Muslims are thought to be recent arrival in the historical memory of the British Isles. The reality is far more deeply rooted as people of the Islamic faith have encountered the natives of Britain for centuries through trade, travel, war, empire, immigration, and even maritime piracy.

While some Muslims yearned for a rejuvenated khilafah, until the rise of ISIS very few were actually working to establish it – with the exception of the Hizb ut-Tahrir movement.