Muslim, Actually: How Islam is Misunderstood and Why it Matters

by Tawseef Khan

Why are Muslim men portrayed as inherently violent? Does the veil violate women's rights? Is Islam stopping Muslims from integrating? Across western societies, Muslims are more misunderstood than any other minority. 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 while we may think we know all about Islam we are often wrong about even the most basic facts. Bold and provocative, The Muslim Problem is both a wake-up call for non-believers and a passionate new framework for Muslims to navigate a world that is often set against them.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Islam, Politics

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2022

Reviews

[safiyareads · Rating 1 out of 5]

The purpose of this book is to debunk common misconceptions about Islam or Muslims. The introduction to this book was its strength in my view. I enjoyed learning about the history of Islamophobia, a centuries old tool, and the context of how it is relevant today.

There were some very well researched passages, some great points made and statistics demonstrating Islamophobia and how it manifests in different ways. There was value in the information brought to light in each chapter.

However, there was an undertone that came through which made me extremely uncomfortable and which I found problematic. The author singled out conservative Muslims in a negative manner on several occasions, I found it unnecessary and it made me question the purpose of this.

There were a few instances in which he grouped Islamophobes and conservative Muslims together. That, along with the other times he singled out conservative Muslims and the many references to ‘religious puritans’, served to vilify conservative Muslims.

I found the writing contradictory in some ways, the arguments he made not always coherent. He made brilliant points about politicians and their attitudes towards Muslims and Islam, and yet on a few occasions he made sweeping statements about conservative Muslims himself.

It even felt at times that what he was saying could be used as ammunition against conservative Muslims. He doesn’t exactly specify what he means by the term but at one point says ‘puritanical’ Muslims for those that believe celebrating Christmas in any regard is sinful. I felt uncomfortable with this because it was portraying this view as an extreme interpretation rather than a common and normal view for many Muslims.

Khan at times perpetuates the harmful tropes that contribute to Islamophobia and simultaneously seems to hold certain Muslims accountable for contributing to the narrative which leads people to hold Islamophobic views.

He conflates Muslims choosing not to celebrate Christmas or believing it as impermissible in Islam as them believing they shouldn’t integrate. Celebrating Christmas or not is the measure of integration here. I felt the emphasis on this was irrelevant. Choosing not to celebrate Christmas doesn’t mean Muslims don’t respect other people doing so and it certainly doesn’t mean they don’t/can’t integrate. Khan himself distinguishes between integration and assimilation at one point yet seems to contradict this.

He talks about his own choice and feelings towards celebrating Christmas as a Muslim but I didn’t feel he gave room for other views. I felt this was inappropriate for a book of this nature.

He highlighted the various socioeconomic disadvantages that a large portion of the Muslim population are subjected to and the ways in which this can affect their ability to integrate in terms of education and employment. This was demonstrated very well. However he then makes a comment, with no basis provided, that a minority of Muslims refuse to integrate because they believe it compromises their religious beliefs. I think this should have been backed up with sources if he wanted to make this remark. He doesn’t clarify what markers for integration that they refuse nor in what way they believe it compromises their beliefs. I’m left wondering if he means not celebrating Christmas here.

“I’m not victim blaming, but” is never a good way to start a sentence and rang alarm bells in my head when I read it. I felt like this book at times pitted Muslims who practice at different levels against each other. It certainly fed into the notion that conservative Muslims are not compatible with living in the West.

He raised an issue with Muslims judging one another based on how they practice yet he actually does the same when he portrays Muslims not celebrating Christmas as ‘religious puritans’ giving negative connotations, and implies it impacts their integration.

He reiterates the point to his fellow Muslims that living in a western country doesn’t involve a compromise with our Islamic principles. But why is this a notion he stresses on, thereby suggesting that some Muslims see them as incompatible (without any sources)? The issue for Muslims is the ways in which we are discriminated against on an institutional level, which the author demonstrated, but he completely detracts from that.

I guess in a way the purpose of the book itself, debunking harmful myths about Muslims, feels somewhat reductive. The ones who believe the myths are never going to be won over by any amount of reason, statistics or anything else. We have to ask ourselves is it worth it, trying to prove our humanity?

I was sent a proof copy of this book by Atlantic Books.

