Islam in Scotland

Religion in Scotland

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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),^[1] with 30,000 in Glasgow.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.

Mosques

Edinburgh Central Mosque

Glasgow Central Mosque is one of the biggest Sunni Barelvi mosques in Glasgow

Two important mosques in Scotland are Edinburgh Central Mosque, which took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5m^[4] and has a main hall that can hold over one thousand worshippers,^[5] and Glasgow Central Mosque.

Notable Scottish Muslims

• Bashir Ahmad - first Asian Member of the Scottish Parliament (2007–2009)
• Abdal-Qadir As-Sufi (Ian Dallas)
• Farah Noor Adams
• Bashir Mann, former Labour councillor
• Misbah Iram Ahmed Rana (Molly Campbell)
• Mohammad Sarwar MP - First Muslim MP at Westminster from 1997 to 2010
• Mona Siddiqui - is a British Muslim academic, currently is a University of Glasgow'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 Seafield.
• Osama Saeed, chief executive of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation

See also

• Islam in the United Kingdom
• Islam in England
• Islam in Northern Ireland
• Islam in Wales
• Islam by country
• Muslim Council of Britain
• Muslim Council of Scotland
• Muslims in Western Europe
• Religion in the United Kingdom
• The Muslim Weekly
• British Muslims
• Islam in London

References

1. ^ http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00398-02.asp
2. ^ [1] young muslims UK, accessed 4th August 2010
3. ^ http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/antisectarian/whatIsSectarianism/aboutsectarianism/Islam/02100506historyofmuslimsinscotland.asp
4. ^ Edinburgh mosque opens "BBC new report". 1998-07-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/143136.stm Edinburgh mosque opens. Retrieved 2008-07-02. 
5. ^ "Muslim Directory". http://www.muslimdirectory.co.uk/viewdetails.php?id=6134&orgtype=&city=Edinburgh. Retrieved 2008-07-02. 

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