Cécile Laborde
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199550210
- eISBN:
- 9780191720857
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199550210.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union, Political Theory
Chapter 9 challenges the official republican account of civic solidarity. It first suggests that the demands of cultural integration are too burdensome on immigrants who already suffer from ...
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Chapter 9 challenges the official republican account of civic solidarity. It first suggests that the demands of cultural integration are too burdensome on immigrants who already suffer from socio-economic exclusion. It then denounces the invisible yet ubiquitous ethnicisation of social relations that is both tolerated and generated by the apparently ‘ethnic-blind’ discourse of integration. Finally, it shows that the assertion of Muslim identities in the public sphere is symptomatic either of defiant disaffiliation from the republic, or of a claim of ‘integration without assimilation’. The appropriate response in both cases is not the re-assertion of an archaic and ethnocentric model of national integration but, rather, the implementation of tougher anti-discrimination policies and the positive recognition of ethno-cultural differences in the public sphere.Less
Chapter 9 challenges the official republican account of civic solidarity. It first suggests that the demands of cultural integration are too burdensome on immigrants who already suffer from socio-economic exclusion. It then denounces the invisible yet ubiquitous ethnicisation of social relations that is both tolerated and generated by the apparently ‘ethnic-blind’ discourse of integration. Finally, it shows that the assertion of Muslim identities in the public sphere is symptomatic either of defiant disaffiliation from the republic, or of a claim of ‘integration without assimilation’. The appropriate response in both cases is not the re-assertion of an archaic and ethnocentric model of national integration but, rather, the implementation of tougher anti-discrimination policies and the positive recognition of ethno-cultural differences in the public sphere.
Sam Cherribi
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199734115
- eISBN:
- 9780199866113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199734115.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter explores the place of Islam in Europe by focusing on Muslim immigration at the very time that the void of the European Union non-identity yawned open. Perhaps as a result of that void, ...
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This chapter explores the place of Islam in Europe by focusing on Muslim immigration at the very time that the void of the European Union non-identity yawned open. Perhaps as a result of that void, Europe’s Muslim population, with its very distinct identity, became more visible than ever. With the Dutch, the French, the Germans and others feeling as though they were losing themselves, the newly emerging Muslim identity became amplified and appeared to be a greater threat than might have otherwise been the case. As Europe’s establishment became increasingly uneasy regarding what it perceived as the misplaced loyalties of immigrant communities, the status of the mosque was elevated within migrant communities.Less
This chapter explores the place of Islam in Europe by focusing on Muslim immigration at the very time that the void of the European Union non-identity yawned open. Perhaps as a result of that void, Europe’s Muslim population, with its very distinct identity, became more visible than ever. With the Dutch, the French, the Germans and others feeling as though they were losing themselves, the newly emerging Muslim identity became amplified and appeared to be a greater threat than might have otherwise been the case. As Europe’s establishment became increasingly uneasy regarding what it perceived as the misplaced loyalties of immigrant communities, the status of the mosque was elevated within migrant communities.
Zain Abdullah
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195314250
- eISBN:
- 9780199871797
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314250.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter covers relations between longtime Black residents and newly arrived West African Muslims. During their settlement, African immigrants try to reconcile their Black identity with their ...
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This chapter covers relations between longtime Black residents and newly arrived West African Muslims. During their settlement, African immigrants try to reconcile their Black identity with their Muslim identity, but relations between them and their Black counterparts are often strained. Blacks view them as scornful invaders, and Africans see American-born Blacks as incorrigible slackers. Although Harlem residents have held a positive view of Muslims over the years, the Islamic identity of Africans is disregarded in their ongoing conflict. Some Africans are embraced as role models or cultural brokers, while other Blacks see their African clothing and religious practices as an opportunity to reclaim their African heritage.Less
This chapter covers relations between longtime Black residents and newly arrived West African Muslims. During their settlement, African immigrants try to reconcile their Black identity with their Muslim identity, but relations between them and their Black counterparts are often strained. Blacks view them as scornful invaders, and Africans see American-born Blacks as incorrigible slackers. Although Harlem residents have held a positive view of Muslims over the years, the Islamic identity of Africans is disregarded in their ongoing conflict. Some Africans are embraced as role models or cultural brokers, while other Blacks see their African clothing and religious practices as an opportunity to reclaim their African heritage.
