Muslims in the Neoliberal Empire - Tea Over Books with Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad & Dr William Barylo Cambridge Muslim College:Jan 7, 2026

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/viY0DplG2BA?si=e9siXBZ0JbCo3-qm

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad sits down with Dr William Barylo to discuss his latest book, Muslims in the Neoliberal Empire, exploring questions of community, leadership, and responsibility, with particular attention to the role of grassroots initiatives, the evolving function of mosques, and the social and ethical challenges facing Muslim communities today. The discussion also considers the impact of modern political, economic, and technological pressures, including the rise of influencer culture and emerging technologies.

Amazon Book:

https://www.amazon.com/British-Muslims-Neoliberal-Empire-Metacolonial/dp/0198924941

British Muslims in the Neoliberal Empire: Resisting, Healing, and Flourishing in the Metacolonial Era (Oxford British Muslim Studies) by William Barylo (Author).

More than twenty years after 9/11, what has changed for Muslims in the West? From the occupation of lands, the world has entered a new era: the occupation of minds. State strategies have evolved to offer a dangerous gamble to people from post-colonial diasporas: remain at the margins or silently blend-in for the sake of an illusory liberation. From power-hungry Muslim politicians in elite private clubs to politically apathetic social media influencers, multi-million-pound neo-colonial 'humanitarian' charities, Muslim far-right sympathisers, and Muslim white supremacists, this new form of colonialism - Metacolonialism - has effectively turned the oppressed into the new oppressors. Under the promise of financial stability and representation, it has effectively put God for sale at the cost of people's culture, ethics, identity, and faith.

However, in the wake of the new Roaring Twenties marked by social justice movements, Muslims in Britain have crafted creative responses inspired by their faith in order to resist, heal and flourish despite minimal resources and support. Informal and independent from institutions, they have established pioneering alternatives in the fields of mental health, community organizing, the protection of the environment, heritage, the arts, and more. Since leadership divides, they have undertaken a duty of stewardship: considering the world and humanity as one ecosystem that one needs to care for future generations. This work is both a diagnosis and a toolbook looking at the initiatives that reshape public debates and offer working ideas for building a fair and just society.

About the Author
William Barylo, Research Fellow, Sociology Department, University of Warwick

William Barylo is a Sociologist and visual artist using film and photography to explore issues around race, class, gender and belief through the perspective of decoloniality, restorative justice and stewardship. He looks at how grassroots initiatives in Europe and North America navigate societal challenges and find ways to resist, heal and flourish. Committed to diverting power from the ivory tower and developing practical solutions through his research findings, he co-creates fictions, documentaries and experimental works with community artists and activists.

Biography & Website:William Barylo : Sociologist, Photographer, Film-maker

https://williambarylo.com/