Framing Muslims: Stereotyping and Representation after 9/11
In this rich and methodical deconstruction of the thick frame that surrounds nearly all discussions about Muslim minorities in British and American culture today, Peter Morey and Amina Yaqin have exposed the dark power of stereotyping Muslims to the light by scrutinizing everything from "terror" television shows to Muslim leaders' own stereotypes. As an example of cultural studies, the book is exemplary. As an intervention into some of the most urgent political debates of our day, it is both compelling and necessary. (Moustafa Bayoumi, author ofHow Does It Feel To Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America)Absorbing, disquieting, and compelling,Framing Muslimsalerts us to the new and alarming ways that, in the aftermath of 9/11, 'Muslims' have come to represent a political problem waiting to be solved.  With clarity, urgency and forensic skill, Peter Morey and Amina Yaqin explore and celebrate ways out of 'the frame' while unravelling the regulatory agendas of fanatics and liberal reformers alike that are currently breathing new life into discredited stereotypes.  Essential wisdom for all who care and are daring to write about Islam, racism, and the politics of commodified multiculturalism today. (Gerald MacLean, co-author ofBritain and the Islamic World)Framing Muslimsis an enlightening book. It is sure to make us more critical of the power and influence of media in shaping our views on Muslims and Islam. Peter Morey and Amina Yaqin deserve applause for their worthy effort. (Joseph Richard PrevilleSaudi Gazette2011-05-08)Groundbreaking...Drawing on their diverse backgrounds in English and Urdu literary and cultural studies, Morey and Yaqin examine...[how] veils, beards, men at prayer, and minarets stand in for Muslims in all their heterogeneity and complexity...[An] illuminating work. (Claire ChambersTimes Higher Education2011-06-23)The book makes a notable contribution by going beyond events in the U.S. to examine reactions in Great Britain to the 2005 bombings of the London public transportation system. The authors take a psychoanalytic approach to their examination of the sources of stereotype and negative depiction, thus offering an interesting perspective that had not previously been fully explored. Furthermore, they consider the impact of positive stereotyping. They conclude that both positive and negative depictions of Muslims have revolved around religion, tradition, modernity, and 'clash of civilizations.' (G. C. DavidChoice2011-12-01)