Adeline Masquelier
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195369212
- eISBN:
- 9780199871179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369212.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Islam
Against the backdrop of intensified global flows, liberalization of national politics, and deepening economic crises, a state-controlled, ostensibly monolithic Islamic tradition has evolved into ...
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Against the backdrop of intensified global flows, liberalization of national politics, and deepening economic crises, a state-controlled, ostensibly monolithic Islamic tradition has evolved into multiple modes of Muslim religiosity in Niger. Young men, as they negotiate their “youthfulness” through the adoption of distinct dress styles and practices, are often at odds with elders, who complain that youth should listen to religious sermons instead of rap music and exchange their foreign-made T-shirts and jeans for the less expensive jaba, the tunic of devout Muslims. To such admonitions, unrepentant young men generally reply that being Muslim has little to do with one’s choice of radio program or wardrobe. In exploring the generational basis of emerging disagreements about Muslim identity and what Islam is, this chapter focuses on youth as a “social shifter.”Less
Against the backdrop of intensified global flows, liberalization of national politics, and deepening economic crises, a state-controlled, ostensibly monolithic Islamic tradition has evolved into multiple modes of Muslim religiosity in Niger. Young men, as they negotiate their “youthfulness” through the adoption of distinct dress styles and practices, are often at odds with elders, who complain that youth should listen to religious sermons instead of rap music and exchange their foreign-made T-shirts and jeans for the less expensive jaba, the tunic of devout Muslims. To such admonitions, unrepentant young men generally reply that being Muslim has little to do with one’s choice of radio program or wardrobe. In exploring the generational basis of emerging disagreements about Muslim identity and what Islam is, this chapter focuses on youth as a “social shifter.”
Philip N. Howard
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199736416
- eISBN:
- 9780199866441
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199736416.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Democratization
This chapter explores the more pernicious applications of ICTs, which are used in many Muslim countries not simply for censorship but for actively managing collective identity. The first part of the ...
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This chapter explores the more pernicious applications of ICTs, which are used in many Muslim countries not simply for censorship but for actively managing collective identity. The first part of the chapter explores the ways that political culture is now produced and consumed in Muslim countries. It reviews the most recent findings about techniques for political censorship and the efforts of activists to overcome these constraints. The chapter then demonstrates how political elites have effectively used the new media to construct and manage a transnational Muslim identity for people with significantly different cultural backgrounds. Through digital technologies, social elites attempt more than news censorship and email surveillance. They work to manage particular domains of Islamic political culture and identity formation for youth.Less
This chapter explores the more pernicious applications of ICTs, which are used in many Muslim countries not simply for censorship but for actively managing collective identity. The first part of the chapter explores the ways that political culture is now produced and consumed in Muslim countries. It reviews the most recent findings about techniques for political censorship and the efforts of activists to overcome these constraints. The chapter then demonstrates how political elites have effectively used the new media to construct and manage a transnational Muslim identity for people with significantly different cultural backgrounds. Through digital technologies, social elites attempt more than news censorship and email surveillance. They work to manage particular domains of Islamic political culture and identity formation for youth.
Peter Hopkins and Richard Gale
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748625871
- eISBN:
- 9780748671335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748625871.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter investigates the intersections between politics, public space and Muslim and Arab identities, and complicates the relationships between Muslim minorities and public spheres and spaces of ...
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This chapter investigates the intersections between politics, public space and Muslim and Arab identities, and complicates the relationships between Muslim minorities and public spheres and spaces of society. School controversies are indicative of the highly problematic position of Muslim minorities in public and in the collective imagination of western nation-states. The chapter states that religious claims are important with respect to political life and public space. The clear dichotomies that frame many western perceptions of Islam are explained. For some of the interviewees, Islam is an important motivating force for activism, and some see their religious faith as closely tied to their reasons for becoming involved in community organisations and affairs. The interviewees expressed that they felt that they could not escape the fact that Arabness is culturally bound up with Islam. For them, the multiculturalism of the Arab world is a precursor to European multiculturalism.Less
This chapter investigates the intersections between politics, public space and Muslim and Arab identities, and complicates the relationships between Muslim minorities and public spheres and spaces of society. School controversies are indicative of the highly problematic position of Muslim minorities in public and in the collective imagination of western nation-states. The chapter states that religious claims are important with respect to political life and public space. The clear dichotomies that frame many western perceptions of Islam are explained. For some of the interviewees, Islam is an important motivating force for activism, and some see their religious faith as closely tied to their reasons for becoming involved in community organisations and affairs. The interviewees expressed that they felt that they could not escape the fact that Arabness is culturally bound up with Islam. For them, the multiculturalism of the Arab world is a precursor to European multiculturalism.
