Native Indians, Bengalis and Pakistanis have spoken out against the ‘backward UK’. But are British Asians now more traditional in their beliefs than their South Asian counterparts?

It was an almost common topic of discussion growing-up. Those backward Asians from our native lands were embarrassing us ‘more modern’ British Asians.

But how the tables have turned. There is a growing number of Asians who think our traditional perceptions of South Asians is way out of date. So much so that living in predominantly Asian areas in the UK is like living amongst people who have what they describe 'small village mentalities'.

Ashraf, 39, is taxi-driver from Pakistan and says that when he moved to the UK he had trouble adjusting. “It is like I had stepped back in time.”

Before coming to the UK he thought people would be a little more modern in their outlook “They are more backward than some of the village folk I knew in Pakistan.

“They are so traditional and set in their ways. At family gatherings I noticed how in the UK they still wanted to do traditional rituals that even in Pakistan we had done away with.

“I lived in a city in Pakistan and coming here I felt as if I had moved to a village. The way people spoke about each other. The way they acted to other people in their families.

“I wanted my daughter to go to University and I got people telling me it was wrong? I thought this is the UK!”

Lubna is 29 and is married to a UK resident. She says that when it came to women’s rights and how women are perceived she thought Pakistani’s were more forward thinking.

“I moved to the UK and stared living in a predominantly Asian area.

“My sister-in-laws were so afraid of the way they dressed, worried about what time they could out until, about what they could do.

“Just dressing in a certain way even if you are fully covered was a big deal. I thought to myself, where have I come?

“Is this the Islamic Republic of England? When I was in Pakistan and living in our city we never had this problem.

“I am not wanting to go out wearing skimpy clothes just wearing normal clothes.

“People especially the men were so backward in their thoughts and they had been born and brought up here. Men in Pakistan are more forward thinking! You might find that hard to believe.”

She says many of the comments on social media from British born men make her cringe, "It is shocking. Here, are grown men acting like they are some Islamic police. It is a shame the same rules don't apply to their own families.

"You have guys and women who think it is their duty to comment on everyone else's life."

Noreen moved to the UK in 1999, “When I go back to India I feel free!

“I know India has its own problems but you aren’t judged as much as living in close knit Asian neighbourhoods here. You do one thing here and people are automatically calling you all sorts on social media.

“People are so concerned about the little minor halal and haram things. It can be frustrating.

“I would agree India is more modern culturally than the UK. Especially in the cities.”

Nahid, a housewife speaks of the difference in attitude to mixing with members of the opposite sex.

“People are very narrow minded here. Men and women just can’t talk to each other with either women making gossip, or men thinking you are flirting with them.

“When I visit my family in Pakistan, I sit and chat with my male cousins and family friends, no-one says anything.

“At mehndi’s and weddings we all dance together, and there are group dances with the men and women.

“Over here you would be shamed for even saying such a thing out loud.

“I only ever wear my sleevless kameez in Pakistan, never here, not even in female only gatherings. Look at the irony!”

Ishant works as a shopkeeper. He came to the UK in 2001 and feels that people still think India is like in the movies.

“A lot has changed for India and people here still think we are walking around barefoot and driving rickshaws.

“It is true India has its own cultural and social problems but the Indian economy is one of the biggest in the world. Each year the country is developing.

“I hated having to explain to people how India has changed. I thought the UK was more backward and I still do.”

Yakub is from India and moved to the UK ten years ago. “We have become more backward here.

“UK born Asians still think of India and Pakistan as how their parents knew it. Things have moved on so much.

“They think they are superior than their cousins back in Asia because of this.

“The truth is anyone coming to live here soon finds they are more forward thinking than their cousins.

“This is nothing to do with how much you earn but how you think as a human being.

“Muslims here are more strict because they think that is making them ‘better Muslims.’ “For example at a wedding in India there is no big deal made of segregation at weddings and music. Here, I went to one wedding and it was more like a funeral.

“The parents had banned any type of celebration because it was ‘unislamic’. The men were not even allowed anywhere near the entrance to the women’s section. Even to talk to their mothers and wives!

“Go to a wedding in the Middle East and you don’t get this.

“I never saw this anywhere. But here it was in the UK.”

Call centre manager Suhel, aged 45 says much of this is a result of how people perceive India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to be.

“I think that people became more concerned about protecting their religion and culture than anything else.

“They don’t realise many of these traditions people abandoned in their native land a long time ago.

“Do they want to rebuild a new Pakistan or India here?

“People think that their native land is the same as it was ten or twenty years ago. Things have moved on a lot since then.”