During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain has been through a monumental shift in more ways the one. When she had ascended the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, Britain had an empire, TV was still a luxury, Britain was still rationing food even though the Second World War had ended in 1945 and the country at large was not as multi-cultural or cosmopolitan as it is now.
Over the seven decades of the Queen’s reign, the face of the British Isles has changed dramatically, as well as the role of Great Britain globally. Migration to the UK from parts of the Commonwealth and beyond has seen the UK become a multi-faith and multi-cultural society. Moreover, as multi-cultural Britain has emerged, the monarchy itself recognised the contributions of minority communities to British society, with invitations to her garden parties and more diversity on the honours list, for example. In doing so, Queen Elizabeth’s reign has seen change in the narrative around migrant and minority faith communities of which a large proportion of Muslim communities are a part.
Many Muslims remember the Queen making history as the first reigning British monarch to visit a mosque in the United Kingdom when she visited Scunthorpe’s Islamic Community Centre as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, alongside many other faith communities. Immi Juwaid, from the Islamic Centre Scunthorpe recalls the impact the visit had locally: “Seven or eight months earlier 9/11 had happened and tensions were very high in North Lincolnshire. There was a lot of backlash and we felt very isolated. The Queen’s visit helped relations and we are forever in debt to her.”
Similarly, the Queen’s Honours welcomed the contribution British Muslims have given to British society; the latter part of the reign saw record numbers of British Muslims honoured by the Crown.
However, despite these important milestones, debates over the monarchy’s associations with empire, colonialism and the role of Britain in the world have continued, and quite rightly need to be addressed. As the country now looks towards the reign of King Charles III, Britain will enter a period where difficult conversations on history, the past and the future direction of the country need to be had.
As we look to the future, we should consider King Charles III tenure as the Prince of Wales, and take heart in his self-declared desire to be a “defender of faith”, and that he has spoken of minority faiths and associated communities in an inclusive manner. During an interview with BBC Radio 2, for example, he said: “I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country. And it’s always seemed to me that, while at the same time being Defender of the Faith, you can also be protector of faiths.”
Furthermore, King Charles III has shown a keen interest in Islam and British Muslim communities, and is seen as a friend to Muslim communities by many. From being Patron of the Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies, to founding Mosaic – a Muslim youth mentoring and empowerment programme – the newly ascended King Charles III has shown leadership in engaging Muslim communities constructively.
The King has also spoken positively about the role of Islam and Muslims in the European renaissance; Islam’s approach to the environment and the virtues of Islamic finance, for example, whilst also robustly debunking the innately Islamophobic notion of there being a “clash” between Islam and the west in his seminal “Islam and the West” speech in 1993. As such, The King’s words, deeds and record in this vein are a source of hope.
The King’s reign, however, begins just as the Institute of Race Relations publishes a report showing how British Muslims have had their citizenship reduced to “second-class” status as a result of recently expanded powers to strip British citizens of their nationality. Add to this the report earlier this year from the University of Birmingham, which reported that a quarter of the British public have negative feelings towards Muslims, and you can see how important it is to have a Monarch who has a keen interest in, and respect for, different faith systems.
Now more than ever, we need leadership that is willing and able to bridge divides. I feel positive that given the opportunity, King Charles III could have a lasting impact as a mentor and source of guidance for our new Prime Minister Liz Truss, for example; one that could help bring about a desperately needed reset in our politics insofar as attitudes towards Muslims and Islam in Britain are concerned.
Zara Mohammed is the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain
All rights reserved. © 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited.