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Introduction

IN 2010, after stepping down as Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, I contemplated writing a book on my community activism from the 1980s onwards. But before I could begin, I felt I needed some quiet time to rekindle the reading habit that I had developed during my school years. As I started to write blogs for various media outlets, I found a way to marry my activism with my lifelong hobby of reading. My early retirement from teaching, in March 2011, had also given me an opportunity to invest more time with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), and my rejuvenated interactions with young people and increased involvement with the Citizens UK community allowed me to remain connected with the dynamics and complexities of Britain's civil society.

But the horrific murder of Lee Rigby in 2013, Birmingham's 'Trojan Horse' affair and the meteoric rise of Daesh (ISIS) in 2014, and the Charlie Hebdo killings in 2015, put Muslims under further scrutiny. CUK felt the need to form a Citizens Commission on Islam, Participation and Public Life; to get to the bottom of the realities – the challenges and opportunities – of Muslim participation in wider society. Since its launch in September 2015, I have had the privilege of travelling with the Commission to many cities across the UK and to listen to Muslim and non-Muslim voices on this issue. The Commission published its Report, 'The Missing Muslims', on 3 July 2017 in Westminster Cathedral Hall.

This book is a story of my observations of contemporary British society, vis-à-vis the diverse Muslim community. It presents an intimate and revealing portrait of the challenges and struggles faced by Muslims before and during the years of the 'War on Terror'. It offers my vision of a shared future for both Britain's Muslims as well as non-Muslim communities, a template for a bold rethinking of 'the middle way' through my own personal jihad (quest and effort), and I hope will go some way to healing the widening divisions between (and within) Muslims and the rest of society. This is also, to my understanding, Islam's middle way, or treading the middle path – be it through the individual journey of life or working for the good of society as active human beings and citizens.

Here I need to say a little about some core Islamic vocabulary that is often misunderstood and misused by many, including Muslims. Due to a lack of inspirational and deeply knowledgeable religious leadership over the last few centuries, combined with political failure and socio-economic decline, the capacity of reasoning among Muslims has sadly weakened over time. As a result, many Muslims find themselves unfamiliar even with the basics of their own scripture and history; they are not clear about the proper meaning of certain religious terms that could help shape (or reshape) their life. These terms are not just words; they encapsulate the spirit and message of Islam. Rooted in classical Arabic, they were taught and exemplified by the first generations of successful Muslims who were equipped with deep knowledge and spirituality.

A striking example of how an Islamic term has lost its comprehensive sense is 'jihad' (striving or struggling) that comes from the root word jahada – meaning endeavour, exertion, effort, diligence, etc. Jihad also means a personal commitment of self-purification through pure intention, patience and a determination to achieve one's personal best. Confronting one's own weaknesses in the best possible manner is also jihad. So, any individual effort to bring good to oneself, family and community can be termed as 'jihad'. Most importantly, individual effort to continuously remain in the middle way of life is a very important jihad, as this is known to be very difficult in real life.

Jihad is also a collective effort to fight against inequality, injustice and oppression in a civil way and within the established laws of the land. On the other hand, large-scale jihad by a nation is to defend life, land and religion in a legitimate war (a morally justifiable 'just war') with established rules and ethics of engagement such as using minimum necessary force, humane treatment towards non-combatants, bringing no harm even to trees, etc. The terminology 'violent' jihad is a misnomer in Islam. Glamourized violence or terrorism can never be called a jihad, and it is a far cry from the popular understanding of jihad as a religious war! There is no question that killing innocents in the name of jihad has absolutely no place in Islam.

Because of the atrocities in New York in September 2001 ('9/11'), London in 2005 ('7/7'), and others, the debate and discussion surrounding Muslims and Islamic terms such as jihad, Shariah, caliphate, and Salafism have become banal and politicized. As the Arab and Muslim world fell behind, and the connection of ordinary Muslims with the Arabic language became weaker, these Islamic terms encapsulated deep-rooted messages that have gradually lost their original meaning. This is unfortunate and dangerous, and Muslims, via deeper scholarship and positive bridge-building, have a duty to reclaim Islam and Islamic terminology from extremists and opportunists.

By nature and upbringing, I have always tried to maintain moderation in the affairs of life. Community interest and social justice are at my heart, and since adolescence I have also been conscious of the need for a spiritual anchor in attaining personal peace and resolving human issues. I have been fortunate in having a good number of close and trusted friends who have given me honest opinions and advice when needed. I have learnt from all of them, as well as from hundreds of other friends from all backgrounds – faith or no faith – from colleagues that I have worked with, in various voluntary groups and organizations, or people that I have only met briefly.

I have always been passionate about watching young talent flourish through education and participation in civic engagement. In my childhood I learnt to give respect to my elders, thanks to the guidance of my parents and the community in the beloved village where I grew up, and I have kept this value alive in my respect for the first generation of immigrants who struggled to survive yet managed to build the infrastructure and institutions for future generations. But, I am also aware that without the involvement and dedication of the dynamic and professional younger generations in various institutions, such as mosques, our diverse communities cannot fully engage with wider society across all areas of life.

As a teacher in the classroom, a behaviour support specialist, a parenting consultant and as a community activist, I have encountered many young people who became my friends; I developed empathy with them and they showed their warmth to me. In recent years I have been working with dozens of professional young Muslim men and women who are dedicated to 'give something back to their communities'. This book aims to inspire the young and old, men and women, from Muslim communities as well people from other faith and non-faith backgrounds, to live a harmonious life by working in balanced ways for the common good.

I have endeavoured to bridge two worlds all my life: between the 'old guard' Muslim elders and the newer generations, between factions within communities as well as between ethnic and religious communities. At a time of unprecedented tensions and changes, as well as the occasional personal attacks that I have faced from hardliners from both ends, my motto has always been 'drowning hate through reason and love'. I have tried to present this vision in the form of a blueprint for 'getting on', including both social and political as well as spiritual dimensions. In this book, A Long Jihad: My Quest for the Middle Way, I have shared my own story and expanded upon the stories of my fellow Muslims. The title of the book may also remind non-Muslim readers of the Buddhist concept of the 'Middle Way', though this idea is a very well developed one in Islamic thought too, as my reflections in the succeeding pages will testify.