[Zainub · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book about the stereotypes widely perpetuated about Muslims across western societies and how we are often misunderstood.

The book has five chapters mainly dealing with the accusations generally levied at Muslims.

1. Muslims don’t Integrate: My favorite chapter of the book. An untrue charge that the author very well tackles with examples of how hypocritical governments make it difficult for them to blend in all the while criticizing them for not doing so.

2. Islam is violent: providing examples of the FBI’s infiltration programs into Muslim communities, forcing people to become informants and the UK’s Prevent program the author very clearly makes a good point of how Muslims, Jews and Christians had all lived in peace in the Arab World before the colonial powers decided to intervene.

3. Muslim men are threatening: the typical image of an aggressive muslim man that is widely projected onto Islam by painting all muslim men with the same brush whereas in case of a White man, he is treated as an individual whose circumstances shape him.

4. Islam hates women: this chapter deals with the rights and liberties of women in the old ages compared with those of the women of the western World and clarifies the preconceived notions that Islam treats women as inferior, interpretations of the veil briefly, the treatment of Muslim women presently in “Modern countries” like France and the UK.

5. Islam is homophobic: the author as per his understanding cites certain opinions that counter this statement.

I started this book expecting it to be a critique of how Islam is portrayed as the enemy and Moslems stereotyped as abusive men and oppressed women but many at times I couldn’t help but feel like instead of just the perceptions being the issue here, this book attempts to present Islam as a religion that based on interpretation apparently fits the framework of an “acceptable religion”.

Like we can somehow absorb the values of the present times and project it onto the Quran and Sunnah such that the politically correct narrative of the time molds our beliefs and faith.

But the fact remains that Islam as a way of life cannot always be reconciled with modern trends and that should be okay.

Living in a non Muslim country as Muslims has a precedent in our history where some Muslims to avoid the persecution of the Quraish migrated to Abyssinia and they integrated well and lived in peace by practicing their own religion and not interfering in matters that did not concern them.
The basic ethos of live and let live after all “there is no compulsion in religion”.

The issue I have with this book is the rejection of Hadith and that of Abu Huraira (RA) citing sources that have been very well countered by the mainstream Sunni Ulema that have apparently been overlooked here to discredit the narrator of the majority of the Hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
(Page 136, 168,169)

Also, the author states that the “Hadith are unreliable” as they “describe the Prophet performing miracles- even though the Quran is clear that there are no miracles in Islam, only the Quran itself”. (Page 171)
This is plainly wrong as the Quran itself bears witness to the miracles of the Prophet validating the splitting of the moon, the incidents during the Hijrah, the Miraaj among others through Its Divine Verses.

The rest of the book was an easy and informative read however the explanations of religious tenets that were incorrect very much disappointed me.

Islam in its purest form preaches tolerance and we don’t have to modify it to make it more palatable to western audiences.

The conclusion is in ways a saving grace and where I agree with the author, your faith is between you and your God.

Thanks to @atlanticbooks for providing me with an uncorrected proof of the book in return for an honest review.

[Neelam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Atlantic Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review. I was tentatively looking forward to reading this but this book was such a disappointment.

The synopsis sounds like this would be a great read with a nuanced discussion however this was not what this book was. It started with talking about how Muslims celebrate Christmas and just got worse from there. It took me months to get through this book because I had to keep putting it down because it made me so mad.

The only decent thing in this book was discussing the political history which has led to the increase in Islamophobia and violence against Muslims. I actually liked how he wrote about this and truly the only good part of each chapter was this discussion. If you are going to read this book just read these parts.

I for the life of me cannot understand how he so easily insulted scholars and spoke about the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) and repeatedly stated that using common sense is enough to understand the Quran. It really isn’t because this is how people twist the words, they have no real education in any of this and go about deciding for themselves what the Quran says. He also didn’t speak to actual scholars regarding these issues, only speaking to activists isn’t enough. They have not dedicated years to understanding the Quran and the Prophet (pbuh) teachings. Especially as our first language is English we cannot truly understand the Quran unless we can read and understand Arabic which I don’t think a lot of us are. Honestly by the end of the book I was so incredibly mad about all the misinformation about Islam and the way the author dismissed and belittled over a thousand year of Islamic scholarship.

