Brick Lane in London is quite historic. It is the turf of Jack the Ripper (which I grant you isn’t a selling point). It used to be known as Whitechapel Lane prior to being known as Brick Lane, when brick and tile manufacturers moved into the area. The name of the street is still legally and signposted as Brick Lane, but it has come to be referred to as Banglatown because of the overwhelming influx of Bangladeshis into the area. The corrupt Lutfur Rahman, a Muslim, was the Bangladeshi politician who resided over this area for a while, and who did illegal property deals with fellow Bangladeshis before his crimes were discovered and he was removed from office.
Brick Lane stretches from Whitechapel (which resembles Bangladesh with its street stalls selling rotting fruit and vegetables, and burkas) up to Bethnal Green Road (Bethnal Green, too, resembles Bangladesh or Pakistan – walk around it and try to find anything British about it). The bottom half of Brick Lane is comprised of halal shops and curry houses, with some refusing to sell alcohol, whilst others allow you to bring your own bottle. Halfway up Brick Lane, there is a very tall minaret which masquerades as a sculpture. It is lit up at night, and the crescent atop it looks like it has been set with diamonds.
This minaret sits outside of a mosque/Islamic centre, and it is a line of demarcation. If you carry on walking up Brick Lane from this point, you will be overwhelmed by hipsters, graffiti artists, vintage clothing markets, coffee shops galore, art galleries, and even a Jewish bagel shop. This division isn’t going to last much longer. Already the halal stores and curry shops are infringing upon the hipsters’ territory, and the Islamic influence is creeping up the lane. Skinny jeans intermingling with religious pajamas and robes are the norm today on Brick Lane. But let’s see how much longer it lasts. Like Camden, I give it five more years before it’s another Islamic ‘tread carefully’ zone.
When the minaret was first erected, locals came out to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over this metallic work of art, as it was described by the council. It was sold to the public as an art piece, and they bought it. At no point did they realise, and they still don’t today, that this art piece is a land-claim. Muslims erect minarets as signs of victory, as markers of perimeters and borders. Muslims have, effectively, laid claim to Brick Lane and signed it off as their own. And while Muslims erect their minarets and lay claim to our land, we erect bollards on our stunning historic bridges and ancient buildings, all in a bid to keep citizens safe from devout Muslims who would seek to kill us and instill terror into the hearts of we the unbelievers. If only our MPs could design bollards as beautifully designed and as well-lit as this minaret on Brick Lane.