"I'm never going to say I hate Britain—I love my country—but at the same time, I'd like to have something that represents me, internally, spiritually, to be there as well." says Joy Ahmed, 27, as he drives us through Lewisham in South London in his white Audi Quattro.
Joy, a Sunni Muslim, was born in Westminster, and currently works as a mortgage adviser in a well- known bank in London. And he also supports the idea of an Islamic Caliphate–the thing that Isis (now renamed Islamic State or IS) is currently murderously pursuing in Iraq and Syria. Isis say they have established a caliphate, but their claim to it is much disputed.
"As Muslims we are under the microscope,” he explains. “Day by day there’s been an alienation of Muslims in the UK over issues like the hijab, halal meat, Muslim men being made out to be radicalised.” Joy thinks that a “Khilafah” (Caliphate in Arabic) would provide the answer—somewhere for Muslims to call their own. A land not just to live in but to provide protection to Muslims worldwide. Although Joy was shocked at the brutality of the murders of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, it wasn’t enough to entirely write off Isis.
Isis have created a conflict for Joy—he dreams of a Caliphate, an ideal Islamic state in which to live. The concept holds huge significance in Islamic history and theology and yet Isis's execution of it is terrifying most of the world. Joy is not alone. Most British Muslims we spoke to accept at least the concept of a caliphate and some desire its re-establishment. For non-Muslims in Britain that can be hard to understand.
For most who dream of a Caliphate, it’s certainly not the bloody vision imposed by Isis. The wider theory is a place to live that would be governed by Sharia law (the Islamic legal system derived from both the Koran and the example of the life of the prophet Muhammad). Speaking to current and former members of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT)—a global Islamic organisation dedicated to restoring the Caliphate—it is very much viewed as an ideal state. For them, the Khilafah is a place where, above all, poverty is erased because wealth is shared. Justice, however, would be harsh—punishments like the chopping of hands for theft apply, which would appall most in Britain.
The Ottoman Caliphate (1453-1924) -Succession of Muslim empires described as "caliphates"; most famous is Ottoman empire -One of the largest and longest lasting Empires in history -Centring on power of Turkish sultans, Ottoman Caliphate expanded to cover the Balkans and Hungary under Suleiman the Magnicient in 16th Century, and reached gates of Vienna -The empire officially ended on the 1st November 1922, when the Ottoman sultanate was abolished and Turkey was declared a republic. -The Ottoman caliphate continued as an institution, with greatly reduced authority, until it too was abolished on the 3rd March 1924 by Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk , who exiled the last caliph, Abdulmecid IISo when, in late June, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself as Caliph and "leader for Muslims everywhere" the idea, at least, resonated. Debates about the idea of a Caliphate are being had among many young Muslims. Like many, we found our Facebook walls covered in arguments about their legitimacy, and further discussion about whether we need a caliphate of any kind now. As a result, we made a documentary exploring the issue for the BBC Asian Network, Caliphate: Searching for the Islamic State. For many, the desire for a Caliphate is driven by a desire for political leadership, others by a search for a spiritual figurehead, and for some a combination of the two. Some describe the position of Caliph as like the Pope, some like a King, others a head of state.
According to Shiraz Maher, senior follow at the Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College London, there is much more to it than just historical precedent: young Muslims’ disillusionment with British foreign policy and the state of Muslims in general around the world is creating the environment in which a Caliphate appears to offer an answer. "There is an uncertainty about the stagnation of the Muslim world intellectually, culturally, politically, ideologically," Shiraz explains. "And when you take all of that together, there is a drive from some people to say there has to be a one size fits all solution to this, and that's touted these days as the Caliphate; something that will restore and redress all of the problems that are facing the Muslim world," he adds. Indeed many of those who espouse a desire for a caliphate today compare it to having an Islamic superpower—"an America for Muslims" that would represent the community on a global stage. It’s also espoused that a caliphate could restore dignity to a religion often denied it.
Part of the problem with the Caliphate, and one reason it has become such a talking point, is that it’s not a straightforward concept for Muslims. The idea of a caliphate is a broad spectrum as Shiraz Maher explains: “The idea conjures up very vivid images in people’s minds, of a Taliban state, or a state that is providing a kind of platform for international terrorism. But if you ask the average Muslim what they conceive as the caliphate, it's as broad as stopping someone on the street and saying 'what are your views on democracy?' We need to think of the caliphate in the same terms." When we brought seven young British Muslims together to debate the caliphate there was little agreement as to what this place would look like.
History of the Caliphate -Usually defined as an Islamic state ruled by a single political and religious leader, or Caliph -First caliphate came into being after Muhammad's death in 632 -There have been four major caliphates – Rashidun Caliphate, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate and the Ottoman Caliphate -The last widely accepted caliphate was abolished in 1924 by Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire -The Ahmadiyya sect of Islam has recognised a caliphate for the last century, but it is only this group that does soThere are also some groups that already think they live under a peaceful non-ISIS caliphate. Ahmadi Muslims, a reformist sect of Islam that believes in a subservient prophet after Muhammad, are led worldwide by a caliph who resides in South London—Mirza Masroor Ahmad. (This week, tens of thousands pledged their allegiance to their Caliph on a farm in Hampshire). But this Caliphate is a spiritual entity without political ambitions, and their Caliph is a spiritual leader—a Pope for Muslims.
For those who are willing to fight to bring it about, there is often a burning desire to be part of something bigger. For young men who want to change the world the idea of a historically anchored solution to international problems can be very appealing. The idea exists that a Caliphate can transform the fate of Muslims overnight. One young man trying to change the way the world looks is 20-year-old Amer Deghayes from Brighton. We spoke to him on Skype from a Syrian internet café. Amer—whose brother Abdullah was killed in Syria in April—has been fighting in Syria for around nine months for various rebel battalions taking on the Assad government—but not Isis. He says Isis are too extreme and their Khilafah (Caliphate) is not valid because of their actions.
For Amer the Caliphate is something of a utopia, a corrective to an unjust world: "Justice would be implemented, welfare would be shared, so you wouldn’t have an area which is poorer than the other—you wouldn’t have an area which is uneducated compared to any other areas, like you can see today,” he says. When pressed on the issue of taking up arms, Amer explained why he believes the use of violence is acceptable when aiming to establish an Islamic state. “Fighting has been prescribed for us in order to get peace and justice, to push this oppression and have our Islamic rights. I’m not here to justify myself to people, I’m here to justify myself to Allah,” he says.
Joy Ahmed is not planning to take up arms in Syria but continues to research the caliphate in Lewisham, still torn over whether Isis has a valid claim to it.
But for Joy, it’s simple—there was a hadith (a saying of the Prophet Muhammad) that foretold the return of the caliphate, so it will happen. "When I think about Khilafah, I feel proud of it. It was a promise that was made by God and I hope I'm alive when that does happen".
You can listen to Caliphate: Searching for the Islamic State – a documentary for BBC Asian Network online here. You can watch a debate about the role of a Caliphate here.
