Muslims constitute Britain's second largest religious grouping, and writing about their experiences has found a new audience in recent years-though not always through a positive lens. But a proper historical treatment of their arrival, settlement and establishment had been conspicuously absent until Humayun Ansari's seminal work, reissued here in an updated edition. "The Infidel Within" draws together rich archival research and first-hand experience into a broad, integrated history of the Muslim presence in Britain. Among the topics addressed are migration and settlement in Britain before 1945, the evolution of a British Muslim identity, Muslim women and families, Muslims and education, and the growing mobilization of Muslims in Britain's political, religious and economic life. This definitive and sympathetic history, brought right up to date, is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand modern Britain.
The situation of Muslims in Britain is one of the most pressing issues facing British society today. A rise in the number of attacks on Muslims in Britain, increasing threats to civil liberties in the name of security measures, a resurgence in the activities of the far right in Britain as well as elsewhere in Europe, and a crackdown on refugees fleeing persecution place serious questions over Britain’s commitment to minority rights. The purpose of this report is to explore Muslim experience in Britain and to call for legislative and policy change.The author considers Muslims’ access to education, employment and housing, drawing upon new research and existing statistics as well as case studies and interviews. He discusses Muslims’ diverse and changing identities, their participation in politics at local and national level, their campaigns around education. He gives an outline of how Sharia law and English law conflict in some areas, but have been reconciled in others. Islamophobia and the media, and within the criminal justice system, particularly post-September 11th, are also examined. Finally, the author examines existing human rights legislation in relation to Muslims in Britain and finds that they are, for the most part, unprotected. A set of recommendations proposes some steps that could be taken to tackle religious discrimination, Islamophobia in the media, and other issues of concern.
This volume focuses on how the far right's views of Islam have been increasingly co-opted by both liberal and conservative parties and woven into the policies of Western governments over the past two decades. The unprecedented influence of xenophobic and Islamophobic parties, whether in coalition with governments or recipients of the popular vote, reflects a major realignment of forces and a danger to the Western core values of human rights and equality. From the Far Right to the Mainstream explores how Islamophobia has moved to the mainstream of Western policy making, and the role that the media has played.
Using case studies, checklists and questionnaires, the authors demonstrate how to move from merely containing workforce problems to making cultural diversity a source of strength; showing how to understand cultural diversity, see the benefit of diverse teams, recognise barriers to change, cope with cultural management dilemmas, produce performance for profit, achieve results - and keep them.
Muslims constitute Britain's second largest religious grouping, and writing about their experiences has found a new audience in recent years-though not always through a positive lens. But a proper historical treatment of their arrival, settlement and establishment had been conspicuously absent until Humayun Ansari's seminal work, reissued here in an updated edition. "The Infidel Within" draws together rich archival research and first-hand experience into a broad, integrated history of the Muslim presence in Britain. Among the topics addressed are migration and settlement in Britain before 1945, the evolution of a British Muslim identity, Muslim women and families, Muslims and education, and the growing mobilization of Muslims in Britain's political, religious and economic life. This definitive and sympathetic history, brought right up to date, is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand modern Britain.
The situation of Muslims in Britain is one of the most pressing issues facing British society today. A rise in the number of attacks on Muslims in Britain, increasing threats to civil liberties in the name of security measures, a resurgence in the activities of the far right in Britain as well as elsewhere in Europe, and a crackdown on refugees fleeing persecution place serious questions over Britain’s commitment to minority rights. The purpose of this report is to explore Muslim experience in Britain and to call for legislative and policy change.The author considers Muslims’ access to education, employment and housing, drawing upon new research and existing statistics as well as case studies and interviews. He discusses Muslims’ diverse and changing identities, their participation in politics at local and national level, their campaigns around education. He gives an outline of how Sharia law and English law conflict in some areas, but have been reconciled in others. Islamophobia and the media, and within the criminal justice system, particularly post-September 11th, are also examined. Finally, the author examines existing human rights legislation in relation to Muslims in Britain and finds that they are, for the most part, unprotected. A set of recommendations proposes some steps that could be taken to tackle religious discrimination, Islamophobia in the media, and other issues of concern.
How the Majority’S Failure to Challenge Politically Motivated [Mis]Interpretation of the Qur’An Empowered Radicals to Exploit Islam and Propagate Radicalism
How the Majority’S Failure to Challenge Politically Motivated [Mis]Interpretation of the Qur’An Empowered Radicals to Exploit Islam and Propagate Radicalism
This book covers several themes and many message to different groups of Muslims around the world. The underlying message is that under a defeatist mindset, Muslim scholars adopted politically expedient positions through fatwas many of which are contrary to the scripture. This was established through the Investigative Commision established in Pakistam in 1953-54. Their report documents this fact (covered in Chapter 6 and Appendix 2) and exposed the many inconsistencies in the radical's doctrine. The book essentially revolves around the findings of this report. The recent terrorist events in Europe and the US, and increasing radicalism in these societies, can all be traced to the findings of that report. The interconnection between the radicals' doctrines and terrorist actions is overwhelming. Terrorists and politicized clergy use those flawed interpretations to radicalize and recruit youngters to their cadres. Many Muslim scholars and leaders justify the terrorist strikes as retaliatory actions against the US or Western anti-Islamic policies. The only way to reverse this destructive trend is for Muslims to understand and reject the incorrect interpretations. There are consequences for Muslims living in non-Muslim countries because Muslim scholars and leaders testified that Muslims cannot be faithful citizens of a non-Muslim government. Europe has seen this trend and it is now starting in the US. The Muslims living in non-Muslim countries should clearly establish their loyalties. It is therefore imperative for Muslims to be clear that Islam requires them to be faithful to their country.
What was the relationship between government and religion in Middle Eastern history? In a world of caliphs, sultans, and judges, who exercised political and religious authority? In this book, Ali Humayun Akhtar investigates debates about leadership that involved ruling circles and scholars of jurisprudence and theology. At the heart of this story is a medieval rivalry between three caliphates: the Umayyads of Cordoba, the Fatimids of Cairo, and the Abbasids of Baghdad. In a fascinating revival of Late Antique Hellenism, Aristotelian and Platonic notions of wisdom became a key component of how these caliphs debated their authority as political leaders. By tracing how these political debates impacted the theological and jurisprudential scholars and their own conception of communal guidance, Akhtar offers a new picture of premodern political authority and the connections between Western and Islamic civilizations. It will be of use to students and specialists of the premodern and modern Middle East.
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