Asef Bayat and Linda Herrera
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195369212
- eISBN:
- 9780199871179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369212.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Islam
Muslim youth have assumed a central, if complex, place in the politics and cultures and politics of the global South and North. Their cultural behavior can be understood as representing a new arena ...
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Muslim youth have assumed a central, if complex, place in the politics and cultures and politics of the global South and North. Their cultural behavior can be understood as representing a new arena of contestation for power in a global era. In conventional wisdom, a combination of youth bulge, unemployment, marginality, and a general sentiment of deprivation has given Muslim youth an exceptional status. This chapter shows that although the majority of young Muslims share many common social, political, and economic misfortunes, they respond to their situations and express their youthfulness through remarkably diverse ways. Although groups of them have been drawn into radical Islam, others have embraced their religion more as an identity marker or lifestyle choice, whereas still others opt for secularism. Far from being “exceptional,” young Muslims in reality have as much in common with their non-Muslim global generational counterparts as they share among themselves. They are simultaneously objects, agents and victims on a world stage and are engaged in constant negotiation between being Muslim, modern, and young.Less
Muslim youth have assumed a central, if complex, place in the politics and cultures and politics of the global South and North. Their cultural behavior can be understood as representing a new arena of contestation for power in a global era. In conventional wisdom, a combination of youth bulge, unemployment, marginality, and a general sentiment of deprivation has given Muslim youth an exceptional status. This chapter shows that although the majority of young Muslims share many common social, political, and economic misfortunes, they respond to their situations and express their youthfulness through remarkably diverse ways. Although groups of them have been drawn into radical Islam, others have embraced their religion more as an identity marker or lifestyle choice, whereas still others opt for secularism. Far from being “exceptional,” young Muslims in reality have as much in common with their non-Muslim global generational counterparts as they share among themselves. They are simultaneously objects, agents and victims on a world stage and are engaged in constant negotiation between being Muslim, modern, and young.
Esra Özyürek
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691162782
- eISBN:
- 9781400852710
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691162782.003.0005
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This chapter takes a look at the Muslimische Jugend Deutschland (Muslim Youth of Germany, or MJD), a small organization of not more than 1200 registered members. The MJD promotes Muslim youths of ...
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This chapter takes a look at the Muslimische Jugend Deutschland (Muslim Youth of Germany, or MJD), a small organization of not more than 1200 registered members. The MJD promotes Muslim youths of diverse backgrounds coming together to discover ways of becoming active and desirable members of German society. Young members of the MJD participate in discussions about how to represent Muslims and immigrants in the general elections; arrange trips to Auschwitz in order to shoulder the weight of German history and talk about its meaning for contemporary German society; and organize New Year's evening celebrations along with hip-hop concerts that are Islamically proper. Many born Muslim members confirm that through their participation in the MJD, they start to embrace their German identity in a wholehearted way and define themselves primarily as German rather than Turkish or Arab.Less
This chapter takes a look at the Muslimische Jugend Deutschland (Muslim Youth of Germany, or MJD), a small organization of not more than 1200 registered members. The MJD promotes Muslim youths of diverse backgrounds coming together to discover ways of becoming active and desirable members of German society. Young members of the MJD participate in discussions about how to represent Muslims and immigrants in the general elections; arrange trips to Auschwitz in order to shoulder the weight of German history and talk about its meaning for contemporary German society; and organize New Year's evening celebrations along with hip-hop concerts that are Islamically proper. Many born Muslim members confirm that through their participation in the MJD, they start to embrace their German identity in a wholehearted way and define themselves primarily as German rather than Turkish or Arab.
Asef Bayat and Linda Herrera
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195369212
- eISBN:
- 9780199871179
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369212.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Islam
There has been a proliferation of interest in youth issues in recent years, and Muslim youth in particular. Young Muslims have been thrust into the global spotlight in relation to questions about ...
