Contesting Islam, Constructing Race and Sexuality: The Inordinate Desire of the West

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The current political standoffs of the 'War on Terror' illustrate that the interaction within and between the so-called Western and Middle Eastern civilizations is constantly in flux. A recurring theme however is how Islam and Muslims signify the 'Enemy' in the Western socio-cultural imagination and have become the 'Other' against which the West identifies itself. In a unique and insightful blend of critical race, feminist and post-colonial theory, Sunera Thobani examines how Islam is foundational to the formation of Western identity at critical points in its history, including the Crusades, the Reconquista and the colonial period. More specifically, she explores how masculinity and femininity are formed at such pivotal junctures and what role feminism has played in the wars against 'radical' Islam. Exposing these symbiotic relationships, Thobani explores how the return of 'religion' is reworking the racial, gender and sexual politics by which Western society defines itself, and more specifically, defines itself against Islam. Contesting Islam, Constructing Race and Sexuality unpacks conventional as well as unconventional orthodoxies to open up new spaces in how we think about sexual and racial identity in the West and the crucial role that Islam has had and continues to have in its development.

Reviews

A timely and urgently needed analysis of how the West has dehumanised the Other and what it needs to do to rethink and remake itself. * Ziauddin Sardar, author of Desperately Seeking Paradise and Mecca: The Sacred City *
Contesting Islam, Constructing Race and Sexuality provides a groundbreaking critique of the relationship between race and religion, revealing a striking parallel between the western logics of imperialism and anti-imperialism. Thobanis critique weaves together a brilliant analysis of gender and sexuality in relation to the various histories and politics and Islam and Muslims. This book will transform the way scholars and activists think about some of the most urgent issues of our times. * Nadine Naber, Professor of Gender and Women's Studies and Global Asian Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA *
In this rich analysis, Thobani explains how Islam and the Muslims have been immensely central to the making of the West in various historical junctures. The book goes beyond the modern era by covering a longue dure from the middle ages to our contemporary years ... Thobanis book will be a valuable critical piece for introducing concepts of gender and sexuality to studies of race and religion nexus in relations of West and Islam. * Ethnic and Racial Studies *

Author Bio

Sunera Thobani is Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Studies and the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia. Her scholarship focuses on critical race, postcolonial and feminist theory; globalization, citizenship and migration; and media, violence, Muslim women and the War on Terror.