Muslims in the United Kingdom encounter significant barriers in workplace according to a study issued last week by the Social Mobility Commission, an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office, the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions. As reported by Eastern Eye, an online newspaper, the survey's findings suggest that «in the economically active population, one in five (19,8 per cent) of the Muslim population is in full-time employment, compared to more than one in three (34,9 per cent) of the overall population (in England and Wales)». Young Muslims in the UK are being «held back in terms of education and employment». The study interviewed a number of people who has been discriminated against in work places or felt inferior to their colleagues who have western names and backgrounds. Faiza Shah, a 26-year-old British Bangladeshi Muslim shared with the same source her experience in the job market. «I've done everything. I go above my job description, but it is still not getting me anywhere», she said adding that «when I was interviewed for my previous job, my employer's first question was : 'You're Muslim aren't you ?' and it was just the way it was put forward». The study has also investigated several aspect of social mobility challenges faced by young Muslims in the UK. Accordingly, Muslims from poorer backgrounds have limited access to networks, contacts and resources and they feel they have to work ten times better than their counterparts because of cultural discrimination.
