Abdullah Quilliam’s International Influence

News concerning Abdullah Quilliam and his establishment of a community of British converts to Islam in Liverpool quickly spread across the world. This chapter agues that, as a well-placed convert in the heart of the British Empire, Quilliam symbolized many things to Muslim communities worldwide. Correspondingly, each group of Muslims perceived him in whatever light they needed to see him. The American converts to Islam saw a model, a mentor, and a mediator. For Muslims in the British Empire, particularly Africa, Quilliam provided a morale boost, a legitimatization for holding on to their religion and culture in the face of colonialism. Muslims outside of the British Empire considered Quilliam an agent for the spread of Islam in the West. This chapter discusses Quilliam’s relationship with these communities, focusing on American and West African Muslims.