I will pray for England’: British Muslim claims patriotism ahead of semi-final

In a column published by the British newspaper The Telegraph & ArgusJaved Bashir says he will fully support England in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina. Professor of police science at Leeds Trinity University and founder of the Professional Muslim Institute, Javed Bashir admits to not being a big football fan. He prefers cricket, but will watch the match with enthusiasm and pray for an English victory.

Through this testimony, he wishes above all to remind us that British Muslims feel fully at home in Great Britain. According to him, millions of them will watch the match with their families, wear the national team jersey and vibrate like all the other supporters. He returns in particular to the scenes observed in Bradford after England’s victory against Norway. Young Muslims took to the streets with English flags to spontaneously celebrate their team’s qualification.

For Javed Bashir, these images contradict discourses presenting Muslims as incapable of integrating or sharing British values. He recalls that they work in hospitals, schools, the police, the army or businesses and that they participate fully in the life of the country. The prayer also has a strong symbolic significance. In Muslim tradition, praying for one’s country constitutes a sincere mark of attachment and benevolence. Patriotism, he emphasizes, is not expressed only through flags or songs. He can also manifest himself discreetly, by raising his hands to invoke God.

Javed Bashir regrets that these gestures of unity are rarely highlighted, unlike controversies and speeches of division. In his eyes, there is no contradiction between the Muslim faith and attachment to Great Britain: supporting England is simply another way of expressing this feeling of belonging.