Peter Hopkins and Richard Gale
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748625871
- eISBN:
- 9780748671335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748625871.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter addresses the questions about the formation of identities, contemporary experiences of Islamophobia and emancipatory politics in the lives of Muslims in Britain. It specifically presents ...
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This chapter addresses the questions about the formation of identities, contemporary experiences of Islamophobia and emancipatory politics in the lives of Muslims in Britain. It specifically presents an overview of current discussions among British Muslims about Islamophobia and its relationship to their complex identities to shed further light upon this debate around ‘identity politics’. Islamophobia provokes the constitution of assertive Muslim identities in the hegemonic public sphere. Britishness is only partly constitutive of modern Muslim identities. There was a sharp bifurcation of British Muslims into loyal moderates and disloyal radicals after 9/11, but it could not be sustained to the same degree after the emergence of a large, third space for democratic dissent that British Muslims helped to shape in the run up to the Iraq war. It is noted that Islamopobia merely creates anti-Islamophobia, and that it cannot permanently define the British Muslim experience.Less
This chapter addresses the questions about the formation of identities, contemporary experiences of Islamophobia and emancipatory politics in the lives of Muslims in Britain. It specifically presents an overview of current discussions among British Muslims about Islamophobia and its relationship to their complex identities to shed further light upon this debate around ‘identity politics’. Islamophobia provokes the constitution of assertive Muslim identities in the hegemonic public sphere. Britishness is only partly constitutive of modern Muslim identities. There was a sharp bifurcation of British Muslims into loyal moderates and disloyal radicals after 9/11, but it could not be sustained to the same degree after the emergence of a large, third space for democratic dissent that British Muslims helped to shape in the run up to the Iraq war. It is noted that Islamopobia merely creates anti-Islamophobia, and that it cannot permanently define the British Muslim experience.
Nahid Afrose Kabir
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748641338
- eISBN:
- 9780748653232
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748641338.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
It is generally believed that Muslims share all aspects of Islamic culture and that they are different from the mainstream British population. However, Muslims in Britain are ethnically diverse and ...
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It is generally believed that Muslims share all aspects of Islamic culture and that they are different from the mainstream British population. However, Muslims in Britain are ethnically diverse and heterogeneous in skin colour, language and culture. The only element they have in common is their religion. However, most Muslims feel a strong connection and association with the broader Islamic community (ummah) and have a constant desire for greater Islamic political unity within the ‘Abode of Islam’ (dar-al-Islam. The core of unity among Muslims is the Quran, the word of Allah. While the interpretation of the word of Allah differs across various Muslim groups, the Quran nevertheless provides the same message for all Muslims. This chapter examines identity theory and applies this theory towards an understanding of Muslim identity. It considers whether ‘Britishness’ has any impact on or conflict with the Muslim identity. It also examines the Scottish identity question as well as the debate on ‘Muslim identity’ raised by Channel 4. Before concluding with an overview of the research methodology used in this chapter, it investigates the geopolitical factors that could have an implication on British Muslim's identity.Less
It is generally believed that Muslims share all aspects of Islamic culture and that they are different from the mainstream British population. However, Muslims in Britain are ethnically diverse and heterogeneous in skin colour, language and culture. The only element they have in common is their religion. However, most Muslims feel a strong connection and association with the broader Islamic community (ummah) and have a constant desire for greater Islamic political unity within the ‘Abode of Islam’ (dar-al-Islam. The core of unity among Muslims is the Quran, the word of Allah. While the interpretation of the word of Allah differs across various Muslim groups, the Quran nevertheless provides the same message for all Muslims. This chapter examines identity theory and applies this theory towards an understanding of Muslim identity. It considers whether ‘Britishness’ has any impact on or conflict with the Muslim identity. It also examines the Scottish identity question as well as the debate on ‘Muslim identity’ raised by Channel 4. Before concluding with an overview of the research methodology used in this chapter, it investigates the geopolitical factors that could have an implication on British Muslim's identity.
