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British Muslims: Media Guide, by Ehsan Masood

May 24, 2006

This review by Andrew Sarle. Published by Counterpoint, May 2006. ISBN: 0-86355-569-1. £5 from British Council Scotland, The Tun (3rd Floor), 4 Jackson’s Entry, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8PJ. Tel: 0131 524 5700. Email scotlandcomms@britishcouncil.org. Or download as a pdf.

British Muslims: Media Guide has been produced by the British Council’s think tank, Counterpoint, and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, and is introduced by Lord Kinnock, the Chair of the British Council. Lord Kinnock highlights the timely nature of the book, coming in the slipstream of the ‘cartoons controversy’. A keen supporter of the book’s production was the late Dr Zaki Badawi, the chairman of the Imams and Mosques Council, and chief imam of the London Central Mosque.

Ehsan Mahmood describes the UK’s Muslim communities, their past, present and future. The purpose of his book is to strengthen understanding of the diverse nature of society in the UK both at home and overseas. It is intended as a reference and teaching aid aimed at journalists, teachers and students of journalism, and those who work with the Muslim community.  However it should prove to be a valuable and highly readable resource for Church members who are engaging, or planning to join, in dialogue with Muslims. 

The book includes chapters on politics, women, financial matters and charity. Insert boxes are featured throughout the book, providing a summary of such issues as Islamophobia, the hijab, and the Islamic media, including Al Jazeera TV (about to launch an English language service that will be available on satellite subscription service in the UK.

The author, Ehsan Masood, is a writer and journalist based in London. He has a fortnightly column in www.opendemocracy.net and also writes for Nature, New Scientist and Prospect magazines.

His latest books are Dry: Life Without Water (Harvard University Press 2006) and How Do You Know: Reading Ziauddin Sardar on Islam, Science and Cultural Relations (Pluto Press 2006). He is the author of Trust Me I'm British: Britain and its Muslim Audiences in the Post 9/11 World, also published by the British Council.