Wandering Lonely in a Crowd

Reflections on the Muslim Condition in the West

S.M. Atif Imtiaz

• Publisher: Kube Publishing Ltd
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781847740946
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology

"S.M. Atif Imtiaz's desire for genuine discussion about Islam in Britain is striking and compelling" - The Telegraph

"Imtiaz's wisdom is offered in a simple, direct, accessible prose [and] speaks to all concerned with the place of Muslims in the West."—Tariq Modood, professor, University of Bristol

"A compelling mix of intellectualism and vivid reportage."—Madeleine Bunting, associate editor and columnist, Guardian

"Imtiaz is telling us to wake up to some tough global realities. Islam matters, more than anything else. Not just because it offers the most compelling and widely-followed alternative to turbo-capitalism, but because it does so on the basis of monotheism, history's most powerful idea. In these essays, spanning British and global Islamic issues of burning moment, Imtiaz reminds us that God has not gone away."—Abdal Hakim Murad, dean, Cambridge Muslim College

Wandering Lonely in a Crowd: Reflections on the Muslim Condition in the West is a timely collection of essays, articles, lectures, and short stories that reflect on the years between 9/11 and Barack Obama. They cover the themes of integration, community cohesion, terrorism, radicalization, cultural difference, multiculturalism, identity politics, and liberalism. Beginning with a raw and unedited response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and ending with Obama's election, S.M. Atif Imtiaz covers the numerous facets of the debate that surrounds Western Muslims today. The book sets out a narrative for these years and a response that argues that Western Muslims should move away from identity politics towards Islamic humanism.

S.M. Atif Imtiaz holds a doctorate in social psychology, is a longstanding community activist, and has worked in equalities for the Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust in England.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword by Madeleine Bunting
• Introduction: Every Text has its Context
• 1 September 11: Thoughts and Emotions
• 2 The Muslim Condition
• 3 A Marcher’s Song
• 4 Making Religion Relevant
• 5 Seven Faces of Freedom
• 6 Muslims and the Social
• 7 From Cultural Awareness to Cultural Competence
• 8 Finding a Saviour for a City in Need
• 9 Farewell to the Bush Years
• Endnotes