Starting the first chapter with the claim that Muslims integrate because they celebrate Christmas left me with a sense of dread as to what the rest of the book will hold because I shouldn’t have to celebrate another religions, religious festival to be considered as integrated into society. This is assimilation, the irony is that he actually discusses assimilation in a later chapter yet doesn’t see how this is also assimilation. Also saying that he laughed at scholars who have explained why we don’t celebrate Christmas, and called it inane remarks is not the progressive thinking that you think it is.

I completely lost all faith in this book when he started to say how hadith are unreliable and came after the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) saying that they were oppressive and unreliable. Truly I don’t know where he found this because the ones he specifically mentioned are known for their reliability and standing up for justice.

There was also an undertone that is incredibly problematic which was regarding “conservative Muslims” and how they were an issue. He even grouped Islamophobes and them together as if they are the same. Just because someone chooses to practice Islam in a way that you aren’t comfortable with that doesn’t make them wrong or bad. There are parts of Islam that aren’t completely compatible with the western culture and you know what that is okay. You can’t change or water down Islam and claim that this is the correct thing and look down on others. There was several instances of humble bragging that had me rolling my eyes too and I just…it’s safe to say that I did not enjoy this book, at all.

I am tired of books being published that have so much misinformation or written in a way that makes Islam palatable to non-Muslims because what is even the point of these books. If you are going to write about Islamic beliefs and integral parts of the faith then at least go speak to the actual scholars about it.

This book is called the Muslim problem and yet all it does is create more problems. People reading this will look at me and say why am I not celebrating Christmas and that I am not integrating. It’s awkward enough as it is to explain why I don’t want to take part in Christmas celebrations without other Muslims claiming it is absolutely fine. The fact that the reviews I’ve seen so far that praise this book is all from non-Muslims and the reviews from Muslims are all discussing the issues in this book and how it is not a great book to deal with these issues should tell you all you need to know about how reliable the information about Islam really is.

[Sahar · Rating 1 out of 5]

RTC. the worst book i’ve read in a LONG time.

[Hana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lowering my rating because, upon further reflection, some of the way Khan discusses the Muslim community is actually incredibly problematic. Some of the political parts are good, but they're outweighed by the utterly egregious misrepresentation of Islamic doctrines, and the victim blameiness of his attitude towards the Muslim community.
-------

This book debunks five common misconceptions used against Islam, and it does so by making two major points, one of which I loved, and the other I really hated.

On the one hand, the parts where Khan broke down structural Islamophobia in Western society was fantastic. He's so explicit about naming the the double standards and hypocrisy that make it all but impossible for Muslims to successfully navigate British/Western society, as well as the ways in which the West paved the way for terrorism, and how harmful the subsequent anti-terror legislation, such as Prevent (which I've only recently realised that a lot of white Brits don't even know about!), has been. I learned so much about the historical origins of the five stereotypes too - I'd had no idea of the ways they've been weaponised by European nations over the centuries to prop up racism and colonialism!

On the other hand, he also talked about the ways in which the Muslim community sometimes plays into those harmful stereotypes, in a way that came across a little... victim blame-y, at times? Almost suggesting that we bring racism and Islamophobia on ourselves, in a way I didn't appreciate. He paints the Muslim community with very broad strokes and discusses 'conservative' Muslims in a way that's incredibly condescending and borderline offensive; he also seems to suggest that the only way to integrate into Western society is to give up our own traditions and beliefs, and that everything would be sorted if we just start celebrating Christmas, which... ??

But more than that, I felt like his ultimate point on that front was that Muslims can cherry pick the Islamic teachings they like and interpret them however they choose, in order to fit modern standards. Of course, you should always think critically and not accept anything 'just because', but equally there are parts of Islam that you can't actively make judgements on without the full context of deep research - you can't just decide a verse doesn't mean what qualified scholars say it does, just because it doesn't suit your lifestyle or you want to make it seem more acceptable to Western audiences.

I struggled particularly with his wholesale rejection of all hadith (narrations of the Prophet Muhammad, which are separate from the Quran). There is debate about hadith, and a scale of how reliable different narrations are considered to be, but blanket discrediting them all rocks the entire foundations of Islam in a way he didn't really seem to have considered. Islamic scholars have carried out centuries of research, and compiled books upon books of evidence to determine which hadith are authentic, and making a judgement on the issue requires extensive study, which I don't think Khan has done. (I could be wrong on that! But based on the information I could find about him, I didn't see any mention of him having studied Islamic sciences in detail).

