Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora

Craig Considine is a Catholic American of Irish and Italian descent. As a sociologist he focuses on Islam, religious pluralism, Muslim Americans, Islamophobia, Christian–Muslim relations, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, race and ethnic relations, and the intersection of religion and nationalism. Craig is currently a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He holds a Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Craig was born and bred in Needham, Massachusetts, and has lived in Washington, DC, and London, England.

'Considine unpicks the complex journey of identity through the lens of the Pakistani experience both in the US and Europe. Placing both belief and bigotry in context, challenging both inter and intra community tensions and using the personal accounts of individuals he humanizes the monolithic myth of "the Pakistani." An important and timely contribution by a committed bridge builder.' Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, British lawyer, politician and member of the House of Lords'Pakistani Muslims are often seen as one of the most controversial ethnic and religious groups on issues of identity and integration. In this well researched and empathetic study of Pakistani diasporas in Ireland and the US, Craig Considine has made a valuable contribution to the literature on Muslims in the West and the language of "us" and "them" which continues to inform the political and social narrative of citizenship.' Dr. Mona Siddiqui, Professor in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations, Edinburgh University'Dr. Considine adds another brick to the foundations of inter-racial peace in American and Irish societies. As an immigrant myself who migrated to America from Pakistan as a young child, I have never seen anyone capture the struggles and challenges of Pakistanis trying to find their place in the West more accurately and intimately than Dr. Considine. As a devout Catholic, he delivers upon the teaching of Jesus Christ – "Blessed are the Peacemakers" – by writing this book.' Tayyib Rashid, US Marine Corps Veteran, 'The Muslim Marine'

• ForewordSeries Editor’s Preface AcknowledgementsChapter 1. Pakistanis ‘Here’ and Pakistanis ‘There’Chapter 2. Theorising PakphobiaChapter 3. ‘Terrorism’ and the ‘Immigration Problem’Chapter 4. Cross-Cultural Navigators and desh pardeshChapter 5. The ‘Good Muslim’/‘Bad Muslim’ DichotomyChapter 6. New Pakistani EthnicitiesChapter 7. Why Civic Values and Pluralism MatterChapter 8. Dousing PakphobiaGlossaryAppendix 1: IntervieweesAppendix 2: Semi-structured Interview GuideAppendix 3: Streams of Islam