People who often interact with British Muslims, how are they actually like?

Posted by OkAthlete7377@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 31 comments

I'm a recent immigrant to the UK from a Christian majority country where I had very little interaction with Muslims. My home country has less than 1% Muslim population. I'm not religious though and would describe myself as an agnostic. Since moving here, I've been exposed to a lot of conflicting information about Islam and British Muslim communities, some very negative.

I've had only two interactions with Muslims:

The first was with a man & van driver who moved from Afghanistan over a decade ago, who told me he fully supports the Taliban when I asked about the situation back home. He also mentioned that when people in Afghanistan ask if he's becoming westernized living in the UK, he tells them he's actually becoming more conservative.

My second interaction was with two men (also man & van, with British accents but appeared to be South Asian) who were making jokes and mocking a previous customer who was gay. They seemed to find it amusing that they'd moved belongings for a gay man. They also made comments negative comments în general about British people. I think they did notice my foreign accent and that's why they felt free to say that.

My social media feeds is bombarding me with content about the dangers of Islam and similar topics. I'm trying to stay open minded though.

I'm wondering if people who often interact often with Muslims (or actual Muslims) can help me understand:

Are the views I encountered in my limited interactions representative, or did I just meet people with more extreme opinions?
When controversial incidents happen (like the Batley Grammar School situation where the teacher went into hiding), what's the range of opinions within Muslim communities? Do most condemn the protests and threats, or is it more divided?
How do most British Muslims view terrorist attacks in Europe? I assume the vast majority condemn them, but I keep seeing claims online about silent approval. Is this just propaganda?
What about street preachers and more extreme voices (people like Anjem Choudary)? Are they seen as embarrassing fringe elements by most Muslims, similar to how most Brits laugh at Christian street preachers shouting about Jesus?
Islamic law vs. British law. What do most British Muslims actually think about this?
Regarding the grooming gang scandal. Do most Muslims acknowledge there were religious/cultural elements involved, or do they generally dismiss those claims as unfair stereotyping?
Regarding blasphemy laws. - Do most British Muslims think such laws have no place in the UK, or is there significant support for legal protections against religious criticism?
Do most British Muslims support secular education in schools, or is there significant desire for more religious influence?
How do British Muslims generally view criticism of Islam in public discourse? As legitimate debate or as unfair targeting?
What do imams talk about?

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edison9696@reddit

So let me get this straight.

You joined Reddit four days ago and your first post is a long one asking about all the negative things you could ask about Muslims?

If it looks like a bot....

OkAthlete7377@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I also know about Douglas Murray and Owen Jones, Enoch Powell and Tony Blair, and I have 4 books about Edwardian houses. Is it hard to believe that a recent arrival can be interested in British history and culture?

photos__fan@reddit

…Smells like a bot

sleepyboi08@reddit

Tastes like a bot

CrowApprehensive204@reddit

Worked with many young Muslim women over the years ranging from so Muslim lite they only paid lip service to Islam when the grandma was visiting to a girl I work with now from an extremely traditional family, she's not even allowed to catch a bus to work and her dad and brothers sound a right bunch of bricks tbh. So all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. We have one or two local councillors in the city who are Muslim and they are doing an excellent job for their local community.

Sil_Lavellan@reddit

I work in the NHS with some lovely Muslims, men and women. They're some of the nicest, kindest and most compassionate people I know. Shout out to a Muslim pharmacist i work with who will go above and beyond for his patients and supports his colleagues.

The folk I work with always bring food and participate in Christmas events, they're very generous. They're super pleased when I bring in a packet of biscuits at Eid because they don't expect me to notice.

gemgem1985@reddit

The people I know are like everyone else, idk what you are after here. I almost want to tell you about my beautiful neighbor of 14 years, and how great she is, but your post makes me feel gross, so I don't want to now.

Nigelb72@reddit

Most of the Muslims that I know personally are good people and don't preach their religion or beliefs. The ones that aren't good people, are just dickheads and that has nothing to do with their religious beliefs.

Familiar-Bug2664@reddit

There like...people...

snapper1971@reddit

*They're

Norman_debris@reddit

It's not that complicated. They're just people.

julesdg6@reddit

On point.

PipBin@reddit

You know people? Well, just like that really.

Particular_Camel_631@reddit

I work with a number of Muslims. I have consistently found them to be polite, sensible, well-educated and reasonably hard-working individuals .

Some are more devout than others, and several will go and find somewhere out of the way to pray from time to time during the day.

There are some dietary restrictions (which are easier to accommodate than veganism). Many don’t drink - so if we go to the pub, they will drink orange juice or similar.

Britain is a melting pot. We have many different religions and ethnicities, and the people who make a big deal about it tend to be the ones that don’t mix.

