BIRMINGHAM – Delving into the life of Birmingham Muslims, Channel 4 produced a new documentary from the city’s Central Mosque, one of the largest in Europe.
“There seems to be a lot of mythology about what goes on in and around a mosque and Muslim community and this is our attempt to deal with these myths and ensure that the facts are there for everyone to see,” Birmingham Central Mosque’s manager Mohammed Ali was quoted by Birmingham Post on Monday, February 21.
The Channel 4 series Extremely British Muslims has spent a year following some of the 6,000 worshippers at one of the largest mosques in Europe.
Getting an unprecedented access to the mosque, the filmmakers captured the day-to-day lives of Birmingham Muslims.
The documentary, made into three episodes, explores three themes, finding a partner, the identity crisis facing young Muslim men and the challenges faced by some British Muslims as they try to reconcile the rules of their faith with life in Britain.
It also exposes the dealings of the Shari`ah Court, including following women who are trying to get a divorce.
Moreover, it reveals that there is such demand from Muslims wanting to check the religion’s rules that the Mosque runs a daily telephone helpline.
“As the number of Muslims in the UK reaches three million, and at a time when British Muslims have found themselves thrust into the spotlight, we have been given privileged access to go beyond the news agenda, into the mosque and document the bustling heart of this community and the many ways in which it intersects with the lives of its worshippers – from its funeral service and Shari`ah council, to its marriage bureau,” Channel 4 said.
The episodes were praised by Muslims as giving them a voice.
“We can remember life before 9/11 but children can’t and they are growing up in a world where they are being told by other people what they are and what their religion is about,” Ahmed, 26, told the Press Association.
“It’s like if you go into work and everybody tells you that you look unwell – you start to believe it.”
Iqbal, who works for the Human Relief Foundation charity, that delivers aid first-hand to refugees and people living in war torn Syria and Iraq, says on the program: “There’s no extremism here, we are a nice community – the most extreme thing here is the size of the rats.
“Extremists are just a gang, the biggest baddest gang in the world…they want to feel part of something.
“Our response is the same as every other member of the British public – we feel unsafe like everybody else.”
Extremely British Muslims, a three-part series, begins on Channel 4 on Thursday, March 2 at 10pm.