An interesting article from the Tablet on how Islam might be more mainstreamed in Britain. Written with an eye on the Catholic experience in England, giving credit to government support of religion for the assimiliation – quite a different perspective than ours would be, perhaps.

He has a plan for Islam in Britain. He does not want a title such as Grand Mufti. He wants to establish a council of British Muslim scholars, whose authority will exceed rival voices and prevent Islam being hijacked. He also wants to raise salaries for imams, so that cheaper imams imported from the sub-continent will cease to predominate.

“I want the Government to help me in training better imams,” he says, mindful that ministers loathe giving money for religion. But my argument is that it is cheaper than having to combat the effect of bad imams. If you have good Islamic leadership, it would save the Government an enormous amount of money.”

Dr Badawi is right and Catholics should support him. His ideas are counter-intuitive at a time when the French are banning Islamic scarves in schools. Yet, given the Irish Catholic precedent, it is an obvious step to take, alongside better support for Islamic schools.

Islam is highly culturally adaptable, which explains why it has become established in such different societies. But to establish itself in an adapted British form, it needs proper support so that it can develop an indigenous intelligentsia. Failure will mean that young British Muslims will take their lead on what it means to be a modern Muslim from the powerful TV images they see in the Middle East, where political struggle and faith have become so interwoven and confused.

It is time, this St Patrick’s Day, to remember how very different the Irish experience in Britain might have been, had Catholicism not been successfully absorbed and some of the potency of Irish nationalism defused. It is not too late to recognise the vision that men like Dr Badawi offer of following in the footsteps of Catholic leaders like Cardinal Hume.