More
There has been a proliferation of interest in youth issues in recent years, and Muslim youth in particular. Young Muslims have been thrust into the global spotlight in relation to questions about security, employment, migration, multiculturalism, conflict, human rights, and citizenship. This book interrogates the cultures and politics of Muslim youth in the global South and North to understand their trajectories, conditions, and choices. It shows that although the majority of young Muslims share many common social, political, and economic misfortunes, they exhibit remarkably diverse responses to their situations. Although groups of them are drawn into radical Islam, others embrace their religion more as an identity marker. Although some take Islam as a normative frame and subvert it to express and reclaim their youthfulness, their counterparts may exert themselves through a music of rage or via collective action using the tools of new media and communications technologies. Far from being “exceptional,” young Muslims in reality have as much in common with their non-Muslim global generational counterparts as they share among themselves. They permeate the spaces of culture and politics to navigate between being Muslim, modern, and young.Less
There has been a proliferation of interest in youth issues in recent years, and Muslim youth in particular. Young Muslims have been thrust into the global spotlight in relation to questions about security, employment, migration, multiculturalism, conflict, human rights, and citizenship. This book interrogates the cultures and politics of Muslim youth in the global South and North to understand their trajectories, conditions, and choices. It shows that although the majority of young Muslims share many common social, political, and economic misfortunes, they exhibit remarkably diverse responses to their situations. Although groups of them are drawn into radical Islam, others embrace their religion more as an identity marker. Although some take Islam as a normative frame and subvert it to express and reclaim their youthfulness, their counterparts may exert themselves through a music of rage or via collective action using the tools of new media and communications technologies. Far from being “exceptional,” young Muslims in reality have as much in common with their non-Muslim global generational counterparts as they share among themselves. They permeate the spaces of culture and politics to navigate between being Muslim, modern, and young.
Linda Herrera and Asef Bayat
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195369212
- eISBN:
- 9780199871179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369212.003.0022
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Islam
The current prevailing youth research articulates the “question of youth,” and Muslim youth in particular, as both a problem and an opportunity—problems associated with youth radicalism, disruption, ...
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The current prevailing youth research articulates the “question of youth,” and Muslim youth in particular, as both a problem and an opportunity—problems associated with youth radicalism, disruption, deviance, and instability; and opportunity for the young to act as agents of political and economic change as the builders of the future. Although this chapter underlines the value of such approaches, it argues for more innovative methodologies that include ethnography, life histories, and comparative global (North and South), interdisciplinary, and intergenerational collaborations. It stresses the need to look at the young on their own terms, as a particular social group that is increasingly becoming the “new proletariat” of our times in an ongoing struggle for citizenship. Research in the area of youth necessitates not only research about the young, but collaborations and initiatives with the young. Combining cultural politics with political economy approaches, and viewing the young at the intersection of both local/national and global processes can provide invaluable ways to “know Muslim youth.”Less
The current prevailing youth research articulates the “question of youth,” and Muslim youth in particular, as both a problem and an opportunity—problems associated with youth radicalism, disruption, deviance, and instability; and opportunity for the young to act as agents of political and economic change as the builders of the future. Although this chapter underlines the value of such approaches, it argues for more innovative methodologies that include ethnography, life histories, and comparative global (North and South), interdisciplinary, and intergenerational collaborations. It stresses the need to look at the young on their own terms, as a particular social group that is increasingly becoming the “new proletariat” of our times in an ongoing struggle for citizenship. Research in the area of youth necessitates not only research about the young, but collaborations and initiatives with the young. Combining cultural politics with political economy approaches, and viewing the young at the intersection of both local/national and global processes can provide invaluable ways to “know Muslim youth.”
André Elias Mazawi
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195369212
- eISBN:
- 9780199871179
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369212.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Islam
This chapter is concerned with the debates and media constructions on the schooling of Muslim youth in France. First, it positions these debates in relation to the shifting bases of political power ...
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This chapter is concerned with the debates and media constructions on the schooling of Muslim youth in France. First, it positions these debates in relation to the shifting bases of political power under the Fifth Republic. Second, it examines media constructions of Muslim youth in the larger debates on integration, social diversity, and multiculturalism. Third, it examines initiatives to establish Muslim schools over the backdrop of shifting class stratification and marked spatial segregation of the city and the suburbs. Fourth, it positions the founding of Muslim private schools over the larger backdrop of European political integration and the emergence of a “European space” of praxis in relation to which new forms of citizenship and political action are possible. The concluding section offers a reflection on the role schooling plays in constructing competing notions of Muslim youth within the larger context of a “transnational European” space.Less
This chapter is concerned with the debates and media constructions on the schooling of Muslim youth in France. First, it positions these debates in relation to the shifting bases of political power under the Fifth Republic. Second, it examines media constructions of Muslim youth in the larger debates on integration, social diversity, and multiculturalism. Third, it examines initiatives to establish Muslim schools over the backdrop of shifting class stratification and marked spatial segregation of the city and the suburbs. Fourth, it positions the founding of Muslim private schools over the larger backdrop of European political integration and the emergence of a “European space” of praxis in relation to which new forms of citizenship and political action are possible. The concluding section offers a reflection on the role schooling plays in constructing competing notions of Muslim youth within the larger context of a “transnational European” space.
