Creating Shia Spaces in British Society: The Role of Transnational Twelver Shia Networks in North-West London

Scholarship addressing Shia Muslim minorities in Western contexts often refers to them as a ‘minority within a minority’ or ‘the other within the other,’ highlighting their dual-marginalization within non-Muslim societies. This paper challenges the concept of double-marginalization by examining the dynamics of transnational Shia communal spaces in north-west London and the creation of Shia spaces through local networks and organizations. While being perceived as ‘the other within other’ emphasizes their marginalization, it also presents opportunities within the discourse of post-9/11 securitization of Islam, distinguishing between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Muslims. This discourse, focused on militant Sunni expressions, allows Twelver Shia Muslims to position themselves as ‘moderate’ Muslims targeted by the same radical forces responsible for global terrorism. Using transnational Twelver Shia networks in London’s Brent borough as a case study, this article explores the agency of these networks across different spatial scales—local, national, and transnational—while also creating a ‘utopian’ space of Shia religious imagination that transcends physical boundaries. In conclusion, the concept of ‘complex diasporas’ is employed to understand the social heterogeneity, coexistence of discourses, and dual orientation of diasporic communities. The Twelver Shia networks in Brent exemplify multi-spatial and multi-temporal diasporic formations, engaging locally, nationally, and transnationally. These networks interact with the local environment, connect with clerical authorities in the Middle East, engage in diasporic politics, and create a global Shia unity, illustrating their simultaneous ethnic-parochial and cosmopolitan nature.