The emerging Muslim manosphere

Available for over a year

In Britain the growth of Islam is being driven by a younger population, born and brought up in the United Kingdom. This includes BBC reporter Rahil Sheikh. Having grown up against the backdrop of the ‘war on terror’ and rising Islamophobia, he has seen how young Muslims have turned to social media to forge online safe spaces where they can connect, celebrate and discuss their faith. These spaces have spawned influencers who have millions of followers around the world. Young Muslims say these social media stars explain the faith in a more relatable way than the imams or spiritual leaders they may encounter in the mosque. But in recent years, Rahil has noticed that some of these male Muslim influencers have been using Islam to advocate alpha masculinity as a way of combating liberalism and feminism. Critics – including some Muslim women - argue this is a misguided interpretation of the faith. This came under the spotlight recently when controversial influencer Andrew Tate converted to Islam, a decision that sparked much debate in Muslim social media spaces and seems to have further polarised Muslims online, mainly on gender lines. Rahil Sheikh speaks to young Muslims about how social media has shaped their faith. He finds out why these divisive Muslim influencers hold so much sway with young men. Where do more traditional Muslim institutions – such as the mosque and imams - fit into this? Presenter: Rahil Sheikh Producer: Nalini Sivathasan Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno Researcher: Zayna Shaikh Editor: Helen Grady (Photo: A young Muslim man checks social media apps on his mobile phone. Credit: Getty Images) Come with us! Heart and Soul has moved and we would love it if you can join us. You can now find all our episodes on The Documentary, the home of original, global storytelling, from the BBC World Service. Search for The Documentary, wherever you found this podcast, and don’t forget to subscribe or follow.