Avi Max Spiegel
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691159843
- eISBN:
- 9781400866434
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691159843.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Today, two-thirds of all Arab Muslims are under the age of thirty. This book takes readers inside the evolving competition for their support—a competition not simply between Islamism and the secular ...
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Today, two-thirds of all Arab Muslims are under the age of thirty. This book takes readers inside the evolving competition for their support—a competition not simply between Islamism and the secular world, but between different and often conflicting visions of Islam itself. Drawing on extensive ethnographic research among rank-and-file activists in Morocco, the book shows how Islamist movements are encountering opposition from an unexpected source—each other. In vivid detail, the book describes the conflicts that arise as Islamist groups vie with one another for new recruits, and the unprecedented fragmentation that occurs as members wrangle over a shared urbanized base. Looking carefully at how political Islam is lived, expressed, and understood by young people, the book moves beyond the top-down focus of current research. Instead, it makes the compelling case that Islamist actors are shaped more by their relationships to each other than by their relationships to the state or even to religious ideology. By focusing not only on the texts of aging elites but also on the voices of diverse and sophisticated Muslim youths, the book exposes the shifting and contested nature of Islamist movements today—movements that are being reimagined from the bottom up by young Islam. This book, the first to shed light on this new and uncharted era of Islamist pluralism in the Middle East and North Africa, uncovers the rivalries that are redefining the next generation of political Islam.Less
Today, two-thirds of all Arab Muslims are under the age of thirty. This book takes readers inside the evolving competition for their support—a competition not simply between Islamism and the secular world, but between different and often conflicting visions of Islam itself. Drawing on extensive ethnographic research among rank-and-file activists in Morocco, the book shows how Islamist movements are encountering opposition from an unexpected source—each other. In vivid detail, the book describes the conflicts that arise as Islamist groups vie with one another for new recruits, and the unprecedented fragmentation that occurs as members wrangle over a shared urbanized base. Looking carefully at how political Islam is lived, expressed, and understood by young people, the book moves beyond the top-down focus of current research. Instead, it makes the compelling case that Islamist actors are shaped more by their relationships to each other than by their relationships to the state or even to religious ideology. By focusing not only on the texts of aging elites but also on the voices of diverse and sophisticated Muslim youths, the book exposes the shifting and contested nature of Islamist movements today—movements that are being reimagined from the bottom up by young Islam. This book, the first to shed light on this new and uncharted era of Islamist pluralism in the Middle East and North Africa, uncovers the rivalries that are redefining the next generation of political Islam.
Pamela Irving Jackson and Peter Doerschler
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9781847428875
- eISBN:
- 9781447307716
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428875.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
In this chapter the life satisfaction and general happiness of Muslims in Europe is examined, along with their well-being in several specific key areas of life, including income, health, education, ...
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In this chapter the life satisfaction and general happiness of Muslims in Europe is examined, along with their well-being in several specific key areas of life, including income, health, education, employment, awareness of political information, and access to information sources. Data from the European Social Survey and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights provide a new perspective on Muslims in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, in demonstrating so many similarities between Muslims and other Europeans. While these data do not contradict the well-documented socio-economic marginalization of European Muslims, they demonstrate that Muslims are not isolated or dissatisfied with the major state institutions within which they conduct their lives. Their confidence in the educational, health and economic systems of their European state is not much different from that of their European neighbours, and in many areas is more positive. The data provide little, if any, support for the belief that Muslims are isolating themselves in Europe. Like their non-Muslim neighbours, Muslims support the institutions of the state, follow politics and the news, and utilize the internet. These attitudes and habits reflect their integration into Europe, not self-segregation into parallel societies.Less
In this chapter the life satisfaction and general happiness of Muslims in Europe is examined, along with their well-being in several specific key areas of life, including income, health, education, employment, awareness of political information, and access to information sources. Data from the European Social Survey and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights provide a new perspective on Muslims in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, in demonstrating so many similarities between Muslims and other Europeans. While these data do not contradict the well-documented socio-economic marginalization of European Muslims, they demonstrate that Muslims are not isolated or dissatisfied with the major state institutions within which they conduct their lives. Their confidence in the educational, health and economic systems of their European state is not much different from that of their European neighbours, and in many areas is more positive. The data provide little, if any, support for the belief that Muslims are isolating themselves in Europe. Like their non-Muslim neighbours, Muslims support the institutions of the state, follow politics and the news, and utilize the internet. These attitudes and habits reflect their integration into Europe, not self-segregation into parallel societies.
