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This book provides an in-depth deliberation upon the now unsettled relationship between religion and politics in twenty-first century Britain, with an emphasis upon Islam, the UKs second largest religion, which is now at the centre of the debate about the nature and future of British secularism. Combining theological reflections and academic and policy perspectives, this topical collection includes contributions from Ted Cantle, Sunder Katwala, Maleiha Malik, Tariq Modood, Abdullah Sahin, Norman Solomon and Nick Spencer.
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Much is written about young British Muslims, but what are young Muslims themselves saying and thinking about the lives they live? Seen and Not Heard:Voices of Young British Muslims brings together the views the thoughts, aspirations, and frustrations held by young British Muslims of over 15 different ethnicities, from across England, Scotland and Wales. It enables female and male voices to express, in their own words, their outlook and how they feel they are perceived, scoping topical issues such as intergenerational challenges, identity, gender, religious teachings, mosques and the media.With over half of Britain s Muslims under the age of 25, the findings contained within this research provide an insight into some of the more pertinent questions asked by policy makers, statutory services and community institutions concerning a growing generation positioned to make their impact on British society.
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The Last of the Lascars: Yemeni Muslims in Britain, 1836-2012 charts the fascinating and little-known history of Britain's oldest Muslim community. Originally arriving as imperial oriental sailors and later as postcolonial labour migrants, Yemeni Muslims have lived in British ports and industrial cities from the mid-nineteenth century, marrying local British wives, and established a network of 'Arab-only' boarding houses and cafes. They also founded Britain's first mosques and religious communities in the early twentieth century, encountering racism, discrimination and even deportation in the process. Based on original research, this book brings together the unique story of a British Muslim community that stretches across 170 years of history from empire to modern multicultural Britain.
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Wandering Lonely in a Crowd: Reflections on the Muslim Condition in the West, is a timely collection of essays, articles, lectures and short stories that have been written during the Bush years, a time of political uncertainty for British Muslims after 2001. They cover the themes of integration, community cohesion, terrorism, radicalisation, cultural difference, multiculturalism, identity politics and liberalism. Imtiaz responds to the predicament of being a Muslim in modern Britain. Beginning with a raw and unedited response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and ending with Obama’s election, these pieces cover the numerous facets of the debate that surrounds British Muslims today. The book sets out a narrative for these years and a response that argues that British Muslims should move away from identity politics towards Islamic humanism.
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“Seddon, Hussain and Malik stress the importance of Muslim engagement in British society, and draw upon their extensive knowledge of Islam, social sciences, and the law, to demonstrate both the challenges and the possibilities … their ideas deserve to form the basis for debate about the future of Islam in the UK. This book will be valuable to students in Islamic studies, sociology, race and ethnicity, politics and law, but also warrants a much wider general readership.” Dr Sophie-Gilliat Ray, Department of Religious & Theological Studies, Cardiff University.