Muslims in Motion
Islam and National Identity in the Bangladeshi Diaspora
In Muslims in Motion, Nazli Kibria provides a comparative look at Bangladeshi Muslims in different global contexts--including Britain, the U.S., the Middle East, and Malaysia. Kibria examines international migrant flows from Bangladesh, and considers how such migrations continue to shape Islamization in these areas. Having conducted more than 200 in-depth interviews, she explores how, in societies as different as these, migrant Muslims, in their everyday lives, strive to achieve economic gains, sustain community and family life, and realize a sense of dignity and honor.
Muslims in Motion offers fresh insights into the prominence of Islam in these communities, especially an Islam defined by fundamentalist movements and ideologies. Kibria also focuses on the complex significance of nationality--with rich analyses of the diaspora, the role of gender and class, and the multiple identities of the migrants, she shows how nationality can be both a critical source of support and also of difficulty for many in their efforts to attain lives of dignity. By bringing to life a vast range of experiences, this book challenges prevailing stereotypes of Muslims.
Kibria's groundbreaking study provides valuable insight into the process of transnational and diasporic identity formation among contemporary populations.
Kibra's research is theoretically sophisticated and right on target. Her well-designed interviews give the reader a vivid sense of the experience of being a Bangladeshi Muslim immigrant.
Muslims in Motion is a brilliant illustration of how global sociopolitical forces shape international migrants’ experiences and aspirations. In this timely piece, Kibria explains how Bangladeshi Muslim migrants and their families in starkly different destinations insert themselves into their host societies by organizing their community life and constructing their identity.
Linking migration and religious studies, Muslims in Motion breaks new ground by taking seriously the ways in which international migrant flows shape Islamization in migrant communities around the world.
Preface and Acknowledgments
1. Muslim Migrants, Bangladeshis Abroad
2. Bangladesh: Nationalism, Islam, and International Migration
3. Bangladeshi American Dreams
4. Becoming Muslim American
5. British Bangladeshis: Changing Transnational Social Worlds
6. Muslim Encounters in the Global Economy
7. Muslim Migrants: National Origins and Revivalist Islam
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