CW: Islamophobia; racism; colonialism

[Rachel Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking common misconceptions about Muslims and Islam one by one, Khan provides a much-needed balance to the increasingly negative portrayal of Muslims in the British press. Khan is of course only one voice and he is fighting against a tide of negativity which will take time and a concerted effort to turn back but this important book is a powerful step in the right direction.

As Khan addressed each myth about Islam, I was embarrassed to find that I believed some of them as well. For example he talks about the perception that Islam oppresses or silences women - something which I thought was true myself. In reality Muslims are in many ways more progressive than the Christian church which still has a woefully small amount of women in leadership positions. Contrast that with Islam which has contributions from women to the hadiths and women as imams. Khan recognises there is still work to do in this area but he debunks the myth that Islam insists women cover themselves up and keep quiet - that is simply not true and a deeper interrogation of the Islamic religious texts and the surrounding culture would reveal this. It's unfortunate that many of us are too lazy to do that extra research, relying instead on an over-simplified narrative perpetuated by the media whose main objective is more often selling papers and getting clicks than on presenting a fair and balanced argument.

A thread of fairness and balance runs throughout Khan's informative book. For every myth he debunks, he provides both sides. While his arguments undoubtedly lean towards countering the accepted narrative, he does not do so unthinkingly or without accepting there is work to do. The Asian grooming gangs for example, recently highlighted in the UK press, show there is a problem that needs to be addressed. However, rather than the simplistic take that it was a bunch of Asian men from an outdated culture bringing their disregard for women to British shores, Khan' presents a more nuanced version one that shows failings throughout a system that left vulnerable girls in a position to be groomed in the first place. He argues that it is these failings which should have been the focus rather than the race of the perpetrators. Similarly with recent terrorist attacks made in the name of jihad (holy war), we must accept that the perpetrators are often born and raised in Britain - could the marginalisation and vilification they face in a country they should feel able to call home have had any part to play in leaving them open to radicalisation?

For some, The Muslim Problem will be an uncomfortable read. After all, it is so much easier to blame a foreign "other" for our failings as a society than to take an honest look at the part we all have to play. It is so much easier to accept over-simplified binary portrayals of Islam in the media than to do our own work to understand the context and deeper layers of meaning behind inflammatory headlines. The truth is there is no "Muslim problem", there is only fear, division and misunderstanding and we will all have to take accountability for our actions and behaviour if things are ever to improve.

[Jasmine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Usually, when I DNF a book, I don't give it a rating. But I reckon this one requires a rating to get the word out that this book really isn't going to be great. I can tell by the 10 pages I read. I've seen a lot of reviews from Muslim reviewers who have actually finished this book and are completely gobsmacked by how easily he vilifies certain sects of Muslims simply because he doesn't belong to them.

My issue came from literally one paragraph in the introduction, where he talks about the fact that if you're a Muslim and you've never said or done a single thing about Islamophobia, you're part of a community that perpetuates it (and, weirdly, a community that ruined his sense of self-identity). As a Muslim myself, I can assure you that there are plenty of Muslims doing plenty of work - I'm not sure what little corner of the internet he's living in, but I suggest he follows some better people.

His statement is completely ignorant of the social hierarchy. Sure, there are people who don't fight against Islamophobia, but surely that's not perpetuation. There could be a number of reasons:

- status as immigrants (documented or undocumented)
- an inability to speak, read, write or understand English to his educated level as a qualified solicitor born and raised in the UK
- age
- disability
- location
- fear of racial abuse
- believe it or not, gender - being a Muslim woman, I am constantly terrified just walking down the street, never mind engaging in activism

This isn't even all the reasons. He really does believe we all walk the same path he does, and it shows in one singular paragraph. I don't even want to know how it manifests in 250-300 pages. He literally says that he knows some people are fighting it quietly but that's just not enough for him, sorry. If you're not fighting, you're part of the reason he had such a bad identity crisis in his younger years. Such a victim. I'm not continuing, I would never recommend this to anyone who wants to know anything about Islam because I truly don't believe Khan knows much about Islam himself.

