Ismail Adam Patel - The Muslim Problem (Mapping Global Racisms)

This book was written in the long pandemic years of 20202021, being an outgrowth of my Ph.D. thesis. In one way or another, the number of individuals who have helped me formulate my thoughts is genuinely long. Nevertheless, I have to mention the assistance and guidance from Professor Ian Law and Dr. Paul Bagguley. Likewise, I am grateful to a dear friend Mokrane Guezzou for going through the manuscript and being there to bounce off ideas. From Palgrave Macmillan, thanks to Poppy Hull, Aishwarya Balachandar, Kayalvizhi Saravanakumar and the other staff members who worked on the manuscript. I am particularly indebted to Professor Salman Sayyid for providing mentorship and feedback.

It is no exaggeration to say that this book would not have been possible without the support of my family and friends. They encouraged me over the years with of my studies, political activism and writing. Therefore, I have to mention, Shamiul Joarder, Abdulwahid Kassam and the Friends of Al-Aqsa team for covering my absence. Equally I am indebted to my wife Fatima and children Mariam, Huzayfa and Humayra for inspiring me and accommodating my ambition. Finally, all gratitude is to my Creator.

January 2022

This book is a notable work of scholarship which approaches one of the most misunderstood subjects of our time with learning, compassion and wisdom.

Peter Oborne, An Award-Winning Writer, Journalist and Broadcaster

A new voice in Critical Muslim Studies, Ismail Patel brings a fresh and fundamental reappraisal of topical debates over Muslims and Muslimness. This is a rewarding and thought-provoking account which brings current dilemmas over how to challenge Islamophobia into sharp focus. An impressive book which is both passionate and persuasive in arguing for a paradigm shift in our understanding.

Ian Law, Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds and Research Professor, Sdertrn University

This is an outstanding and thought-provoking book that provides a critical investigation into the contours of British Muslim identity. By engaging with Critical Muslim Studies, anti-foundationalism and decoloniality, Ismail Patel offers a sophisticated conceptual analysis that challenges popular understandings of Islamophobia. By tracing its historical and contemporary manifestations, Patel demonstrates the various contestations around Islamophobia, as well as elaborating upon its complex linkages with colonial and postcolonial encounters. This book is a much-needed intervention that delivers an innovative and refreshing approach on questions concerning Muslimness, Britishness and racism.

Dr. Katy P. Sian, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of York

I am African by birth, from the former British colony of Nyasaland (Malawi), having Muslim parents of Indian origin and holding a British passport. When I arrived in Britain as a teenager in the 1970s I was labelled black. However, within a decade, my identity ricocheted between Asian, Indian to Pakistani. By the late 1980s, a further political rupture categorised me as a Muslim. An identity that I had scarcely paid any attention to, but which has remained since then firmly implanted upon me. The imposed label has constructed me as part of the problematised Other. This has had political consequences and tangible social repercussions.

My experience raises several questions: Is my identity unique, formed and projected by me, or do others dictate the labels assigned to me? Is my identity formed by an identification document, like a passport, driving licence or National Insurance number? Do my faith, corporality and political affiliation determine my identity? Am I identified by the football team I support, the food I like or the clothes I wear? Or is it age, income and marriage that are the determining factors? Is my identity static or evolving? Can my identity be shared? Am I unique or part of a group? Is it sufficient to claim that an individual is made of multiple identities and resist essentialisation? In the complexity, how can one understand identity in relation to what is imposed externally and projected from within? These questions can be explored from many perspectives.