"Political Muslims represents a significant work insofar as it provides an important and valuable alternative portrait of socially and politically engaged Muslim youth mobilizing their religious identity and particular interpretations of religion in ways that allow them to pursue political agendas."—Peter Mandaville, professor of international affairs, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
"Muslim youth, like Muslims in general and Islam itself, resist narrow stereotypes and incendiary shibboleths. In Political Muslims both Islamism and Islamic radicalization are addressed, but so are music, sports and education. Indeed, no topic, no problem and no prejudice is omitted from this comprehensive, insightful and timely volume. Highly recommended for all categories of academics but also for all engaged in the new global politics marked by religious and cultural identities."—Bruce B. Lawrence, professor emeritus of Islamic Studies, Duke University
"Overall this is a timely, interesting and well-structured volume focusing on young Muslims around the world….It offers the reader an alternative approach to what usually dominates the western media and politics, as well as in some cases the academia, leading to the re-production of Islamophobia."—Nordic Journal of Migration Research
"This book is crucial for those meaning to research further the diversity that exists in Muslim societies across the globe."—Reading Religion
Description
In the last few decades, the media, academics, and the general public have put considerable focus on Muslim culture and politics around the world. Specifically, the rising population of young Muslims has generated concerns about religious radicalism, Islamism, and conflicts in multicultural societies. However, few studies have been devoted to how a new generation of Muslims is reshaping society in positive ways. In Political Muslims, Abbas and Hamid provide a new perspective on Muslim youth, presenting them as agents of creative social change and as active participants in cultural and community organizations where resistance leads to negotiated change.
In a series of case studies that cross the globe, contributors capture the experiences of being young and Muslim in ten countries—the United States, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Indonesia. They examine urban youth from various socioeconomic backgrounds, addressing issues that range from hybrid identities and student activism to the strategic use of music and social media. With diverse disciplinary and methodological approaches, Political Muslims gives readers a nuanced and authentic understanding of the everyday social, economic, and political realities of young people.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Black American Muslim Youth
2. Faith and Activisim
3. "No, I'm Not a Salafist"
4. The Construction of a Multifaceted British Islamic Identity
5. Scouts in Rough Terrain
6. Challenging Hegemony
7. The Pashtun Woman Blogger
8. Changing the Tune?
9. Contribution of the Critical Thinking Forum in the Deradicalization of Pakistani Youth
10. Kashmir's Children of War
11. Renewal, Reactualization, and Reformation
Conclusion
Contributors
Index
About the Author
Tahir Abbas is a visiting senior fellow in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics. He is the author of Contemporary Turkey in Conflict: Ethnicity, Islam, and Politics.
Sadek Hamid is a senior research assistant at Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. He is the author of Sufis, Salafis, and Islamists: The Contested Ground of British Islamic Activism.
February 2019