[Shafaque]

DNFing this book at the time when I have read more than 60% of this book. Why? well I have got things to say, will write here soon, a short rant to come :p
PS. Kudos to those own voice readers who finished it.

[Sammy Burrows · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book I’ll definitely have to re-visit. It is exceptional at analysing Islamophobia in the Western world but I was hoping it would cover more around the practice of being a Muslim in non-majority Muslim countries.

[Hannah Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and frankly brave book showing how deeply rooted anti-islamic sentiment is in western society

[Kim Ashworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confronting. Had never thought about the other side of the Rushdie Affair, or that racism against Muslims was gendered, although it seems obvious now. Really good discussion on male violence, feminism and the right wing's co-opting of LGBTQ+ issues to further their islamophobic agendas.

I've not thought this much about the Qu'ran since my paltry RE GCSE, and clearly a fair amount of Khan's liberal (read: compassionate, considers people with dignity and justice in mind) interpretation could be pretty controversial, but it's written intelligently and engagingly - even enough for someone who knows very little about Islam and has been a staunch atheist for most of my life. Whilst not a neutral source (not that that exists), the book gave a really strong insight into living in the "west" as a Muslim today, and elevated lots of other marginalised voices too. Most importantly, it humanises and empowers.

Having read other reviews I'm maybe looking at it in a too-uncritical light, but as someone who knows very little about the subject matter, it felt like a must-read for anyone who considers themselves anti-racist in a post-9/11 world.

[Alison]

DNF. Just didn’t find it new or compelling. Didn’t engage me.

[Humaira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent a physical proof of this book by Atlantic Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly found this book exhausting, not just because of the content but because of the format which had very small text and typeface and no real subheadings.

The book is split into 5 sections:

1) Muslims Don’t Integrate

This whole chapter talked about the systematic racism and Islamaphobia that stops Muslims from integrating with Western Society which I did agree with.

2) Islam is Violent

3) Muslim Men are Threatening

4) Islam Hates Women

5) Islam is Homophobic

While reading this book, I found it bombards you with facts and figures, points and counterpoints but no real action points until the very end.

I found it frustrating that it mainly focused on the views and lives of Muslims in the West and while there was some mention of Muslims from elsewhere in the world, it is very much focused on Muslims within the UK which is fair as it is a book written by a British Muslim.

Reading this book, I was also confused who this book was for?

If it was for Muslims, then it’s lived trauma that we encounter every single day so for me as a Muslim doesn’t add anything to the narrative.

If this book is for Western Allies, then it’s a case of preaching to the Choir because it will be for people who are likely to be allies who will read this book or those in academic circles.

I wish the book had more actionable points for average Muslims and Allies rather than a mass of text.

The only saving Grace for me is the real lived experience of fellow Muslims on the topics covered but again, these are from Activists, Academics and fellow Writers who are already likely to know about the problems and issues raised in this book.

Overall, if you’re a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) this book is not for you or someone looking for actionable points to ally with Muslims then I don’t this book fulfils that criteria which is a shame.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an invaluable book. The author shines a light onto issues which, he claims, Muslims in the West currently face. These issues include navigating government-sanctioned Islamophobia, while also resisting dogmatic religion in favour of what the author states is the essence of Islam -- social justice. For a non-Muslim reader like myself, the book both explained the mechanics of Islamophobia and revealed its pervasiveness, while also providing a clear and engaging insight into the religion as it is lived in the West. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Fatima A. Alsaif · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright, I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on this book, but I’ll try to keep it brief.

A book like this is the perfect example of how a book can be both very important and very problematic at once!
It was clear to me that the author dedicated a lot of time to researching the topics he discussed in this book. And it was good that he introduced the reader to the history of Islamophobia with some statistics and events to support his arguments that show how Muslims around the world are seen and treated unfairly.

However, I had an issue with some of his opinions and what sounded like contradictions to me.
First, I found it very problematic that he treated both islamophobes and conservative Muslims the same way without defining what or who a conservative Muslim is, especially since it might mean different things to different people.

Besides, he once mentioned that we collectively need to respect and accept Muslims who practice and believe in different levels, yet, he singled out Muslims who don’t (refuse to actively) celebrate Christmas and viewed them as conservative and called them “puritanical” Muslims. Calling them out for not celebrating a holiday that is not associated with their religion can be problematic and uncomfortable. And it is not accurately a measure of how tolerant a Muslim is or how well integrated they are in other communities.

