Islam in Scotland
Encyclopedia
The larger immigration of Muslims to Scotland is relatively recent. The bulk of Muslims
in Scotland
come from families who immigrated during the late 20th century. In Scotland Muslims represent 0.9% of the population (42,557), with 30,000 in Glasgow
. Muslims are the third largest non-Christian group after atheists and agnostics.
Many Scottish Muslims are of South Asian descent
primarily hailing from Pakistan
.
The first Muslim student in Scotland was Wazir Beg from Bombay
(now "Mumbai"). He is recorded as being a medical student who studied at the University of Edinburgh
between 1858-59.
The production of goods and Glasgow's busy port meant that many lascars were employed there. Dundee
was at the peak of importing jute; hence, sailors from Bengal were a feature at the port. Records from the Glasgow Sailors' Home show that, in 1903, nearly a third (5,500) of all boarders were Muslim lascars.
Two important mosques in Scotland are Edinburgh Central Mosque
, which took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5m and has a main hall that can hold over one thousand worshippers, and Glasgow Central Mosque
.
British Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
come from families who immigrated during the late 20th century. In Scotland Muslims represent 0.9% of the population (42,557), with 30,000 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Muslims are the third largest non-Christian group after atheists and agnostics.
Many Scottish Muslims are of South Asian descent
Asian-Scots
Asian-Scots or Scottish Asians is a term used for people of South Asian ancestry who were born in Scotland, or for South Asian immigrants....
primarily hailing from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The first Muslim student in Scotland was Wazir Beg from Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(now "Mumbai"). He is recorded as being a medical student who studied at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
between 1858-59.
The production of goods and Glasgow's busy port meant that many lascars were employed there. Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
was at the peak of importing jute; hence, sailors from Bengal were a feature at the port. Records from the Glasgow Sailors' Home show that, in 1903, nearly a third (5,500) of all boarders were Muslim lascars.
Mosques
Edinburgh Central Mosque
Edinburgh Central Mosque is located on Potterrow near the University of Edinburgh central area and the National Museum of Scotland. The mosque and Islamic centre was designed by Basil Al-Bayati, and took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5m...
, which took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5m and has a main hall that can hold over one thousand worshippers, and Glasgow Central Mosque
Glasgow Central Mosque
Glasgow Central Mosque is located on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Gorbals district of central Glasgow.-The Mosque:The Mosque was built in 1983 and was formally opened in 1984 by H E. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League...
.
Notable Scottish Muslims
- Bashir AhmadBashir Ahmad (politician)Bashir Ahmad was a Scottish National Party politician. He was elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent the Glasgow region at the 2007 election, and was the first MSP to be elected from an Asian-Scots or Muslim background. Ahmed was a prominent and well respected figure in Parliament and in...
- first Asian Member of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(2007–2009) - Abdal-Qadir As-Sufi (Ian Dallas)
- Farah Noor AdamsFarah Noor AdamsFarah Noor Adams was a Scottish woman who was murdered in Glasgow in 2005. She was a part-time youth worker, aged 34, a Muslim, separated from her husband, bringing up a daughter aged eight. She was murdered while exercising on a footpath beside the River Kelvin in Maryhill...
- Bashir MannBashir MannBashir Maan CBE is an Asian-Scottish politician, businessman, judge, social worker and writer. He was born in Maan village, near Qila Didar Singh, Gujranwala District, British India . His father had a small landholding there and his paternal uncle had already moved to Chicha Watni, District Sahiwal...
, former Labour councillor - Misbah Iram Ahmed Rana (Molly Campbell)Misbah RanaMisbah Iram Ahmed Rana , also known as Molly Campbell, is a Scottish girl of mixed Scottish-Pakistani heritage when she was at the centre of an alleged child abduction case in August 2006.-Early life:...
- Mohammad SarwarMohammad SarwarMohammad Sarwar is a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament in Glasgow from 1997 to 2010, first for Glasgow Govan and then from 2005 for Glasgow Central. He was the first ever British Muslim MP....
MP - First Muslim MP at Westminster from 1997 to 2010 - Mona SiddiquiMona SiddiquiMona Siddiqui OBE is a British Muslim academic. She is Professor of Islamic Studies and Public Understanding at the University of Glasgow, as well as the Director of its Centre for the Study of Islam, and is a member of the Commission on Scottish Devolution.She is also a regular contributor to...
- is a British Muslim academic, currently is a University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
's Professor of Islamic Studies and Public Understanding, as well a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4, The Times, Scotsman, The Guardian, The Herald - Viscount Reidhaven, eldest son of the Earl of SeafieldEarl of SeafieldEarl of Seafield is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1701 for James Ogilvy, who in 1711 succeeded his father as Earl of Findlater. The titles remained united until the earldom of Findlater became extinct in 1811. The earldom of Seafield is still extant, however...
. - Osama SaeedOsama SaeedOsama Saeed is the head of international and media relations at the Al Jazeera satellite network. He is also a Scottish activist and commentator.- Background :Saeed was born and brought up in Glasgow...
, chief executive of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation
See also
- Islam in the United KingdomIslam in the United KingdomIslam has been present in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, though it was not legally recognised until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today it is the second largest religion in the country with estimates suggesting that by 2010 the total Muslim population had reached 2.869 million.The...
- Islam in EnglandIslam in EnglandIslam in England is the largest non-Christian religion, with most Muslims being immigrants from South Asia or descendants of immigrants from that region...
- Islam in Northern IrelandIslam in Northern IrelandIslam in Northern Ireland details Islam in Northern Ireland since its creation as a separate country within the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921, under the Government of Ireland Act 1920....
- Islam in WalesIslam in WalesIslam is the largest non-Christian faith in Wales, with 22,000 members recorded in the country at the 2001 Census. The earliest recorded connections between Wales and the ‘Muslim world’ dates back to the early 12th Century...
- Islam by countryIslam by countryIslam is the world's second largest religion after Christianity. According to a 2009 demographic study, Islam has 1.57 billion adherents, making up 23% of the world population....
- Muslim Council of BritainMuslim Council of BritainThe Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
- Muslim Council of Scotland
- Muslims in Western Europe
- Religion in the United KingdomReligion in the United KingdomReligion in the United Kingdom and the states that pre-dated the UK, was dominated by forms of Christianity for over 1,400 years. Although a majority of citizens still identify with Christianity in many surveys, regular church attendance has fallen dramatically since the middle of the 20th century,...
- The Muslim WeeklyThe Muslim WeeklyThe Muslim Weekly is a national British Muslim newspaper, and is the first weekly newspaper for Muslims in the UK. Published by SNS Media Ltd, it is the brainchild of Ahmed Abdul Malik and Mohammed Shahed Alam...
British Muslims
- Islam in LondonIslam in LondonIslam is London's largest and most significant minority religion. There were 607,083 Muslims reported in the 2001 census in the Greater London area. Most Muslims are concentrated in the east London boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest...
External links
- The Muslim Council of Scotland
- The Scottish-Islamic Foundation
- Census 2001: Key Statistics of Scotland (PDF, religion KS027)
- What is sectarianism?
- Reaching out in Edinburgh
- Last Muslim School in Scotland Faces Closure Deadline
- "Islam misunderstood"
- Scottish Left Review article on Islam in Scotland
- Osama Saeed, a Scottish Muslim activist