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News
On June 1st, James Fergusson's new book (part funded by the Airey Neave Trust) - Al-Britannia, My Country: A Journey Through Muslim Britain - will be published by Transworld.
In this groundbreaking book, James Fergusson travels the length of Britain to explore our often misunderstood Muslim communities, and to experience life on both sides of our increasingly segregated society.
The face of Britain is changing. The Muslim population has more than doubled over the last twenty years, and is projected to do so again over the next twenty. A societal shift of this size and speed has inevitably brought growing pains, with the impact on our communities becoming ever more profound – as well as painful, because in the eyes of many, Islam has a problem: the extremist views of a tiny minority, which, when translated into action, can result in catastrophic violence.
The danger of this extremist threat - or our response to it - is that we are collectively starting to lose faith in the cultural diversity that has glued our nation together for so long. Our tolerance of others, so often celebrated as a ‘fundamental British value,’ is at risk.
In this groundbreaking book, James Fergusson travels the length of Britain to evaluate the impact these seismic shifts have had on our communities. With the rise of nationalist movements, growing racial tensions and an increasingly out of touch political elite, what does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain? What is life like on both sides of this growing religious divide? And what can we do to heal the fractures appearing in our national fabric?
Al-Britannia, My Country is a timely and urgent account of life in Britain today, a call to action filled with real-life experience, hard truths and important suggestions for our future.
"This is an impressively sustained attempt to listen to what British Muslims are actually saying, honest, fair-minded and not uncritical. For once we are allowed to see Islamic life in Britain in its human diversity, its three-dimensional reality. A seriously necessary book." (Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury)
"A fascinating journey across the diversity of Al-Britannia. Fergusson's fresh approach yields powerful and honest insights. A must read." (Miqdaad Versi, Muslim Council of Britain)
"A highly readable and common sense dismantling of the conventional view of British Islam. His gentle, unassuming tone makes his analysis all the more powerful. His message is urgent… a hugely important book." (Peter Oborne)
"A timely book that deals with some complex and sensitive issues. Fergusson allows individuals on all sides of the argument to put their case." (Baroness Warsi)
"Fergusson sees through the curse of terrorism to reveal Muslims who – much like the rest of us – are kind, funny, confused, fearful, angry and proud to be British. His conclusion is heartening: that living better together is not only desirable, but well within our grasp." (David Anderson QC)
The Airey Neave Trust is delighted to announce the inauguration of an annual Airey Neave Memorial Book Prize (the “Neave” Prize) which is very generously being sponsored, for the next three years, by Pool Reinsurance Ltd, the Government backed terrorism reinsurance scheme.
The Neave Prize will be awarded annually to the work of non-fiction which the Judging Panel considers to have made the most significant, original, relevant, and practically valuable contribution to the understanding of terrorism (terrorists are sub-state actors who violently target non-combatants to communicate a political message to a third party’ - Louise Richardson, What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Terrorist Threat (London: John Murray, 2006), p. 38).
The first Prize will be awarded to the author[s] of a book published in the English language between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017, according to the following Terms and Conditions:
• the author[s] or publisher of the book must submit a copy of the book, either hard copy or digital, to the Administrator of the Airey Neave Trust, in formal submission of the book for the Prize competition, and they must do so by 31 July 2017;
• the book must contribute significantly to scholarly and/or other analytical understanding of counter-terrorism, the latter term interpreted as referring to the prevention or curbing of acts of terroristic violence;
• the Panel of Judges will consist of Trustees of the ANT, supported by independent experts in the field of terrorism; a team judges being appointed by the ANT for each year's competition;
• the judges’ decision on the short-listing submissions and the winner(s) is final;
• no serving member of the ANT, or Judging Panel or Pool Re, will be eligible to have one of their own books considered for the Prize;
• an author can submit more than one book in the approved publication timeline;
• the book must have a UK publisher involved;
• the submission can include books sponsored by the ANT;
• the Prize will amount to £5,000 for the winning book;
• the short-list for the Prize will consist of six books and will be announced in [September/October] following the deadline for submissions;
• the winner of the Prize will be announced in November 2017 at a formal ceremony in London thereafter. Those authors’ books which were short-listed will also be announced at this ceremony.
Quote by John Giffard, Chairman of the Airey Neave Trust:
“The relevance of these types of publications is increasing in an environment where quality journalism has been threatened by new media. The ANT and Pool Re both agree that the Neave Book prize is a way of contributing to the dissemination of timely and relevant quality information about terrorism which will contribute to greater public awareness and understanding of this complex issue.”
Quote by Julian Enoizi CEO of Pool Re:
“Pool Re is proud to sponsor the inaugural Neave Book Prize. As the principal reinsurer of UK commercial property against terrorist attack we recognise the important role that academia and private authors have in supporting the Government and industry in identifying and assessing the unprecedented terrorist threats that we face.”
Please send submissions, or if you have any questions, to the Airey Neave Trust Administrator at: aireyneavetrust@gmail.com orThe Airey Neave Trust, PO Box 111, Leominster HR6 6BP
Edward Webb, grandson of Airey Neave, became a Trustee in November 2016. He is the Chairman of Webbs Garden Centres Ltd.
Richard English is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Internationalization and Engagement at Queen's University Belfast, where he is also Professor of Politics, and Distinguished Professorial Fellow in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Between 2011 and 2016 he was Wardlaw Professor of Politics in the School of International Relations, and Director of the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of eight books, including the award-winning studies Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA (2003) and Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland (2006). His most recent book, Does Terrorism Work? A History, was published in 2016 by Oxford University Press. He is also the co-editor/editor of a further six books and has published more than fifty journal articles and book chapters. He is a frequent media commentator on terrorism and political violence, and on Irish politics and history, including work for the BBC, CNN, ITN, SKY NEWS, NPR, RTE, the Irish Times, the Times Literary Supplement, Newsweek, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. He is a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), an Honorary Fellow of Keble College Oxford, and an Honorary Professor at the University of St Andrews.
The Trust is delighted to announce that Dame Mary Richardson DBE has become a new Trustee. Dame Mary’s lifelong commitment has been to help break cycles of deprivation and to support projects for the young which provide opportunity and hope particularly to those who have little of either.
Mary took her degree and PGCE at Liverpool University and then was commissioned into the Women’s Royal Army Corps. She later married, eventually became a Headteacher for 15 years and subsequently was the founding Chief Executive of HSBC’s Global Education Trust until 2008.
She is committed to improving the life chances of looked after children and orphans globally and is President of SOS Children’s Villages.
She believes that the cadet experience provides formative and exciting opportunities for young people. She is Vice President of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets and a trustee of both the Cadet Bursary Fund and the Cadet Health Check Group.
She continues on a number of grant making trusts, is a trustee on several boards and a governor in three schools and a university. She holds several honorary doctorates and Fellowships and is a Founding Ambassador of Teach First.
Mary was awarded a DBE in 1999 for services to education. She has two adult children, both doctors, and two grandchildren