Among the Mosques: A Journey Across Muslim Britain

Islam is the fastest-growing faith community in Britain. Domes and minarets are redefining the skylines of our towns and cities as mosques become an increasingly prominent feature. Yet while Britain has prided itself on being a global home of cosmopolitanism and modern civilisation, its deep-rooted relationship with Islam - unique in history - is complex, threatened by rising hostility and hatred, intolerance and ignorance. There is much media debate about embracing diversity in our communities, but what does integration look like on the ground, in places like Dewsbury, Glasgow, Belfast and London? How are Muslims, young and old, reconciling progressive values - of gender equality, individualism, the rule of law and free speech - with literalist interpretations of their faith? And how is this tension, away from the public gaze, unfolding inside mosques today? Ed Husain takes his search for answers into the heart of Britain's Muslim communities, opening the door to the country's mosques - a realm that is beside us yet unexplored, surrounded by an unseen barrier. Travelling the length and breadth of the country, Husain joins men and women in their prayers, conversations, meals, plans, pains, joys, triumphs and adversities. He tells their stories here in an open and honest account that brings the daily reality of British Muslim life sharply into focus - a struggle of identity and belonging, caught between tradition and modernity, East and West, revelation and reason.

Ed Husain is a writer and thinker focused on identity, history, religion and philosophy. He advises governments and political leaders on Islam. He is a doctoral researcher at the University of Buckingham, a senior fellow at Civitas: Institute for the Study of Civil Society in London and global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington DC. He has appeared on the BBC, CNN and has written for the Telegraph , New York Times , Guardian , Spectator , and other publications.

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