Racialization, Islamophobia and Mistaken Identity

Racism in Britain has become nastier since the EU Referendum and the election of President Trump. This book shows the impact on the Sikh community and reminds us that well intentioned policies have ignored this significant faith community. - Right Hon Fiona Mactaggart formerly Home Office minister and MP for Slough Since 9/11 the government and the general public have not realised how often it has been Sikhs who have borne the brunt of many Islamophobic attacks. Thank you, Jagbir Jhutti-Johal and Hardeep Singh for outlining and contextualising so many incidents. The time may now be closer when Sikhs receive the sort of support already currently available to Jews and Muslims. - Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor Emeritus, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, University of Warwick, UK While Sikhs have a long history in the region, this is the first book to examine critically how Sikh bodies have been racialized from a British perspective. This is a massive contribution to our understanding of the British Sikh experience, particularly as it relates to the modern period, and it has important resonance for scholars in various fields, from religious, ethnic, and diaspora studies to political science and anthropology. - Simran Jeet Singh, New York University, US I fear perpetrators of hate crime are unlikely to read this book, but those who might do something about its existence - teachers, policy makers, police and members of the media - should read it. This highly accessible, meticulously documented volume fills a gaping hole in the all-too-common ignorance and religious illiteracy to be found in contemporary society. - Eileen Barker, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the London School of Economics and founder of INFORM. At a time of significant national concern about antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice, this book shines a valuable light on the hidden victimisation suffered by members of a faith group whose largely seamless integration into liberal Western society has left them feeling invisible. Providing details of the many hate crimes suffered by Sikhs whose religious symbols have led to them being mistaken for Muslims, the authors make a persuasive case that greater religious literacy is imperative at all levels of British society, not least among politicians, police and the media. - Andrew Norfolk, The Times, UK