Political Islam and Masculinity Muslim Men in Australia

Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University, Australia.

Concept and quality
This is a top quality proposal, promising a top quality book. It engages with the current challenge of integration for Muslim youth in the West - now an urgent issue for the growing fears of Muslim connection with terrorism in Iraq and Syria. This manuscript is prepared with care and attention to detail, using a mix of political sociology and anthropology methodology. The analysis presented in this book rests on an expansive range of primary sources, interviews and records of court hearings - not easily accessible to the public. This rich range of primary and original sources has allowed the author to identify patterns and distinct differences in the way Muslim men cope with contesting pressures in the West.

The key question for this manuscript is why and how some young Muslim men turn to extremist ideas and disassociate themselves from society while others embrace the society at large and prosper. This is an important contrast and the author presents a nuanced account of the many factors that bear on his subjects. As a result the book offers a sophisticated examination of Muslim youth identity in the West.

This is an important and original contribution to the literature.

Style, presentation and structure
The writing style is accessible and easy to follow. The organisation is logical and the reader can follow the thread of the argument. The length of the book (maximum 90k words) might be on the high side and put off some readers, but the use of images and tables could be a mitigating factor. Indeed the images are quite powerful and it is important to keep them, and if possible add more where appropriate. If possible, I would consider bringing the text down to 80k words max but not at the expense of any chapter. All chapters fit nicely in this manuscript and need to be preserved.

Audience
This book is primarily targeted at the academic market, researchers would be its most obvious readers. The second tier of readership is the informed public and policy makers, but this can depend on marketing, presentation and positive reviews. Policy makers are not known for their wide reading habits - but a successful book that deals with Muslim youth integration and the problem of foreign fighters could make an attractive option.

There is scope for chapters of this book to be adopted as supplementary reading material in university subjects/units dealing with various aspects of multiculturalism, Muslims in the West, youth studies, or Australian studies. And it is important that this book is brought to the attention of relevant lecturers and librarians.