Young, Muslim And Black

[Herer]

just listen

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00d872v/Heart_And_Soul_Young_Muslim_And_Black

 

 

More than two-thirds of Muslims in Britain are of South Asian ancestry, leading many to believe that Islam is the preserve of these communities.

 

Yet in the last 20 years, Islam has arguably become the fastest growing religion among black people in Britain and at a time when the UK appears more disunited over faith, ethnicity and identity than ever before.

 

In this programme the writer and presenter, Dotun Adebayo, explores this phenomenon and asks why is Islam providing such an attractive religious alternative to Christianity for black Britons seeking spiritual answers?

 

What do they get from Islam that they can’t get from their original faith? Is this just a rebellion against the family and society?

 

He talks to young black people about the reasons for their conversion and to Bishop Joe Aldred from the Black Churches who explains where he thinks the Black Majority Churches are going wrong - and why he thinks they need to smarten up and get their message across to young people so they are comfortable with church.

 

Conversion to Islam also has a darker side in the shape of terrorism.

 

As Dotun Adebayo says: "Ever since the penny dropped that the Richard Reid, the shoebomber was THE Richard Reid I had lived with when he was a teenager in south London, I have been haunted with the question of whether I could have done anything to dissuade my petty thieving 'good lad at heart' flatmate from going down the route of militant Islam. Twenty years later I have to ask is being 'young muslim and black' still a "lovely, precious dream."

 

Richard Reid is just one example of extremism and the dangers of radicalization among converts. Like Reid, who was of mixed race origin, many converts are first introduced to Islam in Prison or Young Offenders Institutions.

 

Dotun goes to Brixton to meet young converts and Dr Abdul Haq Baker, an academic and member of Brixton Mosque, knew Richard Reid, to discuss what makes a young convert turn to extremism and how the Muslim communities are trying to combat this.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00d872v/Heart_And_Soul_Young_Muslim_And_Black

[BOB]

Nice topic...Thanks or sharing.

 

 

Ever since the Sep. 11 the Slamophobic furore in the western media as negative as it was it helped Islam make an impresssion on many people and nobody could ever predict the affect it had on people, people who never may have heard of Islam before and since there is large muslim community in britain, it became easy for the muslims to carry on spreading the message and show the ordinary people that Islam is not as bad as the media tries to make it seem and all muslims are not as evil as the media potrays them.

 

 

Islam is by far the fastest growing eligion in the world and this is just beginning...Maasha Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace, Love & Unity.

[hodman]

Interesting stuff

[ElPunto]

Good program. Thanks for sharing.

 

I didn't understand the racism argument made by some of the commentators. South Asians are insular but I don't see how the opportunity for racism would arise. Sad if it does though.

[Nabad_dadaye]

masha allah , nice topic

[Miskin]

Interesting, it is only the British blacks that are converting to Islam or is it a global phenomina post 9/11?

[caydarus]

British people are very generous to their brothers and sisters (muslims)