You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Atlantic Books is to publish Tawseef Khan's The Muslim Problem: Why We're Wrong About Islam and Why It Matters next year.
Publishing director Mike Harpley and editor James Pulford acquired world rights from Matthew Turner at RCW for publication in hardback, trade paperback, and e-book.
Pulford said: "Whether it’s misconceptions around masculinity, the veil, violence or LGBT lives, Islam is profoundly misunderstood by many in the West. Tawseef’s fierce blend of historical analysis, personal memoir and investigative journalism is a luminous account of what it means to be a Muslim and a necessary corrective to harmful stereotypes. We are delighted to welcome him to Atlantic."
Described by the publisher as a "bold and provacative polemic", the book explores what it means to be Muslim today, against the backdrop of Islamophobia. The synopsis states: "Across the West, Muslims are perhaps more misunderstood than any other community. But what does it mean to believe in Islam today, to have forged your beliefs and identity in the shadow of 9/11 and the War on Terror? Exploding stereotypes from both inside and outside the faith, The Muslim Problem shows that we are often wrong about even the most basic facts about Islam. As well as being a wake-up call for non-believers it is also a passionate new framework for Muslims to navigate a world often set against them."
Khan is a solicitor specialising in immigration and asylum law, and a human rights activist with over 10 years’ experience working on refugee and Muslim issues. In 2017 he won a Northern Writers Award.
He said: "I started working on the idea for The Muslim Problem at the beginning of 2017, several months before the bombing of Manchester Arena. That horrific event seemed to encapsulate the importance of discussing Islamophobia, dogmatic religion, and their effects on Muslim identity. Now, when Muslim communities are scapegoated by the government while being hit hard by coronavirus, this book is more vital than ever."
The Muslim Problem: Why We're Wrong About Islam and Why It Matters will be released on 4th March 2021.