NCJ Number
201706
Date Published
2002
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses young Muslim men’s involvement in criminal activity in the British town of Bradford.
Abstract
This chapter was written following the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The author lists two reasons for writing this chapter and discusses some conceptual and terminological difficulties encountered in the analysis. Before discussing young Muslim men’s involvement in crime, the author provides information on the populations concerned and the contexts within which they operate. This is followed by a discussion on the problems of interpreting crime statistics in relation to race, ethnicity, and religion. The author then begins a discussion of Muslim male criminal activity in Bradford which stems from, centers around, or is influenced by: 1) perceived religious requirements; 2) international Islam and the notion of Ummah (the pan-Islamic nation or brotherhood of Muslims); 3) the politics of the Indian subcontinent; and 4) Mirpur cultural traditions, sometimes masquerading as religious requirements. These influences are not discrete, but rather intersect and interact, and are helpful in understanding particular instances of public disorder. This is followed by a discussion of the public disturbances of Bradford in 1995 and 2001, and the climate of the years between 1995 and 2001. Some of the most frequently cited reasons in the media for the public disturbances were material deprivation, unemployment, racism in the police, organized racism, Islamophobia, and the “far right.” Finally, the author provides a discussion of some aspects of Islam, or its cultural interpretation, which may be implicated in the crimes committed by Muslims, specifically young Muslim men in Bradford. An analysis of the criminal involvement of young Muslim men must consider not only the influences of ethnicity and religion, but also those of gender, generation, and social class. 12 notes and 68 references