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kyliemaslen's review
3.0
an essential cultural document, but the recurring use of acronyms, heavy use of case studies and impeccable but frequent research sources make it a dense and difficult read.
untitledgoose's review
challenging
informative
4.5
this feels like a very important read for anyone (esp australian) who are privileged enough to never consider what the word muslim can mean and how we get to where we are today
meegreads's review
3.5
ADDIT 30/5: finished. Such an important message but I found the writing style very repetitive at times making it discouraging to pick up. Would have enjoyed more as an audiobook.
I will return!! My loan was coming to an end and I wasn’t in the right space to pick it up so I’m simply saving it for when I’m ready
I will return!! My loan was coming to an end and I wasn’t in the right space to pick it up so I’m simply saving it for when I’m ready
archytas's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
This is a deep analytical dive into the world young people are growing into, how this has affected them, and, what the consequences of that might be. I had been mostly expecting write-ups of oral histories, and the depth and range of this work were a pleasant surprise. Abdel-Fatteh takes as her lens that the war on terror is a system to reproduce race as social power, and then interrogates the concept through the lens of youth experiences - both as garnered through workshops (none, sadly, in public schools thanks to NSW Education) and quantitative research.
Some of the most compelling material looks at the functioning of "anti-extremism" programs which use public demonstrations of religious belief to identify potential "terrorists", the ways in which young Muslims change their behaviour to manage others' emotions, the impact of abusive street behaviour, the impact of education bias, and, really careful but deliberate examination of how Western Sydney identity intersects with Muslim identity. This last was very welcome - engaging with deep issues in how race is constructed in Sydney (which apparently, I'm too tired to write about coherently other than a kind "was good", but, it was!)
Through this, Abdul-Fateh is constructing an argument for how this set of pressures has hemmed in a generation, changing fundamentally how they see themselves. While some of this is hard to read, it is underpinned by the joyous ferocity of the young people and Abdul-Fateh's clear confidence in them.
I just really wanted a chapter on the Wanderers. (not a joke).
Some of the most compelling material looks at the functioning of "anti-extremism" programs which use public demonstrations of religious belief to identify potential "terrorists", the ways in which young Muslims change their behaviour to manage others' emotions, the impact of abusive street behaviour, the impact of education bias, and, really careful but deliberate examination of how Western Sydney identity intersects with Muslim identity. This last was very welcome - engaging with deep issues in how race is constructed in Sydney (which apparently, I'm too tired to write about coherently other than a kind "was good", but, it was!)
Through this, Abdul-Fateh is constructing an argument for how this set of pressures has hemmed in a generation, changing fundamentally how they see themselves. While some of this is hard to read, it is underpinned by the joyous ferocity of the young people and Abdul-Fateh's clear confidence in them.
I just really wanted a chapter on the Wanderers. (not a joke).
ellabeer's review
4.0
Fear is a dangerous, oppressive and all-consuming emotion. This book urges all who read it to face fear head on.
mandi_m's review
4.0
Challenging and thought-provoking for those of us who have had the privilege to not have to consider that we may be seen this way. A very important read.