Sufis, Salafis and Islamists: The Contested Ground of British Islamic Activism - Softcover

Hamid, Sadek

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1788310616 ISBN 13: 9781788310611

Publisher: I.B. Tauris, 2017

Synopsis

The terms 'Islamism', 'Salafism' and 'Jihadism' have acquired common currency in recent years, often being interchanged and applied to describe various forms of Muslim religiosity considered undesirable. But what do these terms mean? Why do Muslim religious conservatism and radicalisation appear to be on the rise in the UK? And what long-term impact could this have on British society? In this path-breaking study, Sadek Hamid explores the impact of three globally influential religious paradigms on the faith identity formation of British Muslims. The author traces the unwritten story of the evolution of Sufi, Salafi and Islamist activism in Britain, focusing on the legacies of the Young Muslims UK, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Salafi-oriented trends and the neo-Sufi 'Traditional Islam' network., Hamid explains how they participate in collective faith-based activism, develop solidarities with transnational political struggles and differentiate claims over religious authenticity, scholarly authority and group priorities. He also illustrates how these movements gained and lost support, related to foreign ideologies and developed models of British Muslim identity. Sufis, Salafis and Islamists offers a compelling account of the complexity that underlies reductionist media narratives of Islamic activism in the UK., It is essential reading for scholars and students of Muslims in Britain, and an important point of reference for research on Islamic communities in other Western societies.

About this title

Review

Deeply researched and dizzying in its detail, this book will likely stand as a seminal work on British Muslims. --Dr Shadi Hamid, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and author of  Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam is Reshaping the World

Dr Sadek Hamid has the perfect combination of personal biography and experience, allied to academic rigour and attention to detail that makes this a nuanced, timely, well-informed contribution to debate about Islam in Britain today. --Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Professor in Religious and Theological Studies at Cardiff University and author of Muslims in Britain: An Introduction

Quite simply, breathtaking --Aftab A. Malik, Global Expert on Muslim Affairs, UN Alliance of Civilizations

About the Author

Sadek Hamid is currently a Researcher at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford. He has written widely about British Muslims, young people and religious activism. He is editor of Young British Muslims: Between Rhetoric and Realities (2016) and co-editor of Youth Work and Islam: A Leap of Faith for Young People (2011).

Edition details

• Publisher: I.B. Tauris
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1788310616
• ISBN 13: 9781788310611
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224