Manchester Divided: Islam fastest growing religion in Manchester (UK)

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Expanding at twice the rate of Christianity. via Islam Manchester’s fastest growing religion, expanding twice rate of Christianity.

Islam is officially Manchester’s fastest growing religion and is expanding at more than double the rate of Christianity, MM can reveal.

University of Manchester data analysed by MM revealed that Islam is out-growing every other religion in the city.

According to the data 12.5% of those identifying themselves as Muslim in the 2011 census were aged between 0-4.

This is more than double the 5.6% of Christians aged 0-4 and significantly larger those of no religion at 6.8%

Ludi Simpson, Professor of population studies at the University of Manchester, said that while the stats do indicate a much faster growth they only tell part of the story.

Prepare for the mental gymnastics to explain away the rampant immigration and high birthrates of Muslims.

“Immigrants tend to be young adults and have children in the few years after they come to Britain, but don’t get old enough to die at the same rate for many decades,” he told MM.

“Of course it might also be that some adults are happy to say their children are brought up as religion X, and others are not.

“In Northern Ireland most children are catholic or protestant whether they like it or not!”

Dr Hassan Alkatib director Manchester Islamic Centre told MM that Muslim’s tend to bring up children within the religion which can differ from modern European ways of bringing up kids.

“Islam does not allow people to have sex outside marriage,” he said.

But it does allow four wives at any given time and sex with any woman through so-called “temporary marriages” – aka prostitution. It also permits rape of non-Muslim women.

“So people get married into the religion and then their children are brought up in it.

“The size of Muslim families in general is double that of the European family and we have waves of Muslim immigrants coming to the UK.”

This explanation was echoed by Professor Simpson: “Maybe Christian parents consider religion as something their children will choose later, while Muslim parents consider their religion as an identity of origin, that their children have without choice,” he said.

According to Dr Alkatib the prospects available to immigrants in Manchester mean that the trend of rapid growth for Islam will continue.

While Islam is rapidly growing the numbers of young Christians is, comparatively, rather small.

Reverend Jane Barraclough, minister of Cross Street Chapel, believes that this is due to the fast-pace of city life that has diminished the power of religion.

“Traditional ways of worshipping are not suited to modern life,” she said.

And a barbaric 7th century ideology is?