Impact case study database

Cultural Impact through the Enhancement of Historic England’s Heritage Listings

According to Historic England’s Head of Communities Research: “The mainstream narratives of architecture and architectural history haven’t taken into account the contribution of mosques largely because nobody knows what’s there and where it is, so it’s kind of been invisible” [a-i]. As the Head of Places of Worship Strategy at Historic England (“Strategy Head” herein) states, in order to correct this omission Saleem was “commissioned to improve understanding, recording and protection of places of worship. Historic England sought an overview and explanation of Islamic architecture in Britain, recording the buildings adapted and used by Muslim communities that have become part of England’s urban fabric” [a-ii].

Highlighting Saleem’s research project as “ a good example of external expertise bringing additional knowledge to Historic England” in a way that has enabled them to enhance their preservation practice, the Strategy Head states that Saleem’s creation of a geographical index of mosque buildings was especially useful: “From the gazetteer, Historic England was able to identify a number of the earliest or otherwise most interesting examples. In our capacity as adviser to the Secretary of State for DCMS [Digital, Culture, Media & Sport] we assessed these buildings and recommended them for Listing. […] As a result in 2018 the Secretary of State agreed to list” and upgrade the listings of the mosques in the table below [a-ii].

As the Strategy Head points out: “Listing marks and celebrates a building's special architectural and historic interest, and also brings it under the consideration of the planning system, so that it can be protected for future generations”; this is to say that Listing status confers the buildings official protection, determining conservation requirements and controlling urban development interventions that could have negative impacts [a-ii]. Listing status can also be crucial for attracting conservation and preservation funding.

The Listings of these mosques also has the broader cultural impact of integrating the contribution of British Muslims within the narrative of British culture and heritage. As Heritage Minister (2018-19) Michael Ellis MP states: “Our historic buildings tell the story of Britain’s past and the people, places and events that shaped them. By listing these beautiful mosques, we are not only preserving important places of worship, but also celebrating the rich heritage of Muslim communities in England” [a-iii]. This view is shared by the Historic England Strategy Head, who adds: “The project served to […] recognise buildings of the Islamic faith for their national special interest and contribution to our built heritage, and promote wider public understanding of the buildings of Islamic faith in England. […] As a result of the research we have a far greater appreciation and insight of these buildings, their communities and role within British culture” [a-ii].

This recognition of British Muslims’ cultural contribution has had both national and international reach, with the announcement of these status upgrades resulting in over 30 press articles in across the globe (from the BBC and the Guardian to the Hindustan Times, the Malay Mail, and Al Arabiya) [a-iv]. The listings have also been reported on by numerous British Muslim community groups such as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Group and the London Central Mosque Trust [a-iv]. In this connection, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) also emphasises that Saleem’s “research into the history of the mosque in Britain and the granting of heritage status to the selected mosques is of huge significance to the Muslim community as it is the first time that the contribution of Muslims to the culture and architectural history of this country is formally and officially recognised” [a-v].

Further, the above research and impacts it has achieved have motivated the Muslim Council of Britain to engage with the cultural preservation of this community’s heritage: “Since the publication of the British Mosque, and the attention that it has brought to the built fabric of British Islam, the MCB has become a permanent member of the Historic England Places of Worship Forum. Through this position the MCB can advocate for mosques that are of historic significance and of heritage value” [a-iv]. This change in the practice of its Research & Documentation Committee is such that: “This has led to the MCB developing a proposal for a comprehensive survey of the built fabric of mosques in Britain, which will be used to enhance Historic England’s records of heritage assets. Furthermore, the list descriptions of mosques that are in already listed buildings will be amended to include their history as mosques” [a-v].

Impact on Creativity via Collaboration with the V&A

The curators at the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) approached Saleem following the publication of output [1], because the “book highlighted a largely unknown part of the architectural history of Britain, and one that we felt needed to be platformed” [b-i]. Their collaboration has resulted in an installation at the museum, planned for 2021, which draws on “Saleem’s unparalleled expertise in this area, developed through his research for the book but also his work as architect for several mosques”, which “has been invaluable to both the intellectual framework of the pavilion, and to its design” [b-i]. The Assistant Curator in Designs at V&A adds: “Without his knowledge and network, an installation of this kind would not have been possible” [b-i].

The Ramadan Pavilion Saleem has “conceptualised and designed” is considered “the V&A’s headline installation” for the London Festival of Architecture 2021 [b-i]. The Assistant Curator points out that it will have extensive reach to the public given that “[a]s part of the one-way system installed to ensure the V&A is COVID secure, all visitors to the Museum will enter via this route, passing the pavilion as they enter” [b-i]. Saleem’s engagement with the V&A on the creation of this installation has had a significant impact in a number of ways.