Philip N. Howard
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199736416
- eISBN:
- 9780199866441
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199736416.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Democratization
Around the developing world, political leaders face a dilemma: the very information and communication technologies that boost economic fortunes also undermine power structures. Globally, one in ten ...
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Around the developing world, political leaders face a dilemma: the very information and communication technologies that boost economic fortunes also undermine power structures. Globally, one in ten internet users is a Muslim living in a populous Muslim community. In these countries, young people are developing their political identities—including a transnational Muslim identity—online. In countries where political parties are illegal, the internet is the only infrastructure for democratic discourse. In others, digital technologies such as mobile phones and the internet have given key actors an information infrastructure that is independent of the state. And in countries with large Muslim communities, mobile phones and the internet are helping civil society build systems of political communication independent of the state and beyond easy manipulation by cultural or religious elites. This book looks at the role that communications technologies play in advancing democratic transitions in Muslim countries. As such, its central question is whether technology holds the potential to substantially enhance democracy. Certainly, no democratic transition has occurred solely because of the internet. But, as the book argues, no democratic transition can occur today without the internet. According to this book, the major (and perhaps only meaningful) forum for civic debate in most Muslim countries today is online. Activists both within diasporic communities and within authoritarian states—including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan—are the drivers of this debate, which centers around issues such as the interpretation of Islamic texts, gender roles, and security issues. Drawing upon material from interviews with telecommunications policy makers and activists in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Tajikistan, and Tanzania and a comparative study of seventy-four countries with large Muslim populations, this book demonstrates that these forums have been the means to organize activist movements that have lead to successful democratic insurgencies.Less
Around the developing world, political leaders face a dilemma: the very information and communication technologies that boost economic fortunes also undermine power structures. Globally, one in ten internet users is a Muslim living in a populous Muslim community. In these countries, young people are developing their political identities—including a transnational Muslim identity—online. In countries where political parties are illegal, the internet is the only infrastructure for democratic discourse. In others, digital technologies such as mobile phones and the internet have given key actors an information infrastructure that is independent of the state. And in countries with large Muslim communities, mobile phones and the internet are helping civil society build systems of political communication independent of the state and beyond easy manipulation by cultural or religious elites. This book looks at the role that communications technologies play in advancing democratic transitions in Muslim countries. As such, its central question is whether technology holds the potential to substantially enhance democracy. Certainly, no democratic transition has occurred solely because of the internet. But, as the book argues, no democratic transition can occur today without the internet. According to this book, the major (and perhaps only meaningful) forum for civic debate in most Muslim countries today is online. Activists both within diasporic communities and within authoritarian states—including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan—are the drivers of this debate, which centers around issues such as the interpretation of Islamic texts, gender roles, and security issues. Drawing upon material from interviews with telecommunications policy makers and activists in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Tajikistan, and Tanzania and a comparative study of seventy-four countries with large Muslim populations, this book demonstrates that these forums have been the means to organize activist movements that have lead to successful democratic insurgencies.
Nahid Afrose Kabir
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748641338
- eISBN:
- 9780748653232
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748641338.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
British national identity or ‘Britishness’ has been defined as possessing fluent English skills, loyalty to Britain, integration with the wider community, belief in democracy, acceptance of equal ...
