Ali Abdul v The King: Muslim stories from the dark days of White Australia

Hanifa Deen

Award winning author Hanifa Deen enters the wonderful world of the archives and discovers a tribe of men with a hidden history – the ‘Ghans’, cameleers, ‘sepoys’, hawkers, herbalists, and pearl divers, known collectively as ‘Mohammedans’ in early Australian history.

Mahomet Allum, wonder herbalist and ladies’ man, bush battler Ali Abdul, the feisty Afghan Rock men, and Sam the republican pearl diver, are some of Deen’s ‘men from the archives’.

Unwelcome and a threat to Australian workers, these are the dark strangers in the days of the White Australia Policy.

Ali Abdul v The King combines storytelling with factual history as Deen takes us back into Australia’s past.

Praise for Ali Abdul v The King:

Ali Abdul opens strongly, with a powerful tale of prejudice and false justice…and this book shows not only racism but Muslims' attempts to accommodate Australian life and flourish, despite the forces that tried to thwart them.

OWEN RICHARDSON, THE SATURDAY AGE

 

The gift and spirit of justice shine through this rewarding collection of narratives about the cameleers, ‘sepoys’, herbalists, hawkers, shopkeepers and pearl divers collectively known as ‘Mohammedans’ in early Australian history.

GILLIAN BRAMLEY-MOORE, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Book details

PUBLICATION DATE: 2011
FORMAT: Paperback
EXTENT: 168 pages
SIZE: 235 x 155 mm
ISBN: 9781742582580
RIGHTS: Australia and New Zealand
CATEGORY: Biography and Autobiography, Book Club Books, General Non-fiction, Hanifa Deen,