Religion and politics among Arab seafarers in Britain in the early twentieth century

For the communities of Arab seafarers who settled at British ports, religion and politics were two domains that remained closely intermeshed throughout the first half of the twentieth century. A number of international Islamic organizations were active among the Arab seafarers during this time. The Islamic Society and the Western Islamic Association were active among these Arab seafaring communities during periods of acute tension and unrest. After the 1919 race riots, the Islamic Society called for reconciliation and understanding rather than resistance, and in 1930 the Western Islamic Association sought to counter the activities of those Arabs who chose resistance and solidarity with the Communist‐led Seamen's Minority Movement. The North African‐based ^c Alawi tariqa creaud something of a religious revival among the Arab seafarers during the 1930s and 1940s. Its efforts appear to have been welcomed and supported by the British authorities as a useful counter to Communist propaganda.