Life as an Imām in the United Kingdom Growing up in south London, becoming a member of a gang was something many youngsters had fallen prey to, and I myself could easily have fallen victim to this lifestyle. However what I could never have envisaged was that later on in life, I would help mediate between two notorious rival gangs, let alone become an Imām. After returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1996 where I conducted my studies, I found a job in an Islamic bookshop in south London. In November 1998 I was offered a position as…