This Is How British Muslims Suffer During Ramadan

Charities say Britain's Muslim community is disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis, warning that half of the UK's Muslim families may struggle to feed themselves during Ramadan.

In addition to that, rising energy prices and rising inflation have sharply reduced living standards for the poorest in society.

According to the Muslim Council of Britain, an estimated 1.6 million Muslims (out of more than 3.3 million Muslims) live in poverty and deprivation in the world's fifth largest economy, compared to 18 percent of the poor in the UK's total population.

During the past few days, several British cities witnessed protests against the rise in gas, electricity, fuel and food prices. The demonstrators demanded that the government reduce the cost of living crises faced by the British citizens instead of increasing the economic burden on them.

 

Living Crisis

In a report published by the British Sky News on April 2, 2022, the Islamic Relief Organization revealed that “50 percent of Muslims living in the UK suffer from severe difficulties in securing their food during the holy month of Ramadan.”

“The living crisis was exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the sharp increase in food prices in the UK, in addition to the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic, which continues to affect families who are struggling financially,” the organization explained.

Rising energy bills after a record rise in global gas prices have also pushed the energy price ceiling up by 54 percent as of the beginning of April, adding to the burden of costs.

According to a recent analysis by energy research specialist Cornwall Insight, “the average bill could rise another £500 due to the fallout from the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine.”

The UK-based charity organization has urged the British government to strengthen the country's social security systems and increase benefits payments as soon as possible, especially amid the high inflation rate, and the impact of the sharp rise in the prices of household necessities on household spending.

According to research from the Resolution Foundation, the average UK household's extra cost of living is expected to reach around £1,000 ($1311) in 2022, the most dramatic drop in annual income since the mid-1970s.

“Many Muslims were severely affected during the past period, especially low-income families and the homeless, those who suffer from domestic violence, asylum seekers, and refugees, who were already struggling to feed themselves,” the organization said.

Economists are warning UK low- and middle-income families to expect fluctuations in living standards as inflation is likely to rise to 8 percent in the coming months, according to a Sky News report.

Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK, said: “Families throughout the UK will suffer as a result of record inflation rates, in addition to the high energy prices, due to the war in Ukraine.”

“Many will fast from sunrise to sunset and there is a real risk that families will not get enough food or will go without food to feed their children,” he added.

“We urgently call on the UK government to take the bold steps necessary to avoid pushing families into extreme poverty. This is especially important now as Muslim families begin to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan,” Hussain said.

In turn, Sky News conducted an interview with Bushra Begum, a mother of three, from east London, who said that her house, which shares a kitchen and bathroom with other families, is infested with mice and does not have working heating.

“A good number of mice come during the night. I have no choice but to stay here. The rents are getting too high,” Bushra said.

“Sometimes my kids want to use the bathroom but they have to wait because other people use it,” she added.

“We pay my husband’s salary in full to cover the rent for this single room only, and now they are increasing the electricity bills. It has become very difficult,” Bushra noted.

 

Suffering of UK Muslims

The Islamic Relief Organization said that it, along with other partner groups, witnessed a noticeable increase in Muslims' dependence on food banks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was exacerbated compared to the last two lockdowns due to the high cost of living, such as house rent and bills.

Food bank workers say that there is less time to talk to users now, because the demand is very high, noting that the main reason for the increase in users is their sense of anxiety and uncertainty.

Requests for assistance from one of Islamic Relief's partners, the National Zakat Foundation (NZF), have risen 70 percent over the past year.

During Ramadan, Muslims who are able to donate money make a religious donation (Zakat) to help others less affluent; the NZF collects some of these payments and distributes them to those in need.

In the same context, Sohail Hanif, CEO of the National Zakat Foundation, said: “It is important that Zakat be given in the area where you live. There are a lot of families suffering in the UK. We are really seeing it now.”

On her part, Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said in a tweet on her account: “I am shocked to see how difficult Ramadan is for many with the rising cost of living, and I commend the organizations on the ground that are helping to improve their condition.”

Commenting on the increasing cost of living, Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on April 1: “While no government can control the global factors driving up the cost of daily necessities, we will certainly act where we can to mitigate rising costs.”

The unprecedented demand for support from the NZF reflects statistics recently revealed by Muslim Census, an independent organization, which stated that the UK's Muslim community has fallen into poverty at 10 times the national average.

On September 28, 2020, a Muslim Census study shed light on the devastating financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the Muslim community in the UK.

The study stated, “Despite the enormous financial pressures on UK Muslims, only 7% of those surveyed (1,000 Muslims) felt they were eligible for Zakat at any time during the crisis.”

The study also revealed that job losses among Muslims have been six times greater than in the rest of the population since the pandemic began, and that 42% of Muslims surveyed have had to use their savings to make ends meet during the pandemic.

This compares to a recent study by AJ Bell, a well-established investment platform, which recorded that 30% of people in the UK had to use their savings.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham and published on January 24 found that one in four Britons has negative views of Muslims and Islam.

The number of Britons who held negative views of Islam in the study of 1,667 people was much more than Britons of other faiths.

The study also revealed that about one in five people support banning all Muslim immigration to the UK.

The study found that Britons are well prepared to pass judgment on Islam, but are unlikely to have any real knowledge of the religion.

Dr. Stephen Jones, study author and researcher who focuses on British Muslims, said: “Islamophobia is so widespread in Britain that it has become socially acceptable.”