There are approximately 272,015 Muslims of African heritage in the UK which represents nearly 10% of the UK’s Muslim population (per the Muslim Council of Britain). The new digital series, Black and Muslim in Britain, features five episodes which explore “stories and dialogue around being Black and Muslim in Britain.”
Co-founder Mohamed Mohamed, 26, says he first conceived the idea when he was a college student and felt that there was a lack of programs about black Muslims during Black History Month. He wanted to fill up that space and tackle stereotypes. In the first video, educator Amira Marius tackles identity and comments, “People don’t recognize Islam as a ‘black’ religion a lot of the times because they don’t have that knowledge and understanding … so they see it as an adopted religion.”
Cofounder Sakinah Lenoir said in a recent sold-out screening in the UK, “In a society where we like to brand Muslims with one brush, usually that of the Arab and Asian brush, it is essential that we are able to realize that Muslims come in all sizes, colors, and backgrounds.”
