Leaving Islamism

Farhaan Wali offers a timely contribution to the issues and problems involved in the de-radicalisation process. Trying to generate ethnographic insight into Islamism has always presented a problem for researchers seeking to comprehend Islamism. Islamist groups operate secretly, making it difficult to penetrate their inner workings. Leaving Islamism is like no other academic analysis of Islamism and de-radicalisation. The author was given access to ex-Islamist actors, giving the book a significant advantage over other books. Therefore, in Leaving Islamism, the author has put together a comprehensive examination of the causes—political, social, cultural, and interpersonal—of why some young Muslims leave Islamism in Britain. To go beyond abstract theory, Farhaan Wali has conducted in-depth interviews with ex-members of Islamist organisations. His access to ex-members put him in the unique position of being able to gather the biographical information required to study the causes of «dropping out» of Islamism. Therefore, Leaving Islamism will be vital reading for anyone seeking to understand why some young Muslims leave Islamism.

(Dr Alhagi Manta Drammeh, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies

and visiting scholar at the University of The Gambia in politics,

international relations and diplomacy MSC programme)

Islamism continues to inspire countless young people in Britain to turn away from the bedrock principles of this country, infusing them with religious fanaticism. Events such as the Manchester bombing or the beheading of Lee Rigby seem to trigger a flood of predictable academic attention. However, these responses are still largely transfixed on the causality of Islamism. The debate needs to move forward and take stock of additional dimensions of Islamism. Although scores of young Muslims are flowing towards the spectre of Islamism, there are equal numbers flooding out from it. What is the narrative behind this exodus? Leaving Islamism explores how and why some British Muslims leave Islamism, providing a compelling new perspective from which to understand the de-radicalisation process. The author draws on first-hand accounts of ex-Islamists. By framing ex-Islamist experiences Farhaan Wali is able to identify and evaluate the reasons, methods and pathways used by ex-Islamists to leave Islamist groups and ideology through the collection of ex-Islamist narratives.

Farhaan Wali, PhD, is a religious studies expert with a specialisation in the study of Islam and Muslims in Britain. He has spent several years engaging in field research, and case study analysis, working intimately with religious communities in the UK and the Muslim world. Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer in the School of History, Law and Social Science at Bangor University.