A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK and a powerful and deeply personal exploration of a divided country - and a hopeful vision for change.
'This is not another book about the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. It is THE book. . . . Absolutely not to be missed.' - Matthew d'Ancona
Sarfraz Manzoor grew up in a working-class Pakistani Muslim family in Luton - where he was raised to believe that
they
were different,
had an alien culture and
would never accept him.
They
were white people.
In today's deeply divided Britain we are often told
are different,
have a different culture and values and
will never accept this country. This time
are Muslims.
Weaving together history, reportage and memoir, Sarfraz Manzoor journeys around Britain in search of the roots of this division - from the fear that Islam promotes violence, to the suspicion that Muslims wish to live segregated lives, to the belief that Islam is fundamentally misogynistic.
THEY
is also Manzoor's search for a more positive future. We hear stories from Islamic history of a faith more tolerant and progressive than commonly assumed, and stories of hope from across the country which show how we might bridge the chasm of mutual mistrust.
is at once fiercely urgent, resolutely hopeful and profoundly personal. It is the story of modern, Muslim Britain as it has never been told.