Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
This book is looking at Britain in the 1990s and one boy’s experience of being drawn into a more extreme type of Islam. Husain was drawn into a group called the Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is regarded as an extremist group in many parts of the world. Husain gives us an insight into the Muslim student movement in the 1990s. The book gives a glimpse of what it was that got young boys into these types of groups.
Your next book touches on the opposite side of Islam. This is The Islamist by Ed Husain.
Yes, if you think of Sufi Islam at one end of the spectrum you’ve then got Ji-hadist Islam at the other end, and both are disapproving of each other.
This is a very different type of book. While the first is very philosophical and mystical this one is looking at Britain in the 1990s and one boy’s experience of being drawn into a more extreme type of Islam. He was drawn into a group called the Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is regarded as an extremist group in many parts of the world. So it is a personal account of his life in Britain. But it is more than that because it is giving us an insight into the Muslim student movement in the 1990s. It gives a glimpse of what it was that got young boys into these types of groups.
They felt excluded from Britain; they couldn’t relate to Britain or their parents; they needed a sense of belonging, and it touches on all these issues. It is a very frank discussion of what was going on in Britain at that time. It is also really interesting because he is talking about real people and real institutions and real Muslim groups in Britain and in particular London. As a Muslim I know the places he is talking about and it is really interesting to see what he has to say.
It is a controversial book though. Particularly within Muslim quarters, not everyone received it very well. It was seen as a bit of a kiss and tell. People have questioned why he chose to write it.
Because he went on to reinvent himself and turned away from extremism?
Yes, he has his own think tank and he is seen as an advisor on Muslim issues in the UK. I am not so up to date on what he is doing now but I found it interesting to read his personal story and a lot of that is because I was growing up at the same time.
What brought about his turnaround?
I think his family background was much more Sufi. And two things triggered his move away from extremism. In the book there was a young Nigerian Christian boy who was murdered and that really gave him a bit of a shock, and his future wife started to pull him away from extremism.
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Shazia Khan is a radio and TV reporter. She reports for the BBC World Service and Radio 4. Her background and training is in news but now she specialises in reporting on faith and culture. She has presented numerous documentaries on subjects such as women and beauty, sacred music and gay Muslims.
