extremely british muslims
Extremely British Muslims airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 4 Channel 4

An eye-opening series premieres on Channel 4 tonight called Extremely British Muslims, exploring the lives of young Britons via a privileged access to Birmingham Central Mosque – one of the largest mosques in the UK and Western Europe.

The series – which was filmed over a year – begins by following young Muslim women and men as they endeavour to pick a spouse with the help of the mosque's marriage bureau service, their families and Muslim dating sites.

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It opens the lid on the young Muslim dating scene in the UK, capturing the day-to-day lives of individuals including 30-year-old Nayera and 24-year-old Bella, who are caught between their 21<sup>st century lives and the expectations of an older generation.

Nayera is an aviation engineer who is looking for a husband, but when she goes on a date with a Muslim man, it goes disastrously.

Her 35-year-old date, Hanaan, tells her at the dinner table: "I will be straight up, if I have a child with my wife and she is working I would expect her to prioritise the kids. I will not leave my job to be a 'man dad', so I will be the breadwinner as long as she realises that the child needs a mum. To me, a mother is more important than a father bringing up a child."

Nayera looks nothing short of flabbergasted, before telling him: "I would struggle doing a full-time job and coming back and looking after all the kids. I would struggle trying to do all of that myself with no support."

The programme also divulges how much of a profitable business the marriage introduction events is. One successful events organiser says: "The women have become the men they want to marry!"

Fashion graduate Bella turns her back on an arranged marriage in favour of finding a husband with the help of the Birmingham Central Mosque.

She finds the strict rules on dating a struggle, however, complaining: "There are too many rules, I just wish I had freedom."

Extremely British Muslims airs tonight (2 March) at 10pm on Channel 4.