'This is a very important and interesting book. When talking about "Muslims in the West" one understands, through the different authors and approaches, that the main challenges are neither religious nor theological, and that it is time to speak out about issues such as racism, mistrust, unemployment, discrimination and empowerment. The West and Muslims will only be able to create true 'spaces of hope' by addressing the real challenges, and this is why this book is precious and relevant.' - Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Islamic Studies, Oxford University

"As the scaremongering and counter-productive thinking that accompanied the ‘war on terror’ makes way, this timely book offers much needed authoritative insights and nuanced ideas to replace the ignorance of fear with the spaces of hope." - Asim Siddiqui, Founding Trustee, The City Circle

'Timely and hopeful...moving beyond the trope of victim or threat this collection shows Muslims engaging constructively and critically with many aspects of British society whether commerce, finance, charities or anti-war movements. It also points to the willingness of institutions, from scouting to housing associations, to adapt and make space for Muslim needs.' - Philip Lewis Dept of Peace Studies University of Bradford

'The essays in this innovative volume variously recast, in convivial terms, the collaborative contexts that produce Muslim and Islamic spatialities in western countries. In transcending the stale vocabularies of 'segregation' and 'integration', this excellent interdisciplinary book uses the tools of academic critique to not only debunk myths, but inspire hope. A genuine achievement for mobilizing public debate that is both honest and optimistic.' - Kay Anderson, Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney

'Muslim Spaces of Hope' provides a much needed positive contribution to academic discussions about Muslims in Britain. As well as interrogating a range of challenges that Muslims in the UK face on a daily basis the book highlights encouraging circumstances; points of compatibility, communication and cohesion; offers solutions and therefore the 'spaces of hope' asserted in the title. An area of considerable deficit in the subject literature, this book recasts the debate within an optimistic and spatial framework.' - Dr ELizabeth Poole, Senior Lecturer in Media Studies Staffordshire University

'Many contemporary studies on Islam in Britain and the West both marginalise and pathologise Muslims as anachronistic outsiders and paradigmatic others, incapable of attenuating their distinctive moral, cultural and religious attitudes and beliefs. Richard Phillips and his contributors have produced a refreshing corpus of research that challenges the overwhelming stereotypes and misperceptions of minority Muslims and their integration into wider western societies. This work also maps out the significant developments in Muslim mobilisation and politicisation, contesting the widely held view of a perpetual 'Islamic problem'. The book explores Muslim participation beyond rigid binary discourses of Identity politics, socio-economic depravation and 'civilisation clashes' and instead charts positive Muslim engagement and social interaction from the global to the local. The publication is an invaluable resource for students of Islamic, cultural and postcolonial studies, geography, ethnicity and race, politics and sociology. It should also become required reading for anyone interested in the field of Islam and Muslims in the West.' - Dr Mohammad Seddon, Director of the Centre for Applied Muslim Youth and Community Studies (CAMYCS), Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Chester