Seen and not Heard

‘Much is written about young Muslims but we rarely seem to actually hear their voices’. These are the opening lines to the introduction of the above report. These lines provide an overall context and direction for the report, as it ‘aims to bring the voices of young British Muslims to the fore, to enable their thoughts and opinions to be heard by those who seek to engage them’. The importance of meaningful engagement with Muslim youths is pertinent especially given the fact that over 50% of all Muslims in the UK are under the age of 25, with a significant number below the age of 16.

Whilst most studies tend to focus on Muslim youths of Pakistani heritage, this study provides a valuable contribution by bringing the voices of young Muslims from cross sections of ethnic, gender and geographical background through focus group interviews. This study considers Muslim voices based upon a range of socio-political issues, ranging from education, community leadership, media, policing, identity, belonging and citizenship. An assessment of each of these categories demonstrates the inter-sectional nature of the discursive voices of Muslim youths based on intergenerational issues, faith and institutional authority.