Morris’s 2010 movie is based on three years of research and was made in response to the 2005 London bombings in which 56 people, including four attackers, died. It remains relevant for those struggling to understand the mindsets of the British (and Australian) born Muslims who are prepared to kill and die in support of organisations such as al-Qa’ida and Islamic State.
There is good reason, then, to hope Australian comedians John Safran and Pakistan-born Sami Shah may be able to provide similar insights (not to mention entertainment) in their new books. This is particularly the case since, unlike Morris, Safran and Shah bring relevant life experience to the topics of religious extremism and racism: Safran as the self-styled “Jew detective” and former host of John Safran vs God and Shah as a journalist who has witnessed the devastating aftermath of suicide attacks in Pakistan.
Palestinian-Australian journalist and screenwriter Amal Awad also draws on her personal background in Beyond Veiled Cliches, an engaging blend of memoir, travelogue and interviews exploring the lives of Arab women in Australia and the Middle East.
Read the review of the work in The Australian of three writers by Shakira Hussein, who is an honorary research fellow at the University of Melbourne and author of From Victims to Suspects: Muslim Women since 9/11.
Depends What You Mean By Extremist: Going Rogue with Australian Deplorables
By John Safran (Hamish Hamilton, 287pp, $34.99)
The Islamic Republic of Australia: Muslims Down Under, From Hijabs to Jihad and Everything in Between
By Sami Shah (ABC Books, 274pp, $32.99)
Beyond Veiled Cliches: The Real Lives of Arab Women
By Amal Awad (Vintage, 289pp, $34.99)