Cover 3

Enemy of the State

Enemy of the State

Ratings1

Average rating3

15

3 stars for the authentic illustration of the challenges of Muslim integration in an English town, from the perspective of a white English football hooligan.

I started the book empathizing with some of Tommy's problems, I ended the book disappointed with the road he's chosen, his intolerant views, and the tactless way he's continuing to conduct himself.

Tommy holds all Muslims responsible for radical Islam and crimes, rather than only those engaging in criminal behavior. This intolerant viewpoint towards all Muslims escalates anger and division within his community, which he's seemingly oblivious to and takes no blame for.

He illustrates a number of valid problems and concerns in the book, but he has difficulty getting these points across as they're delegitimized by his overly-simplistic, hardcore Islamophobic worldviews.

Despite that, I still recommend this book. His writing style isn't great, it's very one-sided, he's frustratingly whiney, but it's authentic, and offers lots of first-hand insights into the causes of religious division in England and Europe.

January 19, 2020Report this review