![Mohammed Ahmed AFHEA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/608?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Mohammed Ahmed
AFHEA
Lecturer in British Muslim Studies, Deputy Head of Islam UK Centre
School of History, Archaeology and Religion
- AhmedMA1@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29208 75634
- John Percival Building, Room 5.15, Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
- Media commentator
Overview
Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed completed his doctorate in 2016, an ethnographic study of a British mosque. He has since continued his work and research in British Muslim congregational studies, but with a longstanding interest in the history and settlement of Muslims in Wales. He has passion for the public communication of "religion", and is founder and editor of On Religion, a magazine that explores faith and society.
He is Deputy Director at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. Dr Ahmed is currently working towards publication of a book telling the story of Britain's nearly 2000 mosques.
Publication
2023
- Ahmed, A. 2023. God and Grime: The religious literacy of British Hip-Hop. In: Hamid, S. and Jones, S. H. eds. Contemporary British Muslim Arts and Cultural Production Identity, Belonging and Social Change. Taylor and Francis, pp. 68-80., (10.4324/9781003330714-8)
2022
- Ahmed, A. 2022. Anglophone Islam: A new conceptual category. Contemporary Islam 16, pp. 135-154. (10.1007/s11562-022-00492-8)
2020
- Ahmed, A. 2020. Little Mosque on the Prairie and the Paradoxes of Cultural Translation, by Kyle Conway [Book Review]. Television and New Media 21(7), pp. 785-787. (10.1177/1527476418822729)
- Ahmed, A. 2020. Thinking congregationally about British Muslims. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 31(1), pp. 41-66. (10.1080/09596410.2020.1732171)
2019
- Ahmed, M. and Ali, M. 2019. In search of Sylhet – the Fultoli tradition in Britain. Religions 10(10), article number: 572. (10.3390/rel10100572)
- Ahmed, A. 2019. Conceptualising Mosque diversity. Journal of Muslims in Europe 8(2), pp. 138-158. (10.1163/22117954-12341390)
2018
- Ahmed, A. 2018. The other ethical approval: The importance of being 'Islamic'. Fieldwork in Religion 12(2), article number: 204. (10.1558/firn.35668)
2016
- Ahmed, A. 2016. Sacred rhythms: an ethnography of a Cardiff mosque. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2013
- Ahmed, A. 2013. Faith in comedy: Representations of Muslim identity in British comedy. South Asian Popular Culture 11(1), pp. 91-96. (10.1080/14746689.2013.765232)
Articles
- Ahmed, A. 2022. Anglophone Islam: A new conceptual category. Contemporary Islam 16, pp. 135-154. (10.1007/s11562-022-00492-8)
- Ahmed, A. 2020. Little Mosque on the Prairie and the Paradoxes of Cultural Translation, by Kyle Conway [Book Review]. Television and New Media 21(7), pp. 785-787. (10.1177/1527476418822729)
- Ahmed, A. 2020. Thinking congregationally about British Muslims. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 31(1), pp. 41-66. (10.1080/09596410.2020.1732171)
- Ahmed, M. and Ali, M. 2019. In search of Sylhet – the Fultoli tradition in Britain. Religions 10(10), article number: 572. (10.3390/rel10100572)
- Ahmed, A. 2019. Conceptualising Mosque diversity. Journal of Muslims in Europe 8(2), pp. 138-158. (10.1163/22117954-12341390)
- Ahmed, A. 2018. The other ethical approval: The importance of being 'Islamic'. Fieldwork in Religion 12(2), article number: 204. (10.1558/firn.35668)
- Ahmed, A. 2013. Faith in comedy: Representations of Muslim identity in British comedy. South Asian Popular Culture 11(1), pp. 91-96. (10.1080/14746689.2013.765232)
Book sections
- Ahmed, A. 2023. God and Grime: The religious literacy of British Hip-Hop. In: Hamid, S. and Jones, S. H. eds. Contemporary British Muslim Arts and Cultural Production Identity, Belonging and Social Change. Taylor and Francis, pp. 68-80., (10.4324/9781003330714-8)
Thesis
- Ahmed, A. 2016. Sacred rhythms: an ethnography of a Cardiff mosque. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research
There are an estimated 2000 mosques in Britain, but the role, function, and everyday activities of these institutions is poorly and understood. My research seeks to shed light on mosques, and highlight the important role they play in civil society. I adopt a social scientific approach to studying religion, and I'm interested in the questions posed by congregational studies (How do people do communal religion? What is the role of religious organisations? How does authority operate?) as well as those from lived religion (In what ways do individuals navigate their personal religious committments? Where does religion manifest itself in everyday life?).
Teaching
I am convenor of "Living Islam - Between Text and People", an undergraduate module part of the Religious and Theological Studies degree programme that provides an overview of the field of Islamic Studies. It is a team-taught by staff from the Islam-UK Centre at Cardiff University.
Biography
I hold a BA in Religious Studies, an MA in Islam in Contemporary Britain, and a PhD which explored the role and function of mosques using ethnographic research methods.
Aside from working in academia, I have been involved in policy, research, and project management in the third-sector, as well as launching and editing a quarterly magazine.
I am currently working towards publication of a monograph on British Mosques.
Professional memberships
- Muslims in Britain Research Network (MBRN)
- British Association for the Study of Religion (BASR)
- British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS)
- Sociology of Religion Research Network (SocRel)
- Association for the Sociology of Religion
- British Sociological Association (BSA)
Supervisions
I currently co-supervise a PhD student exploring the concept of reform in the writings of Khaled Abou Fadel.
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:
- Muslim institutions, congregations, and mosques
- Sacred space
- Islam in Wales
Current supervision
Sheam Khan
Research student
