London salafi

Sometimes, the difficulty of implementing Salafi teachings — combined with never-ending hostility on the streets — became overwhelming. It was common for women to lose their initial zeal; many skipped religious lessons for months on end and some started mixing with men again.

A few even got pregnant outside marriage. Others persisted, but often had to make an agonising decision to disregard the rules — for financial or other practical reasons. Deqa, for instance, had to wear a uniform and touch male patients as part of her job as a nurse. Little wonder, perhaps, that at a time when Britain faces very real threats from home-grown jihadism, Salafis are largely viewed with suspicion. The women definitely saw their beliefs as part of their own personal moral code, but in practice, many were flexible — and even inconsistent.

Even so, as Londoners with jobs, degrees and non-Salafi families, few of the women could maintain a separate, insular, home-bound existence. Nor did they really want to, I sensed. By spending time with the women, attending their wedding feasts and other parties — female-only, of course — I came to realise that many still had plenty of non-Salafi and non-Muslim friends. A few even had more non-Muslim friends than Muslim ones.

This was certainly the case with Layla and Rahima, who may have stretched Salafi rules to breaking point as a favour to me. The shoot they agreed to do in Brixton was for the cover of my new book, The Making of a Salafi Muslim Woman: Paths to Conversion , the first in-depth study of the lives of British Salafi women. Neither the women nor their friends seemed to care who was wearing what. No one looked accusing. No one proselytised. The only wonder was that Layla and Rahima were so often recognised — just by their expressive eyes.

The term itself means an attachment to the salaf , generally considered to be the first three generations of Muslims — from the Prophet Muhammad and his disciples onwards. Why, then, do some jihadis claim to be Salafis? This has left British Salafis — the vast majority of whom are non-violent — feeling unjustly tarnished. Indeed, their leaders have been vehemently condemning jihadi groups and terrorism for years.

Followers even refrain from political activities such as demonstrating, lobbying and voting. To these Salafis, therefore, even speculating about a future Islamic state is futile and unwise. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Modern dilemmas for Salafis are ruled on by male scholars thousands of miles away — usually in Saudi Arabia. More about long read Religion Islam Salafism Talking points.

Already subscribed? Log in. Most were also keen to launch or pursue existing careers. Coerced veiling undoubtedly occurs in many societies, but I could not find a single case among the Salafi women I interviewed in Britain. A few young women confessed to having actually concealed their niqab-wearing from relatives, wearing the veil only when at a safe distance from the family home. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not of RadicalisationResearch. This article was originally published on the OUP Blog.

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