Research: Pilot Study Complete

The purpose of our research projects is to inform our own work, the work and policies of other organisations and ultimately build a body of data that details the lived experiences of marginalised Muslims in the UK. We have recently been working on In the shadow of UK minarets:  Gender and inclusivity in UK mosques, a pilot study the results of which are published in the following:

• As a book chapter in the edited collection Islam in Practice, Routledge Studying Religions in Practice series, edited by Gabrielle Marranci, 2013.
• Journal of Contemporary Islam, Jan 2014, Vol. 8 Issue 1
• As a concise, accessible summary of research findings (to follow)

Inclusive Mosque Initiative offers consultancy on the recommendations from this paper. Enquiries can be emailed to admin[at]inclusivemosque.org

Thank you to all the fantastic women who gave their time for interviews and discussions. We have been overwhelmed by how generous everyone has been in sharing their experiences of UK mosques during the research process and the positive support for the research has been amazing!

What this initial pilot study showed us, is just how important mosques are to Muslim women and just how passionate, and emotional, people feel about being able to access and enjoy them. What was most surprising was how non-practising women insisted that they would like to attend events and benefit from their local mosques. It became clear how central they could be in everyone’s lives, regardless of religious practice. The research findings directly inform our work at IMI. More funding means we can produce more research papers, present them to different organisations and hopefully encourage a culture of inclusion.

For now, however, thank you and Jazak Allah Khair to everyone who has assisted in the research process!

Dervla,
Lead Researcher
(dervla[at]inclusivemosque.org)