Saturday 9 March, 8pm

Following the riots in Bradford, Burnley and Oldham in the summer of 2001, David Blunkett, the British home secretary, asked: ‘How do people in the Asian community help the second and third generation feel British, belong and identify with Britain and, at the same time, retain the right to contribute to their own culture?’

That question has particular relevance to the Muslim community in the wake of ‘the war on terror’, when a very small minority of British Muslims reportedly fought against British and American forces in Afghanistan. While extreme examples, these individuals were seen to be placing their religion above their nationality. In this film, Charles Wheeler embarks on a personal journey around Britain to examine how prevalent this attitude is among young Muslims. He also asks them if being Muslim and British are easily compatible.

Wheeler begins his journey in Oldham, a town that has been hard hit by the decline in manufacturing. Meeting older members of the Muslim community, he learns that 30 years ago, when the area was thriving economically, locals worked alongside Muslims with very little friction. However, Wheeler suggests that the decline and closure of many factories have not only led to unemployment but to a kind of economic segregation where it is no longer common for members of different communities to work side by side. For example, only 2.5% of Oldham’s council workers are Muslim.

In Leicester, Wheeler visits a Muslim faith school that encourages its pupils to learn about other British cultures. In many ways this school is more forward thinking than many Christian faith schools that do little to educate their pupils about other cultures.

Marriage is another issue that is causing much debate within the British Muslim community. Young Muslims talk to Wheeler about their differing attitudes to arranged marriage.

Many of the young Muslims he meets are wrestling with the idea of being Muslim and British. Some do not find it a problem, but others point to the British love of alcohol and club culture as being a major barrier to true acceptance. Nonetheless, Wheeler finds enough common ground between the parallel cultures to suggest that the doom merchants who came to the fore after September 11 are wrong.

Other Programmes in the Muslim and British Season

The Hidden Jihad

Mum, I'm a Muslim

Trouble at the Mosque

Who Speaks for Muslims?