Friendships in the Square

M A Sherif
Paperback, 500 pages
9789672795353

Muslim Activism in Historic London 1880s to the 1940s

Much has changed in London from Victorian times, but some features have also remained the same: the hustle and bustle, the greenery of its tree-lined parks and squares, the cosmopolitanism with opportunities for friendship and collaboration. There has likewise been an enduring Muslim presence, with individuals of courage and organising ability who have taken up causes, founded institutions for the public good, and inspired others to similar service. This was often against the tide of British colonial policies in days of Empire, but they persisted in the face of surveillance and upper class snobbery. Friendships in the Square is a collection of biographical essays interleaved with institutional histories of networks and associations. There are accounts of human foibles and heroic endeavours, of support from Englishmen of goodwill, of organisational collaborations and dissensions, and cloak-and-dagger episodes in which sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. The Muslim story is embedded within London’s story.