Arun Kundnani (2014) The Muslims are Coming! Islamophobia, Extremism and the Domestic War on Terror. London: Verso.

Greg Martin

doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.v4i3.252

Abstract

Martin Luther King Jr understood the link between individual violence at home and state violence abroad. In part of his message that is often downplayed, he told an audience at Riverside Church, New York in 1967 that the promotion of nonviolent direct action (or the prevention of violent extremism) among young Americans depended on opposing the violence of US foreign policy in places like Vietnam. Arun Kundnani ends his book arguing this point remains as valid today in the global war on terror. Indeed, in many ways, the material presented in the book paints a depressingly familiar picture of state secrecy and surveillance, the normalisation of preventative measures in the post-9/11 era, governments instilling fear and anxiety across populations, and the criminalisation of formerly lawful activities. It is now beyond dispute that these developments have eroded human rights and civil liberties in Western societies. But they have also impinged, more broadly, upon social relations and political processes. Not surprisingly, this has impacted Muslim communities the most because relations of trust have been eroded in the domestic war on terror. Download the PDF file from this page to read Greg Martin's complete review of Arun Kundnani's book. Download the PDF file to read the complete review of Arun Kundnan's book by Greg Martin.

Highlights

Kundnani tells how police operations in both the UK and US have infiltrated Muslim communities, and they have done so by enlisting the assistance of non-policing local services, such as by recruiting schoolteachers and youth workers as intelligence sources
Martin Luther King Jr understood the link between individual violence at home and state violence abroad. In part of his message that is often downplayed, he told an audience at Riverside Church, New York in 1967 that the promotion of nonviolent direct action among young Americans depended on opposing the violence of US foreign policy in places like Vietnam
Partnerships built between police forces and community organisations constitute ‘soft interventions’ that have become increasingly integral to counterterrorism strategies since 9/11

Summary

Introduction

Kundnani tells how police operations in both the UK and US have infiltrated Muslim communities, and they have done so by enlisting the assistance of non-policing local services, such as by recruiting schoolteachers and youth workers as intelligence sources. Islamophobia, Extremism and the Domestic War on Terror.

Results

Conclusion