In April 2021, “The Political Appropriation of the Muslim Body: Islamophobia, Counter-Terrorism Law and Gender” by Professor Susan Edwards of the University of Buckingham was published. For those interested in guantanamo and looking to deepen their knowledge, Chapter 6: ‘US Counter-Terror “Law” and the Chronicles of Torture’ demonstrates how torture has come to symbolise American “exceptionalism” where executive power is out of control. The chapter concludes by considering the impact this state terrorism and its ever-continuing presence in memory and celluloid has on the psyche and identity of Iraqi people, Muslims and right-thinking people everywhere. This chapter can be bought for £19.95 via the link below.
US Counter-Terror Law and the “Chronicles of Torture” | SpringerLink
Generally, the book examines the Muslim female body and the Muslim male body as gendered sites of political struggle. It draws upon law, politics, sociology and gender studies to explore the ways in which the Muslim body is stereotyped, interrogated, appropriated and demonised in Western societies. Chapters explore a range of issues including Western legislation and foreign policy against the ‘Other’, orientalism, Islamophobia, masculinity, the intersection of gender with nationalism and questions about diversity, inclusion, religious freedom, citizenship and identity.
Latifa Akay, Director of Education at Maslaha and trustee at the Inclusive Mosque Initiative writes ““In this powerful and far-reaching analysis, Edwards charts how the dehumanisation and essentialising of Muslim communities historically has paved the way to the manifold denial of fundamental rights and diminishing of Muslim lives that we see today. Essential reading for anyone interested in how the unconscionable Islamophobia we see in media, state policy, legislation and popular culture has come to be so frighteningly normalised.”
In the current global climate of increased nationalism, right-wing politics and Islamophobia, works such as this are of paramount importance for both professionals and non-experts. It can be purchased from the link below.