The Muslim Problem: From the British Empire to Islamophobia

Description

This book explains the increasing incidences and normalisation of Islamophobia, by analysing the role of signifiers of free speech, censorship, and fatwa during the Satanic Verses affair in problematising the figure of the Muslim. Ismail Patel develops the notion of Islamophobia not as a continuation of the antagonistic relation from the British Empire but as a postcolonial reformulation of the figure of the Muslim.  The book views Islamophobia studies as a paradigm, engages in the debate of Islamophobia as a global phenomenon, investigates the contestation over its definition and challenges the view of Islamophobia as a reserve of the far-right. It assesses the debate around the concept of identity and shows how the colonised figure of the Muslim provided significance in constructing British imperial identity. Providing a decolonial, counter-Islamophobia approach that challenges Britishness’ exclusionary white symbolic content, the book calls for a liberating idea of Britishness that promotes a post-racist rather than a post-race society.  Theoretically rich in analysis, this book will contribute to discussions of identity formation, Britishness, Islamophobia and counter-Islamophobia. It will be of use to students and researchers across history, politics, sociology, cultural studies, literary studies, and anthropology. Acknowledgements Praise for The Muslim Problem Contents 1 Introduction I II III References Part I Critical Muslim Studies and Islamophobia 2 Perspective and Knowledge Formation How Do You Tell a Story? Critical Muslim Studies A Genealogy Critical Muslim Theory, the Critical Muslim and Critical Muslim Studies Utility: Critical Muslim Studies A History of Ideas Problematisation References 3 Islamophobia Islamophobia Studies: A Paradigm Paradigm and Family Resemblance Islamophobia Theses: Recurrent Themes Islamophobia: The Politics of Definition The Need for a Definition Formulating a Definition Transhistorical Islamophobia Connaissance Savoir Muslim: An Abiding Figure Islamophobia: Far-Right Populism Islamophobia: Global Phenomenon References Part II Britishness: An Imperial Formation 4 The Empire Project and Britishness Identifying Identity Britishness: A Formation A Positivist Interpretation A Relational Interpretation Britishness: Senso Comune The Empire: The Centrifugalist and the Centripetalist References 5 The Empire Project and the Figure of the Muslim Constructing the Muslim World: Darwin and Aydin Pan-Islamism, Ummah and Caliphate The Caliphate and the Fatwa of Jihad The Empire Project: Addressing Muslim Challenges Representing the Figure of the Muslim References Part III The Satanic Verses Affair: Problematisation of Muslims in Post-Colonial Britain and Counter-Islamophobia Strategies 6 The Satanic Verses Affair: Problematisation of Muslims in Post-Colonial Britain The Satanic Verses Affair: A Background Protest and Lobbying Post-colonial Reordering of Britishness The Regulation of Entry and Management of the Ethnically Marked The Splintering of Black Identity Unfolding the Process: Freedom of Expression Hurtful Words The Author’s Intention Britishness: Censorship and the Slippery Slope Tolerance and Britishness The Global Muslim Problem: A Tale of Two Fatwas References 7 Counter-Islamophobia Attitude Counter-Islamophobia Strategies A Critical Muslim Studies Counter-Islamophobia Discourse References Bibliography Index