Delegates at the Being Muslim and British event at UCL. Photograph: Linda Nylind
Last week, I attended a Guardian-organised event at which more than 100 young British Muslims were brought together at University College London. The delegates came from all walks of life, and held a wide range of views.
The one thing that came across very clearly was that the media are often wrong to refer to "the Muslim community", when the 1.54 million Muslims in the UK have roots as far apart as Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan. More than half the attendees were women; some wore the hijab, but others looked very "western".
In some ways, the event raised more questions than it answered.
Is deprivation the main obstacle to progress for British Muslims? Why should British Muslims always be called on to condemn what goes on abroad? On integration, one delegate asked: "What are we integrating into? People feel well integrated, thank you very much. Why aren't the BNP asked if they're well integrated?"
To hear people discussing the things that are most important to them is always an education. Even so, it was heartening to see how everyone was given the chance to have their say without getting shouted down. In fact, the only person to get barracked at all was Fiona Mactaggart, the Home Office minister.
I was particularly impressed with another panellist, Tariq Ramadan, the revered Muslim academic (what he said was summed up in the Guardian's report today). Tariq Ramadan is answering questions in a live online debate on Guardian Unlimited on Monday December 6. Post your questions for him here - and read the views of the delegates at our special report.
