Abstract

An estimated 75,000 Iranians emigrated to Britain after the 1979 revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic. They are politically, religiously, socio-economically and ethnically heterogeneous, and have found themselves in the ongoing process of settlement. The aim of this book is to explore facets of this process by examining the ways in which religious traditions and practices have been maintained, negotiated and rejected by Iranians from Muslim backgrounds and how they have served as identity-building vehicles during the course of migration, in relation to the political, economic, and social situation in Iran and Britain. While the ethnographic focus is on Iranians, this book touches on more general questions associated with the process of migration, transnational societies, Diasporas, and religious as well as ethnic minorities.

Kathryn Spellman received her MSc. and Ph.D. in Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck College, University of London, where she is currently an Honorary Research Fellow. She is a lecturer of sociology at Huron International University in London and Syracuse University (London Campus). Kathryn is also a Visiting Research Fellow in the Centre of Migration Studies Department at the University of Sussex.

“Spellman's Religion and Nation does bring to light a vibrant community that, due to its small size and peaceful demeanor, often goes unmentioned when discussions of British immigrant populations arise. Her detailed accounts of the religious practices of Iranians in London provide an overview of an immigrant community trying to adapt and reconcile the former identities and practices of its members to their new home. Spellman's is a study that has demystified the religious lives of British Iranians, placing religious change into a transnational context.” • H-Net Reviews

“Given the lack of information about this population in the Westrn world, the focused materials presented in this book help build a better information base on the diverse practices and beliefs of Iranian outside their homeland.” • Choice

“[This] first full-length study of the Iranian Muslim diaspora in Britain… enhances our empirical and theoretical understanding.” • The Muslim World Book Review