It has impacted their creative practice, marking a major change in the V&A’s approach to its Islamic collection: “Prior to Saleem’s collaboration with the V&A, the history of the mosque in Britain was not represented in the V&A’s collections or programming. Despite having one of the largest Islamic collections in the world, the culture of British Islam, has fallen between collections. Saleem’s book and his collaboration with the V&A have drawn attention to this hugely important part of the architectural and social history of Britain” [b-i].

It has also impacted on the V&A’s approach to its educational remit. Noting that the “V&A was established as an educational institution”, the Assistant Curator in Designs at the V&A states that: “The project that Saleem has facilitated with his students at the University of Westminster is an exemplary model of direct engagement with the V&A’s collections for the purpose of contemporary design” [b-i]. The project involves Architecture students from Westminster collaborating in the design development of the installation as part of their coursework by engaging with the V&A collections, the curators, and with the architecture of the museum’s own building [b-ii]. While the students have benefitted through this engagement and learning experience, so too have the V&A team: “With a subject as complex as Islamic architecture, it has been an enormous benefit to engage with the views of Saleem’s students. The ideas of the students, and their diverse perspectives, has both challenged and strengthened the design of the pavilion, to the V&A’s benefit” [b-i].

Further, the installation helps the museum to meet the V&A’s strategic aims “to diversify our audience base to reflect the wider local and international community” [b-i]. As per Saleem’s proposal, “the Ramadan Pavilion will serve as a hub for RTP’s events, enabling the V&A to directly engage with the wider Muslim community. The pavilion will support and anchor an educational programme and a number of talks on the subject of contemporary Islamic architecture” and has given the curators “the opportunity to strengthen an existing relationship with the Muslim charity, Ramadan Tent Project (RTP), who as well as sponsoring the pavilion will be holding a series of events in the pavilion throughout Ramadan” [b-i].

Social Impact via Broader Recognition of Muslim Contributions to British Culture

Saleem’s research and its related impacts have brought a minority, and often marginalised, culture to the attention of broader audiences. The social impact of this is emphasised by the Muslim Council of Britain: “ This recognition offers British Muslims a place in the history of the nation, and a provides them with a sense of belonging and legitimacy that is otherwise sorely lacking in public discourse. There are not many other spaces of public life where the contribution of Muslims to Britain’s life and culture is articulated in such an overwhelmingly positive way” [a-v].

That Saleem’s research has created a sense of inclusion is evident from the following, unsolicited, testimonies from British Muslim architecture students who have written to Saleem from other institutions. For instance, one student wrote: “I was incredibly pleased to come across your book, thoroughly covering the history of Mosques in Britain, as this isn’t something that has been properly researched before. […] it is very refreshing and hopeful to see a successful modern academic bringing [I]slam in this field” [c-i]. Another student stated that: “Identity is an issue that British Muslim millennials, like myself, continually struggle with, given the tug of war between religion, culture and nativity. However after reading this book I realised that parts of my identity were concretised in the walls, minarets and plaster of Mosques all over Britain. From seeing historical photographs of those that first stepped into a whole new culture, to reading about the developments of vernacular architectural style, I became aware of my place in a timeline of an evolving subculture of British identity. This book instilled within me a new found respect for the 'traditional' yet helped me to understand what the future could look like. For the first time in my life, I felt proud of being the same, but also proud of being different” [c-i].

A graduate of another institution writes that: “Your research allowed me to feel liberated and empowered, amidst a time of great political friction between Islam and the West, [it] provided a positively refreshing moment to step back and appreciate the beautiful distribution of what the physical forms of a democracy, a free and fair Britain look like - a young, but thorough history of Britain's Mosques. This collation of research allows for further discussion and recognition from a wider community, to see Islam under a different light which biased media propaganda has relentlessly prevented. This also allows the BAME [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic] architectural community to feel more inclusive and relevant in Architectural research and discussion, which is [more] crucial now than ever” [c-ii].

As indicated, such social impact is also enabled through the broadening of the field of architecture within academic study such that it is more inclusive. This is communicated by a non-Muslim student who writes: “In my research through New York University London, Saleem’s work was fundamental in understanding the broader context of British religious architecture beyond the Christian context and enabled me to create a more evenhanded discussion of religious identity and its manifestations in the built environment. Furthermore, his identification of absences within mainstream heritage recognition paves the way for further exploration of how heritage representation could become more diverse and inclusive by reexamining historic narratives and conceptions of fabric-based heritage listing” [c-ii].