British Muslims in UK: in-between identities, borders, Islam and sport

Abstract (English)

This research is devoted to the study of the identities of modern British Muslims (symbolically “migrant communities”), British citizens, based on statistical data, social reports, media, visual anthropology and authors`s field materials 2012-2024 (London, Luton, Canterbury, Falmouth, Plymouth, Portsmouth etc in Cornwall, Bath, Reading, Brighton, Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham and etc., Leeds, Bradford, Blackpool, York, Newcastle, South-Shields, Sunderland in England; Edinburgh and Glasgow, in Scotland, Belfast in Northern Ireland).
The authors describe the role of sport and religion in forming of these cross-border identities (in-between ethnic Bangladeshi, pan-religious Islamic and national British).
Young Muslims of the so called “2-3 generations” deal with two cultural worlds of their own families and cultural communities, as well as their peers, schools and society at large. In addition, peers are often drawn from a wide variety of immigrant cultures. Thus, “intercultural worlds”, including “worlds of memory”, can turn out to be not only “bicultural”, but much more multi-layered, giving rise to misunderstandings.
We are talking about specific places of communication: MOSQUE (territory for community socialization, mobilization and public discussions): SPORTS CLUB, STADIUM, SCHOOL (territories of external communication and competition); HOME as a territory of family socialization, protection of personal, family and local heritage; MARKET as a space for familiarization with urban cultures and an area for trading urban values. We are talking about 3 types of communications, expressed in urban quartals allegory.
In this sense we can talk about co-interpretation of “active borders” – “hard” and “soft”. Anthropology (sport, urban and visual) here is trying to explore border “human dimension” and the role of city structures: 1. “ghettos” presenting (not preserving) a version of “left” world; 2. cosmopolitan, commercial, literally multicultural quarters; 3. “quarters” as an idea, a virtual space enclosed within the central and bohemian districts or fun communities such as Bangla Bantams in Bradford (Bradford City FC), and also Muslim entertainment, Muslim hipsters, politicized youth, who today form the British Islam image as unique phenomenon connected with sport. Sport on the whole and sport stadiums, gyms and sport fashion in particular is a “public theater” with specific lows and rules, the place for public communication, diversity claiming and inequality. The paper also touches the problem of "visibility" and the role of football and sport entertainment culture in the development of identities of most complex, “post-imperial”, “post-colonial”, in-between communities. Sport for British Muslims as a dynamic, diverse, and open to change “postmodernist sphere” represents resource that unites disparate communities, contributes to the success of social and class competition.