‘Hidden Heritage’: Britain’s historic links with the Muslim world

In her latest book, ‘Hidden Heritage’, Channel 4 News Presenter, Fatima Manji explores Britain’s longstanding connection with the Muslim world. 

Fatima’s book was a very timely read, especially as we reflect on the devastating impact of hate crimes and abuse against Muslims this Islamophobia Awareness Month. The book very aptly discusses the prevalence of Islamophobia in the UK today, and indeed in the rest of the western world, while exploring the longstanding historic interaction between the Muslim world and Britain.

The book certainly enlightens and reflects on existing Islamophobia, comparing it to the way the Muslim world was perceived throughout history, and the Muslim link with Britain.

It is a very common misconception that Muslims are a recent arrival to Britain. The mainstream narrative claims that Muslims arrived here en-masse in the 1960s as South Asian immigrants. After this time, it asserts that more Muslims followed from other areas escaping wars, intolerance and poverty in their own countries. This depiction suits right-wing propaganda that Muslims are invading the UK, stripping the resources and do not belong.

Fatima throws this narrative on its head which is deep rooted and institutionalised. She shows how it is embedded in the power structure, from the history that is taught at schools, to the biased accounts of Britain’s exploits in the world, propagated by national heritage sites in the UK.

In the book, Fatima states: “The myth of British Empire as a civilising mission is a fairytale enthusiastically endorsed by many British adults…This peculiar delusion is a result of a system of schooling, cultural production and political discourse which reinforces the fantasy at the expense of a collective national reckoning.”

The reality is far from the sugar-coated narrative, and many Britons still cannot digest that the British Empire raped and pillaged a large part of world, and grew rich on other people’s wealth and resources. Fatima aptly calls this ‘historic amnesia’. She makes the pertinent point that Muslim people and all people of colour have played an essential part in building Britain as it stands today, and it is an empowering truth that affirms our stake in this country. She says: “By choice and by bondage, we made these islands too.” She adds: “Britain couldn’t be what it is today without the long history of its relationship with the ‘Orient’ and Muslim societies and people. And that is something that we simply have to acknowledge.”

There has always been an historic interaction between the Muslim world and the west. Muslim Empires at their height spread as far as northern Europe. They were powerful, advanced, wealthy and sophisticated. This made the Muslim world attractive to the west, who were keen to build relationships that would be profitable. 

Elizabeth I recognised the power of the Islamic Empires and embarked on a quest to woo them after being excommunicated from the Catholic church. She shrewdly looked for alliances with the heavyweight powers at the time including the Ottoman and Mughal Empires.

Britain was in fact in awe of the Muslim world and perhaps envious. Muslim superiority at that time was not questionable, and just as fashion and trends are now set by the west, it was the opposite way at the height of Muslim power.

In her book, Fatima explores British heritage sites and historical building, finding hints of a Muslim presence amongst the artefacts and paintings, and tells the seldom told stories of Muslim figures who travelled to and made an impact in Britain. She also illustrates the cultural influence of Islamic civilisation on this small island way before mass immigration.

Muslim advancements found their way to Britain including the breakthrough smallpox vaccine from the Ottoman Empire, which was brought here by a female British aristocrat, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in the 1700s, another key figure in the book.

Goods and consumables such as Muslim carpets, textiles, spices and coffee also became popular, especially with the wealthy.

Oscar Wilde said: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and there was a lot of imitation going on in Britain, suggesting an admiration for the Muslims. Yet, this was not the case in its entirety, as the Muslim impact was erased from mainstream history.

There are plenty of visible examples of Muslim presence in Britain if you look closer. Islamic architectural influence can be seen in parts of the UK including the homes of colonialists, who tried to mirror the exotic buildings they admired or had lived in whilst subjugating people of the East.

There was even a mosque structure built in Kew Gardens in the 18th century, yet Fatima mentions a recent poll of Britons suggests that 55% would be bothered if a mosque was built in their local area. She points out the contrast in attitudes, when in the past Islamic architecture was copied. She states: “Does it change the perception of mosque building in this country to point out that the first mosque structure was built back in 1762 at Kew Gardens and it was commissioned by a royal princess, the mother of George III?”

Muslim languages such as Arabic, Persian and Urdu were learned in Britain and taught at universities, as these languages were seen as essential for interaction with the east. Queen Victoria, as stated in the book, was able to write in Urdu, which she learned from her close Muslim advisor and teacher, Abdul Karim known as the Munshi.

British classical literature also makes huge references to the Muslim world, the most famous example is the character of Othello in Shakespeare’s play. Othello was a ‘Moor’ which was the historic name used for Muslims of all ethnicities.

Britain’s connection and view of the Muslim world is a complex one. The British were clearly impressed by the Muslim world, however at the same time they were hugely threatened by their power and faith, which they felt was alien. In 1095, Pope Urban II declared a Holy War against Muslim rule in Jerusalem, which resulted in a series of Crusades from the 11th to 15th centuries. Therefore, there was this historic rivalry between west and east. Fatima says: “You always have this fear, suspicion, hostility that exists and that is coupled with curiosity. Perhaps you can say that curiosity, and the fear and hostility have always existed, and maybe that’s not surprising that both of those things still exist today.”

Fatima depicts this conflicted relationship in the book. There is no denying the huge influence from the Islamic world in Britain, but it was not always appreciated by all sectors of society due to the deep rooted, often subconscious, intolerant views towards Muslims. 

In the quest for power and wealth, the western world has rewritten history and promoted a narrative of western superiority. This agenda wrongly omits the contributions and influence that Muslims have had on Britain and the rest of the world. We are still living the manifestation of this narrative which plays out in institutionalised prejudice, as well as hatred and fear of Muslims.

Fatima conjectures that if British people truly understood their history and the interaction with the Muslim world and people of colour in general, this would go a long way to changing the intolerance and ignorance towards others.

You can purchase Fatima’s book at all good book shops, and online from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bPSK5k