks where the real divides in society are – between religious and ideological groups or within them?

Keywords

Integrationfaithpublic spheresocial policyBig SocietyIslamMuslim
Type
Themed Section on Social Policy and Religion in Contemporary Britain
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , October 2012 , pp. 625 - 635
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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