To Be or Not to be British

British national identity or ‘Britishness’ has been defined as possessing fluent English skills, loyalty to Britain, integration with the wider community, belief in democracy, acceptance of equal treatment for all and respect for the country and shared heritage. For immigrants, it takes generations before they are admitted to the inner circle of the ‘nation’ and its historic culture through the national agencies of mass mobilisation. In the 2000 Parekh report, it has been noted that British society is marked by insidious racism and by the notion that Englishness and Britishness is akin to the notion of ‘Whiteness’. This chapter demonstrates the pattern of two hundred sixteen participant's response to their national identity. The chapter also assesses factors that have determined their diverse identities. The rationale behind the respondent's choice of distinct identity (national, ethnic or religious identity) is discussed as well. Final discussion centres on whether British national sports have a positive impact on Muslim's national identity.