An unflinching examination of the state violence that created and indelibly tied together the fates of homegrown radical and moderate Muslims in the post-9/11 era

In the shadow of 9/11, Canada saw the emergence of the figure of the homegrown radical Muslim, raising fears and worries about the possibility of an enemy capable of harming and destabilizing the nation. In contrast stood the moderate Muslim, who represented the possibility of unity despite religious and racial differences.

Homegrown Radicals brings these two figures together in uneasy tension, exploring the radicalization of three Muslim students from the Canadian Prairies and tracing North American Muslims’ general sense of affective injury over the loss of Muslim life in military campaigns overseas.

Lifting the veil from the experiences of Canadian Muslims during the War on Terror, this book examines the violence that produced a new discourse of jihad, legitimated state surveillance, and sanctioned Islamophobia. It is an effort to understand the forms of empathy and solidarity that North American Muslims had to offer in creating a different and kinder world—if only the state had listened.

Youcef Soufi is a Researcher in Islamophobia with the Centre for Human Rights Research at the University of Manitoba and former Chair of the Canadian Association for the Study of Islam and Muslims. He is an expert in the history of Islamic law and author of The Rise of Critical Islam: 10th–13th Century Legal Debate.

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“A social scientist examines the lives of three Canadian Muslims who left their prairie homes to join the jihad...a narrative with plenty of human interest.”—Kirkus Reviews
"Political thriller meets sharp political analysis, deep historical exploration, empathetic storytelling, nuanced engagement with Islamic legal and intellectual traditions, and touching memoir, all in one engaging and profound book. It has changed my own thinking and research already."—Juliane Hammer, author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence

"A searing, personal, and nuanced critique of the concept of 'radicalization,' showing how its proponents fail to understand political violence. Using theology, history, legal theory, and a close look at his own Canadian Muslim community, Soufi paints a devastating picture of 'national security' policymaking in the twenty-first century. Homegrown Radicals convincingly shows how pseudo-scientific 'counter-terrorism' programs feed directly into long standing racist stereotypes, providing the foundation of a wide range of deeply damaging state policies, from surveillance to war. . . . Shows how it remains possible for people to have their lives needlessly upended because of guilt-by-association due to anti-Muslim racism."—Erik Love, author of Islamophobia and Racism in America

“Dr. Soufi’s book is a must read for everyone who wants to understand the consequences of the so-called ‘War on Terror.’ It is honest, courageous, well researched, and most of all, very personal.” —Monia Mazigh