Translating Salafism into English: Anglo–Salafi Print Culture in Britain

Salafism is a contemporary Sunni Muslim reformist movement which is widely associated with Saudi Arabia although its non–Saudi adherents exist across the world. This thesis examines a previously understudied phenomenon related to the movement’s widespread visibility in the Anglosphere: Anglo–Salafi print culture. More specifically, its aim is to account for the widespread availability of English–language Salafi print material in contemporary Britain. Following 9/11, a number of academics, journalists, politicians and security experts misinterpreted this type of material as proof of Saudi Arabia’s petrodollar–fuelled “Wahhabi” agenda in Western countries. Given the heightened sensitivities surrounding Islamic extremism in the West, observers warned that Saudi state actors were funding religious intolerance in places like Britain partly through texts. This thesis counters this narrative by retelling the history of Anglo–Salafi print culture in Britain before and after 9/11. It draws on a large body of Anglo–Salafi publications found in British Islamic bookstores, mosques, institutes and online spaces as well as over 50 interviews with Salafi leaders, publishers, booksellers and readers. It argues that the majority of Anglo–Salafi publications found in Britain, particularly in the commercial sphere, are the products of Salafis born or based in Britain working in tandem with like–minded, non–governmental and transnational networks of Salafis equally invested in translating Salafism into English. Collectively, these actors harness print at their own expense in order to assert their religious convictions and challenge rival Islamic trends (including Jihadis). The Saudi government, on the other hand, has funded numerous Salafi and non–Salafi British mosques, sponsored British Muslims studying in its Islamic universities and subsidised Islamic literature which is distributed through its affiliated networks in Britain. These instances, however, are largely limited in impact and often mediated by locals for their own communal benefit. This thesis contributes to our understanding of Salafism in Britain by situating the emergence of Anglo–Islamic literature to the mid–nineteen century and demonstrating that Anglo–Salafi print culture is part of a wider trend of Muslims communicating Islam in the English language to audiences in the Anglosphere. It charts the story of Salafism in Britain throughout the decades, following World War II and leading up to 2020, underscoring the efforts of local actors in constructing Salafism in the English language and how the context of post–war Britain has impacted the way in which they engage with the past in the present through translation. Furthermore, it addresses a number of hitherto unanswered questions, unchecked claims, stereotypes and oversimplifications related to Salafism in Britain and its connection to Saudi Arabia which continue to influence or echo related discussions, academic studies, media and think–tank reports despite there being a lack of hard evidence.

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