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British national identity or ‘Britishness’ has been defined as possessing fluent English skills, loyalty to Britain, integration with the wider community, belief in democracy, acceptance of equal treatment for all and respect for the country and shared heritage. For immigrants, it takes generations before they are admitted to the inner circle of the ‘nation’ and its historic culture through the national agencies of mass mobilisation. In the 2000 Parekh report, it has been noted that British society is marked by insidious racism and by the notion that Englishness and Britishness is akin to the notion of ‘Whiteness’. This chapter demonstrates the pattern of two hundred sixteen participant's response to their national identity. The chapter also assesses factors that have determined their diverse identities. The rationale behind the respondent's choice of distinct identity (national, ethnic or religious identity) is discussed as well. Final discussion centres on whether British national sports have a positive impact on Muslim's national identity.Less
British national identity or ‘Britishness’ has been defined as possessing fluent English skills, loyalty to Britain, integration with the wider community, belief in democracy, acceptance of equal treatment for all and respect for the country and shared heritage. For immigrants, it takes generations before they are admitted to the inner circle of the ‘nation’ and its historic culture through the national agencies of mass mobilisation. In the 2000 Parekh report, it has been noted that British society is marked by insidious racism and by the notion that Englishness and Britishness is akin to the notion of ‘Whiteness’. This chapter demonstrates the pattern of two hundred sixteen participant's response to their national identity. The chapter also assesses factors that have determined their diverse identities. The rationale behind the respondent's choice of distinct identity (national, ethnic or religious identity) is discussed as well. Final discussion centres on whether British national sports have a positive impact on Muslim's national identity.
Thomas M. McKenna
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520210158
- eISBN:
- 9780520919648
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520210158.003.0012
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter discusses theoretical issues surrounding the politics of heritage, and analyzes them in light of the various configurations of culture and power evidenced in Cotabato from the ...
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This chapter discusses theoretical issues surrounding the politics of heritage, and analyzes them in light of the various configurations of culture and power evidenced in Cotabato from the precolonial period to the present. It considers how power in Muslim Cotabato has been both enunciated by rulers and questioned by those subjected to it, and discusses the problems concerning the nature of traditional Islamic rule in Cotabato and the derivation and prevalence of a transcendent Philippine Muslim identity. The chapter also proposes an alternative approach for analyzing ordinary and extraordinary resistance based on a radically reformulated notion of hegemony as public accommodation of power.Less
This chapter discusses theoretical issues surrounding the politics of heritage, and analyzes them in light of the various configurations of culture and power evidenced in Cotabato from the precolonial period to the present. It considers how power in Muslim Cotabato has been both enunciated by rulers and questioned by those subjected to it, and discusses the problems concerning the nature of traditional Islamic rule in Cotabato and the derivation and prevalence of a transcendent Philippine Muslim identity. The chapter also proposes an alternative approach for analyzing ordinary and extraordinary resistance based on a radically reformulated notion of hegemony as public accommodation of power.
Ghada Osman
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823226474
- eISBN:
- 9780823236640
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823226474.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter presents a comparison between the Muslim minority community in 7th-century Mecca and the Muslim minority community in the United States, which brings to light ...
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This chapter presents a comparison between the Muslim minority community in 7th-century Mecca and the Muslim minority community in the United States, which brings to light some useful social elements that can serve as a helpful guide to American Muslim identity and behavior today. It identifies three significant points of comparison between the community of Mecca and that of the United States: the composition of the Muslim community, its relations with the majority, and its methods of coping with and promoting its identity as a minority. The chapter shows that amid American Muslims' appreciation for freedom of speech, and the American values of honesty and hard work, lies their dislike of what they regard as the social disintegration of the family, the community, and the society as a whole. Such a tension is very similar to that of the Meccan Muslim community, which on the one hand was against the rampant materialism and social decline of the society, but on the other hand benefited strongly from the city's position as a trade and religious center, both with regard to economic prosperity as well as the opportunity to interact with groups from around the peninsula.Less
This chapter presents a comparison between the Muslim minority community in 7th-century Mecca and the Muslim minority community in the United States, which brings to light some useful social elements that can serve as a helpful guide to American Muslim identity and behavior today. It identifies three significant points of comparison between the community of Mecca and that of the United States: the composition of the Muslim community, its relations with the majority, and its methods of coping with and promoting its identity as a minority. The chapter shows that amid American Muslims' appreciation for freedom of speech, and the American values of honesty and hard work, lies their dislike of what they regard as the social disintegration of the family, the community, and the society as a whole. Such a tension is very similar to that of the Meccan Muslim community, which on the one hand was against the rampant materialism and social decline of the society, but on the other hand benefited strongly from the city's position as a trade and religious center, both with regard to economic prosperity as well as the opportunity to interact with groups from around the peninsula.
