Similarities Between British And Muslims

The first contacts between the British and the Muslims were sporadic and rare. The first known encounter of the Muslims and the citizens of the British Isles dates back to the seventh century. For example, the gold imitation of the dinar was coined in 775 by Offa, the King of Mercia, a kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England. The coin had Offa’s name on one side and the inscription of the Islamic declaration of faith ‘there is no God but Allah alone’ on the other (The Gold Imitation Dinar of Offa). During that period, dinars were used in the Mediterranean region. Another evidence that confirms British-Muslim contacts at the time was the book of a Persian geographer - Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi (circa 780 – circa 850).The book was entitled Kitab
For instance, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the alliance between the kingdoms of England and Morocco was established. Both countries had the common enemy- Spain. The English Queen asked the Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur Sharif for military and diplomatic support. The defence treaty with the Ottomans was concluded in 1587. Moreover, in the 17th century, Arabic scientific achievements were recognised in England. In higher education, the Arabs were especially appreciated for their achievements in mathematics, medicine, chemistry, and astronomy (Wilk-Jakubowski
The British Empire also took control of Cyprus in 1878. The gain of new territories resulted in the increased influx of immigrants. Above all, the opening of the Suez Canal in November 1869, ensured the British domination over the territories in the Middle East and Africa, and resulted in the creation of a ‘Condominium,’ that is a joint authority of the British and Egyptian government over Sudan. The Suez Canal also became an important trade route through which the British Empire could import and export its goods. Great Britain also gained control of Aden, the most important port of the Arab Peninsula, located in Yemen (Ansari 27-34; Zawadewicz 22-25; Wilk-Jakubowski