Such a narrative weakened the main purpose of this book, which was very disappointing because I wanted to love and enjoy this book entirely. And I hoped I’d recommend this book to my friends.
Anyway, it was good to discuss and aim to debunk negative stereotypes and misconceptions but it fell into other generalisations of its own. For instance, the book discussed gender equality and feminism in Islam and the Muslim community and mentioned that he observed that women lacked presence in Islamic centers’ committees while living in the UK.

And while it might be true to a degree and perhaps a common issue, it’s not identical for everyone. And I remember women getting very involved and active in the Islamic Center while living in Michigan. While the author did not claim that his experience and what he witnessed is the standard experience, it can come off this way, which might invalidate the diverse experiences of Muslims living in western or Muslim-majority countries.

The author still makes good arguments and brings good thoughts, but the book didn’t blow my mind.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

(this review was written by a non religious person who doesn't know much about Islam or Muslim culture)

I was very interested and excited about what I'll get to learn from this book. I'm glad I read it but it was a struggle to get through, so for that reason, 4 stars.

I learned that the West puts down Muslim cultures even though the very thing the West criticizes was born from Western influence. (I think this was discussed in the chapter debunking "Muslims are homophobic". Historically, Muslim culture was very tolerant and accepting of queer people but the west injected homophobic views. Or something like that.)

It also opened my eyes to my own biases and prejudices. I don't interact with any Muslim people irl and I'm sure I'd be respectful if I did. But when I see news articles about something bad that some Muslim person has done, I don't think critically about why they had to specify that the person was Muslim. The same thing wouldn't happen if it was white person. This book has made me more aware of subtle forms of Islamophobia.

It could have been more engaging if there was more real voices. And maybe the chapters could have been subdivided because it felt the like the author went on and on and on. It felt repetitive and I disengaged quite a lot. Also a glossary would have been nice for those of us who aren't very familiar with Muslim words (I guess I could look it up myself but just a suggestion 😬)

"Ali, Prophet Muhammad's cousin, pointed out that the Quran itself is written in straight lines between two covers. It does not speak; rather human beings speak on its behalf." (p210)
I agree with this. Humans like to talk, gossip, and point fingers about what others are doing wrong. People (white people especially, including myself) need to stfu and listen. Realize that we're all doing our best, and if you don't agree with something, mind your business.

I've read several books on racism against black people but this book has made me want to learn more about Islamophobia.

[Ali Rehman]

I had great expectations from this book as I was aware of the background that drove the author to write this book, but I got very disappointed and shocked by the discussion he was trying to indulge in his latter chapters. His topic about integration of muslim communities living in UK was a good researched topic. Similarly his following chapters about misconceptions of Islam being a violent religion and Muslim means are threatening are also important topics in current scenarios. I myself have lived in UK and observed the racial discriminations from time to time and thus I felt really connected to this book.

I for the sake of it could not understand why he had to indulge in religion in next 2 chapters to prove his point. His mere understanding of lack of religion is shocking for the level of this guy whose book was on a path of being an actor astounding read. Rather it turned out to be a deluded work of fiction in which he is attributing his newly framed concept from the words of Quran. He has indulged in character assassination of those responsible for compiling hadiths derived from Prophet Muhammad life.

Lastly the author trying to justify his integration into western society went too far in criticizing the core on which our religion is founded. His concept on why he believes that Islam has not called for Muslim women to cover their body outside of their home is a figment of his imagination. This book has really disappointed me considering the intriguing content in the opening chapters.

[Meliha Akpinar · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of statistics and important points mentioned here. i would recommend it to non-muslims to have a more open-minded outlook on Islam. and although i agree with a majority of what the writer has written about in this book, for example the wrong and overly negative representation of Islam in the media, i also think he takes a view of Islam that is too liberal and catered to Western beliefs (to some extent). He argues against the idea that wearing a hijab is obligatory, and that same-sex relations are haram etc. I do think that whilst he makes really good points on the demonisation of Muslim men in the media and the infantilisation and belittling of Muslims women. It takes a wrong outlook on some areas and makes things that are haram halal. At points I felt like he just started interpreting Islam in however way he wanted and that fit his rhetoric.

