Muslims and Political Participation in Britain

This new volume showcases the latest research into Muslim political participation both in terms of electoral politics and civil society initiatives.Muslims play a prominent role in British political life yet what do we actually know about the involvement of British Muslims beyond the existence of a handful of Muslim MPs? What is unique about political participation in Muslim communities? All the major parties actively seek to court a ‘Muslim electorate’ but does such a phenomenon exist? Despite the impact that Muslims have had on election campaigns and their roles in various political institutions, research on this topic remains scant. Indeed, much of the existing work was couched within the broader areas of the participation of ethnic minorities or the impact of race on electoral politics. The chapters in this volume address this lacuna by highlighting different aspects of Muslim participation in British politics. They investigate voting patterns and election campaigns, civil society and grassroots political movements, the engagement of young people and the participation of Muslims in formal political institutions.Written in an accessible style, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of political participation and religious studies.

“This volume gives space to a number of young scholars who, often drawing on recently submitted doctoral research, introduce important insights that deserve to be widely registered. It is a valuable addition to the study of Muslim political participation in Britain” - Jan Dobbernack, University of Lincoln, Political Studies Review“This collection of essays will be especially valuable to scholars in the broad interdisciplinary field of ‘British Muslim Studies’, but is also recommended for a wider audience concerned with the way in which minority groups more broadly attempt to participate in public life.” - Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Cardiff University, Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations"…this edited collection presents a comprehensive overview of the latest research on Muslims in British politics and provides an invaluable resource for undergraduates." - Yahya Birt, University of Leeds, The Muslim World Book Review"What is more impressive about this volume, and what makes it stand out from other books of this kind, is the depth and quality of the research, and its identification of an interesting paradox at the center of Muslim participation in British politics: that the 9/11 attacks brought about not merely a backlash against Muslims, but also an opportunity for Muslims to fully participate in mainstream British politics." - Nicholas G Morieson, MInternatRel, Australian Catholic University, Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online"This collection of essays will be especially valuable to scholars in the broad interdisciplinary field of ‘British Muslim Studies’, but is also recommended for a wider audience concerned with the way in which minority groups more broadly attempt to participate in public life." - Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, Cardiff Un

Timothy Peace is a Lecturer in Comparative European Politics at the University of Stirling, UK