Islamic Radicalism and Multicultural Politics: The British Experience (2011)
Much of the commentary on Islam today is shrill and one-dimensional which further widens the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims. Because Tahir Abbas’ Islamic Radicalism and Multicultural Politics is reasoned, scholarly and aims to provide historical context it is a powerful corrective. Being both British and Muslim allows him to present us with a truly insider’s account. Professor Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University
In the face of so many superficial denunciations of radical Islam in Britain, Tahir Abbas provides an account that is both broad in its historical coverage and profound in its social analysis. In his sweep of several centuries of South Asian Islamic thinking, Abbas includes the conflicts engendered by British colonialism, and the complex processes of immigration and settlement in Britain. He is especially good in his own speciality, the patterns of inequality in education and in the labour market, through which he shows how the global growth in radical thinking can articulate with domestic social disparities. Here is a distinctive voice entering the debate. Professor John R. Bowen, Washington University in St. Louis, author of Why the French Don’t Like Headscarves
Terrorist incidents have created controversy about Islam and Muslims, and British Muslims have been part of this debate. Media and lay people take a very superficial view and blame Islam and Muslims for radicalisation. This book is an in-depth study of the causes of radicalisation of a section of British Muslims. It is a very useful study indeed and all those who want to understand this complex phenomenon should read the book: Dr Abbas has done a good job! Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, India
A remarkable book, well researched, comprehensive in its coverage and highly relevant to contemporary British political concerns. John Rex, Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, Warwick University
Tahir Abbas has been exploring the relationship between British Islam, multiculturalism and Islamic radicalism for more than a decade. In this new publication he develops further some of the ideas found within his 2007 edited volume Islamic political radicalism, making five central arguments. First, he suggests that contemporary Islamic radicalism can be traced to strands of early Muslim history (chapters 1 and 2). Second, he argues that post-war Muslim migration to Britain has given rise to significant Muslim social, economic and cultural capital, even though the majority of the British-Muslim population still live in marginalized inner-city communities (chapters 3 and 4). Third, he notes that, as a result of persistent ‘orientalism’, British Muslims have continued to be presented as a cultural ‘other’ (chapter 5). Fourth, he questions the nature and future of British multiculturalism and the apparent shift from an advocacy of diversity to an increasing call for assimilation as a means of achieving community cohesion (chapter 6). And fifth, Abbas locates contemporary Islamist politics in the UK in experiences of Islamophobia (especially post the Salman Rushdie affair and post-9/11 and -7/7), social exclusion, and arguments premised on the so-called ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis and the allied assertion that a clear Muslim identity somehow contradicts Muslim ‘loyalty’ to Britain (chapters 7 and 8). …[T]his book provides a valuable resource for all who are interested in the future of urban multiculturalism in Britain, in the pathways that British Islam may take in the next generation, and in the ways in which these two questions intertwine and affect us all.
Chris Shannon, Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations, September 2011.
… [I]n the face of endemic public mis-representation of Islam in general, and Islamism in particular, this book makes a welcome effort to change perceptions … I am always searching for books that I can recommend to sociologists who want to develop their teaching in this area. In some respects, Islamic Radicalism fits that bill. The chapter on the history of the political strand of Islam is particularly succinct and useful. Abbas then covers post-war immigration, education, employment, Islamophobia in the media, arguments over multiculturalism, Muslims’ global political identities and crime/terror. With its meticulous referencing, the book contains masses of information which would help both academics and students find their way into this extremely important field.
Max Farrer, Network: Magazine of the British Sociological Association, Spring 2012, p. 32.
Honour, Violence, Women and Islam (co-edited, with MM Idriss), 2010
In a world where myths are intertwined with truths, and objectivity gives way to subjective and elaborate narratives that are meant not to analyse but to shock, Honour, Violence, Women and Islam, a scholarly attempt to address questions of honour-related violence, is a truly exceptional publication…To realise these goals, the volume draws upon an extensive variety of qualitative research, as well as the expertise of practitioners from various backgrounds: lawyers, sociologists and criminologists, journalists, human rights activists and Islamic theologians. In such a multi-disciplinary manner, the authors explore unique features of honour-related violence and thus offer a truly in-depth analysis of the phenomenon…Honour, Violence, Women and Islam is among the first complete guides to honour-related violence, and undoubtedly represents a valuable source of information and point of reference for everyone interested in this area of study – postgraduates and academics interested in this area of study, social workers dealing with honour related violence and policy makers alike. It is suitable for anyone seeking a broader picture of the sociological and legal contexts of crimes of honour. In-Spire: journal of law, politics and societies, 2011.
Islamic Political Radicalism: A European Experience (ed.), 2007, launched at the House of Lords by Baroness Falkner of Margravine, January 2007
This topical collection of articles by leading scholars confronts us with a complex and diverse post-modern phenomenon in the European context … it helps make sense of both the debates around the role of the media, Islamophobia, social and economic exclusion, crises of Muslim masculinity, gender and intergenerational conflicts, the impact of global political developments, and questions of identity in fuelling radical ‘Islamism’, and of the more urgent reflections on terrorism and violence post-7/7. Readers will be left in little doubt about the challenge that Islamic political radicalism poses in twenty-first century Europe to both Muslims and non-Muslims. Humayun Ansari, author of ‘The Infidel Within’: Muslims in Britain Since 1800
Tahir Abbas has put together a comprehensive examination of the roots – political, social, cultural, and international – of Islamic radicalism in Europe today. After the bombings in Madrid and London, there is an urgent need for an informed and probing account of why extremism has taken hold in certain quarters and how the vast majority of law-abiding Muslims are caught up in efforts to contain it. This work speaks directly to the concerns of scholars, journalists and policymakers and provides instructive and timely answers. James Piscatori, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
A relevant read, especially in the current political climate. Regeneration & Renewal
Islamic Political Radicalism is a refreshing change… an outstanding contribution. Sajjad H. Rizvi, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences
Islamic Political Radicalism is a wide-ranging and intellectually challenging addition to the literature that has mushroomed since 9/11 … All in all, there is no doubt about this book’s topical significance and its relevance in the current climate. There is much in it that should be of interest and value to scholars in a range of disciplines, to policy-makers and, indeed, those socially and politically engaged in various communities, here in Britain and elsewhere, Professor Humayun Ansari OBE, Journal of Islamic Studies
Tahir Abass’s edited volume Islamic Political Radicalism: A European Perspective makes an important and timely intervention on Islamic radicalism and, to be more specific, on Britain after the July 2005 London attacks…The book’s primary contribution is in transcending the orientalist tendency to focus on Islamic theology as the source of radical Islam, instead approaching the debate from the perspective of political economy, history, and international politics…By employing historical and social scientific analyses, the book allows for a grounded understanding of the experiences of radical segments of Europe’s Muslim population in a human and humanistic way. Hakem Rustom, International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 42(2010), pp. 352-354.
Muslim Britain: Communities under Pressure (ed.), 2005, launched at the House of Lords by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, July 2005
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 Muslim communities should read this book. 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, Political Studies Review
Tahir Abbas is to be commended for his edited collection of essays about Muslim life in Britain post 9/11…This book is required reading for those of us interested in the broader question of what it means to be human in the modern world, Amir Hussain, Comparative Islamic Studies
