It’s mid-afternoon in the London suburb of Bethnal Green and the local market is in full swing.
Along the Whitechapel Road, hundreds of people, mostly from the Muslim community, are buying wares from stalls lined up along the busy artery into central London.
Snatches of Arabic and Hindi mingle with heavily accented English as shoppers stock up on the array of fresh produce on display. With most of the people here observing Ramadan, many are preparing for the late evening meal that will bring the day of fasting to a close.
With Muslims representing approximately 5 per cent of the British population, campaigners on both sides of the referendum campaign are eyeing the Muslim vote.
Rooted in the first-generation wave of immigration that came into Britain in the 1950s, many in the British Muslim community hail from former British colonies such as India and Pakistan.
Naturalised citizens
Some in the Leave campaign have attempted to persuade the Muslim community to back Brexit by suggesting that a curb on inter-EU migration could advantage immigrants from the Commonwealth, many of whom are now naturalised British citizens but are anxious for family members to join them.
But, as with British society more generally, there are different views among the British Muslim community on the vote. Organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain have chosen not to take a position, though prominent British Muslims such as London mayor Sadiq Khan are campaigning for Remain.
“The idea of a homogenous, Muslim vote does not really exist,” says Miqdaad Versi, assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.
“In general, the concerns that occupy the Muslim community are similar to those held by the wider community.”
While his organisation is not taking a stance in the referendum, in a personal capacity he supports a Remain vote.
While cautioning against generalisations, he does believe that there are some issues of particular concerns to Muslims. “Take the European Court of Human Rights, for example. Although it is separate to the EU, membership of the Council of Europe is required for all EU members, and therefore members must be party to the ECHR. Britain has been to the forefront in developing human rights legislation in the EU. When you have people like Donald Trump making comments about Muslims, it is very reassuring that there is an external checks and balance system when it comes to human rights.”
He also disputes the idea that the Muslim community might resent the entry of east European migrants into the country. “Among the Muslims I have spoken to, this is certainly not the case. In Muslim communities the idea of fair play is highly valued. If you have been allowed to come to this country, it would be hypocritical to be seen to close the door to others.”
Campaign
Saqib Bhatti is a Birmingham- based chartered accountant campaigning for Britain to leave the EU. He is joint secretary general of Muslims for Britain, an organisation set up earlier this year to campaign for a British exit from the EU.
For him, the question is not simply a crude distinction between the different waves of immigrants who have come into the country. Rather it is about reassessing Britain’s place in the world and taking advantage of emerging economic opportunities outside Europe. “What we are saying is, why limit ourselves to trading and interacting with one market, when there are huge opportunities in growing economies such as China, India and other emerging economies. To shackle ourselves to one continent that is dying seems to me bizarre.”
Nonetheless, he says there is a specific problem facing many immigrants from the Commonwealth.
“There are huge restrictions on people who want to come to Britain to see family members who have already moved here, for example. Similarly, people from Commonwealth countries who speak the language, who have historic links with Britain, and are often highly, skilled find it much more difficult to come into the country than individuals from Europe who may not have the language, a shared culture or the skills.”
He also disputes the idea that Europe offers human rights protections for minorities such as Muslims, highlighting the recent rhetoric from east European countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, which suggested that Europe’s door should be closed to Muslim refugees and migrants.
On the streets of Bethnal Green and Whitechapel in east London, one of the largest Muslim areas in the capital, the view from locals is mixed. While many of the older generation are still undecided about how to vote, the vast majority of younger Muslims are in favour of Remain. Abu (36) is a chartered surveyor who is married with three children. He says that one of the key questions is how the referendum vote will affect the new generation.
Young c hildren
“For people my age, we will probably be okay, but I’m looking at what the best outcome will be for my young children.” He says most of his fellow-Muslim friends are pro-EU.
“I think one of the main reasons most Muslims will vote to stay is that many of them are in business. A lot of the British Muslim community and their parents who came from India, Bangladesh, were small business owners and that has continued. Some of my friends have a couple of buy-to-let properties as well as their main jobs. I don’t think they want to jeopardise this by voting to leave.”
He believes that, ultimately, economic concerns will win out. “Your heart may say one thing, but your head says another. The British are cautious people. I think we’ll vote to remain when it comes to it.”