It’s an alright read. but it took me AGES to finish because the text is tiny and i low-key hate reading nonfiction.

[Naman · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the purpose of this book is to examine and explain how erroneous Western Islamaphobic ideas are and why they are so harmless, this book fails massively. Although there is some great history and some good analysis of less perceptive Islamophobia the author finishes every chapter by showing how he himself has adopted these Western Islamaphobic ideas himself. It pains me to see him lump Conservative Muslims in the same bracket as Far Right extremists. This is an absurd proposition and is offensive to the majority of the Muslims in the world.

What a shame.

[BTB · Rating 1 out of 5]

Initially found this book interesting. Until the author started quoting physiologist which are supported by incels and wrote:

“We expect men to be able to understand consent, even as the concept evolves. But we do so despite taking no responsibility for teaching men what this means”.

Felt sick after that and couldn’t read anymore.

[Kim Bergshoeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written exposé on anti-muslim sentiments and how little they have to do with Islam. Impressive that the writer does not only write about his native United Kingdom but has extensive knowledge about other European countries as well.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Despite being organised in five chapters, each addressing a specific issue about islamophobia, is it remarkably ranty. I listened to it at 1.20% speed.
Nevertheless, as a non-muslin, i found it informative.

[Sara Zafar · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Hey conservative Muslims, just celebrate Christmas and the islamaphobia will go away'
2 stars due to some important points being made however Khan ironically managed to alienate a whole group of Muslims mid-way through.

[Safae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really powerful, really well researched book. This is a must-read.

[Iyad Hilal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written and researched. A great resource for dealing with a whole array Islamophobic ideas that many of us (even the non religious types) have to deal with.

[Adelyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars rounded up.

Well, that's 2.5 hours I'm not getting back. Not sure why I was able to buy this prior to the release date that's on here, but I came across it while browsing in the bookstore and picked it up on whim having not heard of it before. This seems to be the republication of the book "The Muslim Problem" under a different title, and from reading the reviews on that one it seems like I'm not alone in these views. I'm actually quite relieved to see some comments from Muslim readers which echo what I think of the book, I was starting to feel a bit gaslit by it as the author makes statements like "if you don't agree with xxx, then you are just one of them", and I went into the book genuinely hoping to understand the areas where Muslims feel misunderstood (that I may not have noticed in everyday life).

The crux of the argument that Khan makes is that Islam is misunderstood because people over-generalise, and make sweeping statements based on observations of what is often just a few bad apples . While this premise certainly does hold truth, I thought the overall tone that this book was written in, plus the equally extreme over-generalisation by Khan didn't help at all. It seemed to me that he simply defined an additional class of "traditional Muslims", and then proceeds to make equally sweeping and equally damning pseudo-observations about them - which actually aren't that dissimilar from the points he claims to be trying to disprove. This book would have been more accurately titled "My Life as a Muslim and How I Think I Am Misunderstood".

There were a couple of interesting tidbits of information throughout, though once again written in a really irritating condescending tone. This book is divided into 5 main chapters, and I have to admit he wrote the introduction really well, so I read just one more section the first 2 times hoping that the next one would be better. Unfortunately it was not to come, but by the time I had mentally given up on it I was quite far through, so I thought I'd just read through till the end. Rounding up to 2 just as a record for myself that I did finish this.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant introduction to Islam and competently dispels the incendiary myths around the religion. It confronts the hostile environment that the government has created for Muslims in the UK while admitting and examining the internal dilemmas that modern Islam is suffering from. The last two chapters alone make it worth a read. This book needs to be on the Religious Education curriculum for all schools.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never had a book affect and resonate with me as much as this one. Reaffirming, inspiring and enlightening. Couldn’t recommend more for anyone who has any preconceived notion about Islam, is curious about the stereotypes often spewed by media etc, or anyone struggling with their faith. It gives new and insightful perspectives on so many issues from systematic Islamophobia to gender and sexuality in Islam. So many stories hit searingly close to home. 5 stars :))))

[Danielle Kilpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant and informative read.

[Arba Dreni · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ - easy to read
⭐️ - informative
⭐️ - relevant
⭐️ - answered a lot of questions I had about Islam
⭐️ - debunks Western views on Islam