Policy Press Young, Muslim and criminal: Experiences, Identities and Pathways into Crime

In recent years there has been significant negative attention towards young British male Muslims, who are perceived to be increasingly dangerous and criminal. However, very little is known about those who offend, as few studies have attempted to understand their lived experience. After spending four years with a group of young British Pakistani Muslim men who were involved in a range of offending behaviours, Qasim gained unique first-hand insight into their multifaceted lives. In this book he unwraps their lives, taking into account their socio-economic situation, the make-up of their community, cultural and religious influences which impacted on them and their involvement in crime. He explores their identities and explains what role, if any, religion and Pakistani culture play in their criminal behaviour. With a focus on the apparent link with gun crime and drug dealing, this important book exposes the complex nature of the young mens pathways into crime. Review “Sheds light on a community of young men who are under-researched but overexposed as suspicious, deviant, and dangerous…provides a unique insight into a group of young Pakistani-British Muslim men involved in offending and makes a significant contribution to academic, and potentially, public understanding of their experiences.“ Martina Feilzer, Bangor University "A book of great importance to the field of criminology. It explores the rapidly emerging academic, political and media construction of a crime `problem’ amongst young Pakistani men in a dynamic, innovative and `real’ way. A must read for anyone seeking to understand the lived experiences of this much-neglected social group." Stephen Case, Loughborough University "A fascinating read, providing a close up, rare insight, into a group of people few are able to gain access and fully understand." Colin Webster, Leeds Beckett University About the Author Dr Mohammed Qasim is a researcher at Leeds Beckett University. He was awarded his PhD in Criminology from Swansea University. Dr Qasim has spoken about his research in various forums including Radio 4 and is a guest lecturer at a number of universities.