Anxieties that accompany fear over loss of identity

I took a course last semester about 19th century British novels and got to read some passages which we interpreted as attempt to preserve the English identity among "impurities" overseas. What strikes me is the strict definition of what it is to be an Englishman. In Rudyard Kipling's Kim we see the effort (by the Sahibs and others) in keeping Kim from going completely native. My point is that Thanawi's strict interpretation and adherence of the holy texts, trying to blot out the "impure" intrusions from other religions and culture has the same anxieties the English have when their identities is threatened by the "mix" of race and cultures among which they now live. In such a time, the discourse of being an Englishman, or in this case, a Muslim, is narrowed as it tries to distinguish itself from the "others." The tradition of exclusionary practices helps form a cohesive identity and give a clearer idea of what one is in relation to the others. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see some parallels in the English's exclusionary practices and Thanawi's discussion about customs and religion, among others, in which he attributes false belief to have roots in Hinduism, calling Muslims to abandon the practice.