Jerusa Ali
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813060132
- eISBN:
- 9780813050584
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813060132.003.0009
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
This chapter explores the historical, cultural, and religious dimensions of Muslimah identity in the Bahamas and Brazil. Muslimahs (Muslim women) are constituted within a changing network of power ...
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This chapter explores the historical, cultural, and religious dimensions of Muslimah identity in the Bahamas and Brazil. Muslimahs (Muslim women) are constituted within a changing network of power relations including the ideological practices of Islam and the social construction of the ideal Muslimahs. Jerusa Ali presents an overview of the histories and contexts of the growth of Islam and the presence of Muslims in the Bahamas and Brazil from the colonial period to the present day. Narratives of Muslim minority women and an analysis of their struggles for identity and belonging are offered. Ali draws from interviews conducted with Muslim women from Nassau, New Providence, the Bahamas, and São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil. Islam presents as a cultural marker and a boundary to local cultural cohesiveness and, as a world view, it provides the foundation of Muslimah identity and belonging.Less
This chapter explores the historical, cultural, and religious dimensions of Muslimah identity in the Bahamas and Brazil. Muslimahs (Muslim women) are constituted within a changing network of power relations including the ideological practices of Islam and the social construction of the ideal Muslimahs. Jerusa Ali presents an overview of the histories and contexts of the growth of Islam and the presence of Muslims in the Bahamas and Brazil from the colonial period to the present day. Narratives of Muslim minority women and an analysis of their struggles for identity and belonging are offered. Ali draws from interviews conducted with Muslim women from Nassau, New Providence, the Bahamas, and São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil. Islam presents as a cultural marker and a boundary to local cultural cohesiveness and, as a world view, it provides the foundation of Muslimah identity and belonging.
Peter Hopkins and Richard Gale
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748625871
- eISBN:
- 9780748671335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748625871.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter presents an argument that Muslim identities are increasingly standardised and homogenised in the global postmodern requires significant qualification. In underscoring the significance of ...
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This chapter presents an argument that Muslim identities are increasingly standardised and homogenised in the global postmodern requires significant qualification. In underscoring the significance of ‘being there’, pilgrims strengthened the idea of the holy places as a spiritual homeland and ‘one of the primal scenes of Islam’. The sacrifice of 'id al-'adha, sometimes known as 'id al-kabir (the ‘big’ festival), is the normative culmination of the Hajj. The increasing mobility and prosperity linked with international migration has meant that pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah has become more affordable, convenient and democratised for Pakistanis in Britain than it was for their ancestors. British Pakistanis report pilgrimage not only as an emotional and testing personal journey from sinfulness to purification but also as a collective return to the mythic homeland of the umma and, ultimately, all monotheistic humanity.Less
This chapter presents an argument that Muslim identities are increasingly standardised and homogenised in the global postmodern requires significant qualification. In underscoring the significance of ‘being there’, pilgrims strengthened the idea of the holy places as a spiritual homeland and ‘one of the primal scenes of Islam’. The sacrifice of 'id al-'adha, sometimes known as 'id al-kabir (the ‘big’ festival), is the normative culmination of the Hajj. The increasing mobility and prosperity linked with international migration has meant that pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah has become more affordable, convenient and democratised for Pakistanis in Britain than it was for their ancestors. British Pakistanis report pilgrimage not only as an emotional and testing personal journey from sinfulness to purification but also as a collective return to the mythic homeland of the umma and, ultimately, all monotheistic humanity.
Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198098942
- eISBN:
- 9780199083039
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198098942.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, Indian History
In this chapter the consequences of the tendencies towards social fission which we look at in the previous chapter are investigated in detail. The emergence of Muslim identity consciousness is traced ...
