Book review of the political appropriation of the Muslim body: islamophobia, counter-terrorism law and gender

The on a vital aspect of any terrorism and counterterrorism debate: the representation, use, and further appropriation of the Muslim body. The author concentrates on the question of the Muslim female body, investigating and dissecting the ways Muslim women have been portrayed in books, art, and the media. She does not shy away from discussing challenging cases, such as the cases of Shamima Begum and the child AB in the UK, to emphasise the lack of evidence when cases like these make the headlines. The case of Shamima Begum, a 15-year-old teenager who left the UK to join ISIS, is an illustration of the British government’s inaction and disregard towards Muslim women in difficult situations, especially if they face hardship on foreign soil. The story of the child AB , a white British child, who was allegedly placed into foster care provided by a Muslim woman, turned out to be fake. However, it showed that the media can be eager to skip factchecking when a “scandalous” story involving Muslims appears on the horizon. out a of how cases involving Muslim women presented by the and condemning the official response by the UK government, together the influences of the War on Terror (WOT), the hate against Muslims, and the failures of UK authorities to recognise and help Muslim women, as the case of Shamima Begum clearly shows. The will be of particular interest to scholars and practitioners who want to understand the representation of Muslim women historically and in contemporary media, and how narratives the Muslim are and shaped.