British Muslim Converts: Choosing Alternative Lives

by Kate Zebiri

Overview

Indispensable for anyone trying to understand Islam in the West

When the Western mass-media talk of conversion to Islam, we are bombarded with accounts of vulnerable people brainwashed into a culture of extremism. However, in reality, the vast majority who convert are well-educated, and doing so as the result of a long-considered and heartfelt decision. What is more, their numbers are multiplying.The only exploration of this unique group in British society, this well-argued and powerful book investigates the fascinating
contribution that Western converts to Islam are making to Islamic thought.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851685462
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	11/01/2007
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.85(h) x 0.85(d)

About the Author

Kate Zebiri is Senior Lecturer of Arabic & Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. She is the author of Muslims And Christians Face To Face.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Converts in the British Context

Muslims in Britain
A Brief History of Conversion to Islam, with Particular Reference to Britain
Converts vis-à-vis Second and Third Generation Muslims: A Comparative View
A Profile of British Converts

Chapter 2: The ‘Double Marginality’ of Converts

Conversion as Social Protest?
Converts in Relation to Born Muslims
Converts in Relation to Non-Muslim Family and Friends
A Special Role for Converts?

Chapter 3: A New Identity?

National, Racial and Ethnic Identity
Identity Markers: Language, Dress, Names, Circumcision
Lifestyle Changes
Continuity and Discontinuity
Concluding Remarks

Chapter 4: Society and Politics

Views of British Society and Western Civilization
Sexual Morality
Domestic and International Politics
A New Geopolitical Orientation?
Concluding Remarks

Chapter 5: Women and Men

Hijab and Niqab: Eluding the Male Gaze
Social Contact between the Sexes
Marriage
Polygyny
Concluding Remarks

Conclusions

Glossary of Arabic and Islamic Terms

Endnotes

Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"Based on solid research, keen analysis and unique insight... an important contribution to the understanding of the impact of the Muslim presence in the West."

Yvonne Haddad

"Sensitive and insightful, and fills an important gap. Genuinely enlightening and yet an enjoyable ‘pageturner’ to read, it will make an important contribution to the understanding of British Muslims in all their diversity."

and the first woman to hold the Gresham Ch Gwen Griffith-Dickson - Founder of the Lokahi Foundation