"The popularity of Salafism in the UK is
attributable to the convergence of the
globalization of Salafi discourse, the search for
religious identity among second generation
British Muslims seeking “pure” religion, and
the competition for recruits between rival
Islamic currents. British Salafism has become
diversified to such an extent that it is no longer
recognizable as a single movement, with the
development taking unexpected turns that
belie popular monolithic representations."
-snip-
Another major factor in the evolution of Salafism in the UK has been the increasing appeal of “traditional Islam,” an activist and scholarly form of Sufism, which was initially popularized by charismatic American convert scholar Hamza Yusuf.6 He seemed to mesmerize audiences with the depth of his knowledge of Islam and apparent polymathic command of subjects as diverse as music, literature, and science. Prominent moderate Salafis at the time, though privately in awe of his learning, publicly dismissed him as Sufi. The traditional Islam trend in effect appropriated some of the authority from the Salafi scholars, resulting in a reduction of some of the aura of knowledgeability from British Salafis and offering a broader, richer understanding of Islam that emphasized the spiritual dimensions of religion. The impact of Hamza Yusuf’s message was reinforced and echoed by two other prominent convert scholars, the English Abdal Hakim Murad (b. 1960), a Cambridge professor of Islamic Studies, and the American Shaykh Nuh Keller (b.1954) who is based in Jordan. The three figures spearheaded a strategy of discrediting the politicized readings of Islam found in the literature of the reformist Islamists and deconstructing the claims to textual orthodoxy of the Salafi groupings. Especially Abdal Hakim Murad has been prolific in this regard; his writings consititute one of the most popular resources for “traditional Islam.”7
The influence of Salafi trends on British Muslim communities has been larger than its numerical presence among communities; their influence is disproportional as a result of the effectiveness of their literature distribution and web presence. Today, people that subscribe to Salafi perspectives can broadly be described as either those that gravitate to the outlook of the “Super Salafis,” or feel more comfortable with the JIMAS approach; those whose religious praxis is what could be described as a “methodological Salafism”—a literalist reading of scripture but which is not aligned with any particular group or institution; or those who might be described as “post-Salafi.” Leading British Salafis such as Abu Aliyah, Abu Muntasir, and Usama Hasan are not obsessed with defining themselves as Salafi. More complex hybridized identities are emerging where, for example, Usama Hasan goes as far as to refer to himself as a Wahhabbi–Sufi! In an interview with the author, he argued that some of the categories used by analysts miss the complex, evolving nature of contemporary British Salafi trends. Leading Salafi activists are now trying to bridge the sectarian divides once thought impossible. In the aftermath of the Iraq invasion and resulting intra-Muslim violence, there have been high profile attempts to reconcile opposing theological trends, through initiatives such as the Amman Message8 and the Sunni Pledge,9 a pledge of mutual respect and cooperation between Sunni Muslim scholars and organizations. These developments challenge the nuance-lacking representations of Salafism in recent times as well as indicate the dynamic and organic nature of religious identity formation.
