Distinguishable:

Multiculturalism, Islam and Identity in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article reflects on how issues related to multiculturalism are articulated in the process of shaping Muslim identities in the United Kingdom, by examining the recent history of immigration and policies aimed at managing cultural differences in British territory. The analysis centers on dynamics related to loyalty disputes – religious, ethnic and national – typical of diasporic communities, as well asthe tensions and conflicts that pervade these processes. The text shows that the essentialization and exceptionalism of Muslim identity, whether or not it is anchored in religious practice, and the related government policies exerted a major influence on the countries’ multicultural coexistence, contributing to dilemmas of belonging in a context of a crisis of national identity.