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In this chapter the consequences of the tendencies towards social fission which we look at in the previous chapter are investigated in detail. The emergence of Muslim identity consciousness is traced in Bengali Muslim newspapers and magazines. The childhood experience recorded in the autobiographies of Muslims is also examined to look at the origins of a deep-seated communal consciousness. Text books and historical works were also a site of contestation due to communal bias in those books. The spread of higher education and the growth of a new Muslim middle class are surveyed in this chapter. Finally the impact of inter-community conflict on Bengali language is also examined. This chapter aims to show that the roots of communalism are in cultural and social practices, not so much in political parties.Less
In this chapter the consequences of the tendencies towards social fission which we look at in the previous chapter are investigated in detail. The emergence of Muslim identity consciousness is traced in Bengali Muslim newspapers and magazines. The childhood experience recorded in the autobiographies of Muslims is also examined to look at the origins of a deep-seated communal consciousness. Text books and historical works were also a site of contestation due to communal bias in those books. The spread of higher education and the growth of a new Muslim middle class are surveyed in this chapter. Finally the impact of inter-community conflict on Bengali language is also examined. This chapter aims to show that the roots of communalism are in cultural and social practices, not so much in political parties.
David Cheesman and Nazia Khanum
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847420305
- eISBN:
- 9781447302285
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847420305.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
The current controversies on faith in the public realm have been stirred by historical and contemporary events and developments relating specifically to Islam and the perceptions of and by Muslim ...
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The current controversies on faith in the public realm have been stirred by historical and contemporary events and developments relating specifically to Islam and the perceptions of and by Muslim people in the UK and worldwide. This chapter offers the perspectives of two Muslim authors on the Muslim experience in the cultural context of Britain where public faith is often met with hostility and unease. It specifically explores the concept of soft segregation in Muslim communities and argues that two features of the contemporary British culture hinder the development of a society fully inclusive of Muslims. These two features which impede the development of mutual understanding are: firstly, the suspicion of Islam and, secondly, the suspicion of public expressions of religious faith. This chapter begins by providing a brief profile of Muslims in Britain. It then proceeds by discussing Muslim identities and concludes by discussing secularism to which the Muslims are trying to adjust.Less
The current controversies on faith in the public realm have been stirred by historical and contemporary events and developments relating specifically to Islam and the perceptions of and by Muslim people in the UK and worldwide. This chapter offers the perspectives of two Muslim authors on the Muslim experience in the cultural context of Britain where public faith is often met with hostility and unease. It specifically explores the concept of soft segregation in Muslim communities and argues that two features of the contemporary British culture hinder the development of a society fully inclusive of Muslims. These two features which impede the development of mutual understanding are: firstly, the suspicion of Islam and, secondly, the suspicion of public expressions of religious faith. This chapter begins by providing a brief profile of Muslims in Britain. It then proceeds by discussing Muslim identities and concludes by discussing secularism to which the Muslims are trying to adjust.
Thomas M. McKenna
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520210158
- eISBN:
- 9780520919648
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520210158.003.0006
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
This chapter focuses on the incorporation of the Cotabato sultanates into the Philippines colonial state. It argues that the origins of Muslim nationalism are to be found not in the anti-Spanish ...
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This chapter focuses on the incorporation of the Cotabato sultanates into the Philippines colonial state. It argues that the origins of Muslim nationalism are to be found not in the anti-Spanish struggle, but in the practices of American colonialism. The chapter examines the depictions of Cotabato datus as both colonial subjects and rulers, and describes the complex power relations of colonial Cotabato and the construction of a transcendent Philippines Muslim identity during the colonial period.Less
This chapter focuses on the incorporation of the Cotabato sultanates into the Philippines colonial state. It argues that the origins of Muslim nationalism are to be found not in the anti-Spanish struggle, but in the practices of American colonialism. The chapter examines the depictions of Cotabato datus as both colonial subjects and rulers, and describes the complex power relations of colonial Cotabato and the construction of a transcendent Philippines Muslim identity during the colonial period.
Nahid A Kabir
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748641338
- eISBN:
- 9780748653232
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748641338.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
In Britain's highly politicised social climate in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings, this book provides an in-depth understanding of British Muslim identity through social constructs — ...
