A Guide to Engaging Muslim Communities

de John Perry, A Azim El-Hassan

This guide is about engaging Muslim communities – whether mainly social housing tenants (eg Bangladeshi communities in Tower Hamlets, Somali communities in Sheffield) or mainly living in older, owner-occupied neighbourhoods (eg Pakistani communities in Bradford). The emphasis is on engaging with poorer communities that are likely to be socially excluded and may be directly affected by housing or regeneration programmes. Within Muslim communities, there may well be 'hard-to-reach' groups whose engagement is even more important. For example, some people may be recent arrivals in a particular place (and may or may not have been accepted by other communities already living there). Some groups may be poorer and more excluded than others. And women and young people within Muslim communities may need to be approached in different ways if they are to be engaged successfully. This is an issue which should be of interest to all housing and regeneration agencies, and fortunately there is already experience of working successfully with Muslim communities and ‘breaking down the barriers’ which may appear to exist. In preparing the briefing we have looked at experience that already exists, talked to those involved, and discussed the principles and ‘good practice’ approaches that can lead to successful engagement. Based on such discussions, the guide calls not for a ‘faith-based’ approach to services, but one which is sensitive to the needs of different faiths – in this case Islam.