All Muslims I know think that the people who were involved in grooming gangs are evil bastards. Much like everyone else I know.

Frankly they are no different from anyone else.

Sea_Fuel_2138@reddit

I go along with the content of the conversation I am involved in. As you stated in one of your conversations that they were mocking.

FenianBastard847@reddit

White atheist male here. Some of my best friends are Pakistani Muslims who I met through work. They are, simply, lovely, normal, kind people. I respect their religious beliefs, and they respect mine. They aren’t scary, just quiet peaceful people who like everyone else want the best for their kids. I joined them on holiday in the Middle East, we had a terrific time, I’ve been to their home, they’ve been to mine. All the prejudice and hate comes from ignorance.

CharmingMeringue@reddit

They're like people.

lerpo@reddit

The same as everyone else you ever meet. Nothing is different unless you ask about religion.

It's the same as me saying "what's it like talking to a Christian?". Like.... Talking to everyone else. They just have a different faith.

What an odd question lol

-TrojanXL-@reddit

Ones I've worked with have all been really sound. Most of them are much more westernized and the women in particular wear makeup and don't dress in veil or hijab. Yet they are still very religious and observe Ramadan.

It goes to show how much they would be accepted if Islam as a whole came into the light and the modern day, just as Christianity went from burning 'heretics' at the stake to the more gentle and accepting modern version.

I will say however that the only close muslim friends I've ever had have all been drug dealers. A fairly high percentage of muslim guys I've worked with, as cool as they were, also fit that same description at various points in their life as well. I can't say that same thing for devout Christian dudes I've met, where maybe one or two black evangelical guys shotted a bit of bud from time to time. But it does make me raise my eyebrow massively when some of these dudes are talking halal this or haram that and meanwhile shotting (and doing) coke and drinking and banging prostitutes.

Real_Run_4758@reddit

ah, what a perfectly rational post, with interesting questions at the end, numbered for convenience.

it is time to ‘ask a brit’ - as they say!

so, i will ask on a forum dedicated to just such a task, being a normal person, which i am.

dear brit, topping day today what what, do you feel that the core tenets of islam are incompatible with British Values™,

Disastrous_Cloud_558@reddit

There will be Muslims reading this you know they’re not aliens

Andagonism@reddit

I'm an Atheist, but no matter what the religion, people will always interpret it differently.

Therefore, don't judge a group of people based on their religion, instead judge the person, for who they are, as an individual.

Havana-plant@reddit

Absolutely lovely people

LordAxalon110@reddit

They're just people like anyone else. You get your racist Muslims, your extreme Muslims, your arse hole Muslims etc.

But for the most part, they're just people that wanna live life in peace. I've got loads of Muslim mates and they're just super chill, I wish then a happy eid and they wish me a merry Christmas. It's exactly the same with Christians and any other religious person.

BFastBtch@reddit

I can’t be bothered to read the whole post. But basically all of my (multiple) interactions with Muslims in Britain have been grand. Relationships built. Some good people, some arseholes. Basically as normal. What a weird question.

Which_Yam_7750@reddit

Didn’t read the wall of text, sorry. To the basic question - personally I find it quite a strange odd question. Like just about any individual I’ve ever interacted with anywhere on the planet - most people are friendly, welcoming, hardworking, and generally just trying to get by day by day.

And this is why it’s important to travel more and experience other cultures. You’ll quickly learn we’re all just humans trying to make the best of the short amount of time we have here.

Razhbad@reddit

Spent 5 years working with British Asians, half of which were Muslim. Overall the main observable thing was they had a very great emphasis on what you would consider a traditional family. None of them ever said anything homophobic or sexist, but my impression is that from Muslim men and women they didn't think about those sorts of things at all. And that's it

Agitated_Ad_361@reddit

In just the same way that some people of any race or religion are cunts, some are nice. Humanity is a mix of awful people and OK people. Regardless of age, sex, sexuality, religion or ethnicity. Dividing people on any of those categories alone is foolish and is exactly what the right wing want you to do.

untoldrain@reddit

I see Muslims and Asians as individuals like everybody else? There are good ones and bad ones, conservative ones and progressive ones etc etc. They’re probably more conservative than the British population as large, but I would still judge the individual rather than the community.

Like, do you really think somebody like Zarah Sultana and Anjem Choudhary have comparable ideologies just because they’re both Asians?

BeardedBaldMan@reddit

Pretty much the same as everyone else.

I lived for a decade in Birmingham and decade in London, in that time I've worked with and been friends with muslims, sikhs, buddhists and others from all over.

Some of been twats, most weren't.

Around Alum Rock in the early 2000s there were some young men who weren't particularly pleasant, but I also had the same issue with white nationalists.