Islam in Transition - Religion and Identity Among British Pakistani Youth (Electronic book text)

Young British Pakistanis live in a social world made up of diverse elements. From their parents they learn about the way of life that is Islam. From Muslim to Pakistani friends, they learn much about their shared heritage. At the same time, they learn about the British Culture of which they are a part and which is a part of them; but they discover too that, in the eyes of some, they can never be 'truly' British because of their dark skin and 'foreign' religion. Islam in Transition explores this complex interrelationship that exists between the different ethnic, national and religious identities. In particular, it focuses on the ways in which Islamic religion still engenders powerful loyalties within what is now a predominantly secular society and how, in their continual adherence to their religion, many young British Pakistanis find a welcome sense of stability and permanence. By presenting material collected in field-work study and by using extensive quotations from interviews, the author argues that in a world where concepts of identity are always being challenged traditional sources of authority and allegiance still survive.