About the Book

This book is a study of how the events of September 11 and the subsequent war on terror have impacted on the lives of British South Asian Muslims. Issues in relation to religious and ethnic identities, citizenship, Islamophobia, gender and education, radicalism, and media and political representation are explored. Chapters are written by experts in the fields of sociology, social geography, anthropology, theology, and public policy, researching and writing about the positions of British South Asian Muslims, using a range of analytical perspectives and methodological approaches. The book introduces new and previously unpublished social science research, as well as penetrating polemical essays on the current predicaments, challenges, and opportunities facing British South Asian Muslims today

Commendations

'A wide-ranging and invaluable guide to the highly complex and diverse nature of British Muslims from South Asia. Those wishing to get to the heart of Mus lim communities should read this book.' - Professor Ziauddin Sardar, author of Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim

'Plunged into a post-Rushdie and now post-September 11 world British Muslims have had to face urgent issues of Islamophobia, gender, identity and media representation. Dr Tahir Abbas‘ excellent collection has brought together some of the leading authorities to help make sense of these issues in a rapidly changing and even threatening world.' - Professor Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldum Chair of Islamic Studies and Professor of International Relations, American University, Washington DC, USA

'We are at an important moment in the process of integration between British society and its Muslim communities. The events of 11 September 2001 focused attention on questions which had been simmering but only very carefully placed into the public debate. With increasing vitality, this process has come into the open, often in surprising and usually in surprisingly constructive ways. This collection of papers is a major contribution to that debate and will help move it forward.' - Jorgen S. Nielsen, Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Birmingham

'This essential collection brings a variety of important new data, informed insights and innovative perspectives on key issues affecting British Muslims today. It is a highly welcome and important contribution to the subject.' - Professor Steven Vertovec, Professor of Transnational Anthropology, University of Oxford and Director of the ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society

'The book is a valuable contribution to the vital question of how best to ensure the successful incorporation of British Muslims into the values of a liberal democracy.' - J. Christopher Soper, Pepperdine University

'This collection of rich, stimulating and authoritative articles represents an intellectually challanging addition to the rapidly developing body of knowledge that deals with the highly diverse and complex lives of Muslims in Britain. Easily accessible and free of jargon, this book should be of interest not only to the general readership within Muslim communities but also to academic specialists in the academic world and policy makers.' - Humayun Ansari, Royal Holloway and Bedford College, University of London, UK

Contents

Foreword - Professor Tariq Modood
Part 1: From Islam to British Muslims…
1. British South Asian Muslims: Before and After
September 11 - Tahir Abbas
2. Muslims in the UK - Ceri Peach
3. Muslims in Britain: Issues, Policy and Practice - Muhammad Anwar
Part 2: Islamophobia, Identity Politics and State Multiculturalism
4. From Race to Religion: the New Face of Discrimination - Chris Allen
5.Negotiating British Citizenship and Muslim Identity - Ron Geaves
6. In the shadow of September 11: Multiculturalism and Identity Politics - Stephen Lyon
7. Lobbying and Marching: British Muslims and the State - Jonathan Birt
Part 3: Media Representation, Gender and Radical Islam
8. Reading between the Lines - Muslims and the Media - Tahira Sameera Ahmed
9. Educating Muslim girls: do mothers have faith in the state sector? - Audrey Osler and Zahida Hussain
10. Attitudes to Jihad, Martyrdom and Terrorism among British Muslims - Humayun Ansari
11.‘(Re)turn to Religion‘ and Radical Islam - Parveen Akhtar
Part 4:Temporal and Spatial Ethnic and Religious Identities
12. All Quiet on the Eastern Front? Bangladeshi Reactions in Tower Hamlets - Halima Begum and John Eade
13.Tower Hamlets - Insulation in Isolation - Nilufar Ahmed
14. Flying the flag for England? Citizenship, religion and cultural identity among British Pakistani Muslims - Yasmin Hussain and Paul Bagguley
15. Pakistanis in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of September 11 - Gabriele Maranci
Afterword - John Rex

About the Editor

Dr Tahir Abbas is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Birmingham.