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In Britain's highly politicised social climate in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings, this book provides an in-depth understanding of British Muslim identity through social constructs — migration history, family settlement, socio-economic status, religion and culture, and the wider societal environment. Extensive research on young Muslims' identity in Australia and the UK has been carried out. Ethnographic fieldwork in the form of in-depth, semi-structured interviews of over 200 young Muslims in five British cities — London, Leicester, Bradford, Leeds and Cardiff has been undertaken. The careful analysis of interview responses offers insights into the hopes and aspirations of British Muslims from remarkably diverse ethnicities — Algerian, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Kenyan, Lebanese, Libyan, Malawi, Mauritian, Moroccan, Nigerian, Pakistani, Palestinian, Singaporean, Somali, Sudanese, Syrian, Ugandan, Yemeni, and English, Danish and Scottish converts. By emphasising the importance of biculturalism, the book conveys a realistic and hopeful vision for their successful integration into British society.Less
In Britain's highly politicised social climate in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings, this book provides an in-depth understanding of British Muslim identity through social constructs — migration history, family settlement, socio-economic status, religion and culture, and the wider societal environment. Extensive research on young Muslims' identity in Australia and the UK has been carried out. Ethnographic fieldwork in the form of in-depth, semi-structured interviews of over 200 young Muslims in five British cities — London, Leicester, Bradford, Leeds and Cardiff has been undertaken. The careful analysis of interview responses offers insights into the hopes and aspirations of British Muslims from remarkably diverse ethnicities — Algerian, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Kenyan, Lebanese, Libyan, Malawi, Mauritian, Moroccan, Nigerian, Pakistani, Palestinian, Singaporean, Somali, Sudanese, Syrian, Ugandan, Yemeni, and English, Danish and Scottish converts. By emphasising the importance of biculturalism, the book conveys a realistic and hopeful vision for their successful integration into British society.
Sadia Abbas
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780823257850
- eISBN:
- 9780823261604
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823257850.003.0005
- Subject:
- Literature, World Literature
This chapter examines the impact of linking injury, blasphemy, religious pain, and Muslim identity together. It considers two academic representations of the varieties of Muslim hurt. One is a ...
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This chapter examines the impact of linking injury, blasphemy, religious pain, and Muslim identity together. It considers two academic representations of the varieties of Muslim hurt. One is a consideration of Muslim responses to the Rushdie affair and another to the controversy surrounding the Danish cartoons. Both are concerned with the specificity of Muslim pain in response to insults to the Prophet of Islam.Less
This chapter examines the impact of linking injury, blasphemy, religious pain, and Muslim identity together. It considers two academic representations of the varieties of Muslim hurt. One is a consideration of Muslim responses to the Rushdie affair and another to the controversy surrounding the Danish cartoons. Both are concerned with the specificity of Muslim pain in response to insults to the Prophet of Islam.
Mari-Sol García Somoza and Mayra Soledad Valcarcel
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781447336358
- eISBN:
- 9781447336396
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447336358.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter looks at the discourses, practices, identity constructions, performance, and modes of socialization among Muslim women in contemporary Argentinean society. The main aim is to understand ...
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This chapter looks at the discourses, practices, identity constructions, performance, and modes of socialization among Muslim women in contemporary Argentinean society. The main aim is to understand and explain the process of identity building among women professing Islam in Argentina by analysing the ways they articulate and reconstruct their different loci of identity belongings — sex/gender, as well as Arab, Argentinean, and Muslim identities. The chapter delves into the specific modes of religious identity building in Muslim women through the development of careers, enabling comparisons to be drawn between the religious careers of women occupying different positions in the social field. It also describe how Muslim women experience and externalize their religiosity and religious identity, while paying attention to the different types of female agency and the relation they establish between their reinterpretation of Islamic principles.Less
This chapter looks at the discourses, practices, identity constructions, performance, and modes of socialization among Muslim women in contemporary Argentinean society. The main aim is to understand and explain the process of identity building among women professing Islam in Argentina by analysing the ways they articulate and reconstruct their different loci of identity belongings — sex/gender, as well as Arab, Argentinean, and Muslim identities. The chapter delves into the specific modes of religious identity building in Muslim women through the development of careers, enabling comparisons to be drawn between the religious careers of women occupying different positions in the social field. It also describe how Muslim women experience and externalize their religiosity and religious identity, while paying attention to the different types of female agency and the relation they establish between their reinterpretation of Islamic principles.