Richard Gale and Therese O’Toole
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847420305
- eISBN:
- 9781447302285
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847420305.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sociology of Religion
This chapter examines a case study of faith activism among young Muslim men in UK. It explores how faith identity frames the public engagement and political activism of the British Muslim youth. The ...
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This chapter examines a case study of faith activism among young Muslim men in UK. It explores how faith identity frames the public engagement and political activism of the British Muslim youth. The case study presented herein arises from a two-year qualitative study of black and minority ethnic young people's political engagement, particularly of a locally-based Muslim ‘justice movement’. In this chapter, the manner with which the faith identity and values influenced the political activism and the different scales to which this is expressed by these young men are explored. Attention is particularly given to the notion of ‘glocalised’ political sensibility which shapes their political concern and the terrains on which they are active. Apart from exploring the intersections between local and global terrains on which they are active, the chapter also reflects on how the identification with umma (the global community of Muslims) forms a significant dimension of young Muslim's renegotiation of their identities in relation to familial and cultural heritage and their localised living experience. This chapter begins with a discussion on the ways in which young British Muslims have featured in the public domain before it discusses the recent research on the forms of political and public engagement in Muslims, specifically on contemporary expressions of global Islam. The chapter ends with a discussion on how young activists relate to the public sphere by focusing on their personal engagement with faith and how this informs their identities and political action.Less
This chapter examines a case study of faith activism among young Muslim men in UK. It explores how faith identity frames the public engagement and political activism of the British Muslim youth. The case study presented herein arises from a two-year qualitative study of black and minority ethnic young people's political engagement, particularly of a locally-based Muslim ‘justice movement’. In this chapter, the manner with which the faith identity and values influenced the political activism and the different scales to which this is expressed by these young men are explored. Attention is particularly given to the notion of ‘glocalised’ political sensibility which shapes their political concern and the terrains on which they are active. Apart from exploring the intersections between local and global terrains on which they are active, the chapter also reflects on how the identification with umma (the global community of Muslims) forms a significant dimension of young Muslim's renegotiation of their identities in relation to familial and cultural heritage and their localised living experience. This chapter begins with a discussion on the ways in which young British Muslims have featured in the public domain before it discusses the recent research on the forms of political and public engagement in Muslims, specifically on contemporary expressions of global Islam. The chapter ends with a discussion on how young activists relate to the public sphere by focusing on their personal engagement with faith and how this informs their identities and political action.
Amira Quraishi
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823226474
- eISBN:
- 9780823236640
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823226474.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter discusses the results of a study on two organizations: Muslim Youth Camp (MYC) and American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA). The MYC aims to ...
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This chapter discusses the results of a study on two organizations: Muslim Youth Camp (MYC) and American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA). The MYC aims to bring Muslim families and individuals of diverse backgrounds together for a fun-filled week of Islamic living, learning, and inspirational experiences in nature. AMILA describes itself as “committed to spiritual enrichment, intellectual freedom, and community service.” Although the MYC and AMILA have very different structures, they have three common goals: 1) the need for a nonjudgmental environment in which to explore themselves and different ideas; 2) an environment that reflects an American Muslim culture; and 3) a need to contribute to the community in meaningful ways.Less
This chapter discusses the results of a study on two organizations: Muslim Youth Camp (MYC) and American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA). The MYC aims to bring Muslim families and individuals of diverse backgrounds together for a fun-filled week of Islamic living, learning, and inspirational experiences in nature. AMILA describes itself as “committed to spiritual enrichment, intellectual freedom, and community service.” Although the MYC and AMILA have very different structures, they have three common goals: 1) the need for a nonjudgmental environment in which to explore themselves and different ideas; 2) an environment that reflects an American Muslim culture; and 3) a need to contribute to the community in meaningful ways.
Jonatan Bäckelie and Göran Larsson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780748646944
- eISBN:
- 9780748684281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748646944.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The chapter analyses young Swedish Muslims’ attitudes towards democratic processes in relation to Swedish political parties. Based on a survey among approximately 250 young Muslims that are ...
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The chapter analyses young Swedish Muslims’ attitudes towards democratic processes in relation to Swedish political parties. Based on a survey among approximately 250 young Muslims that are affiliated to the Swedish youth organisation SUM (Sweden’s Young Muslims), the chapter outlines how young Muslims position themselves in relation to the political left-right spectrum. The survey’s findings lead us to conclude that the political left-right spectrum is hardly relevant to this group of young Muslims. The majority of the respondents self-identify as either somewhat or clearly to the left. However, in seven out of 25 specific political proposals, the group show a clear sentiment towards what could be called conservative values (usually considered to be located to the right of the political spectrum). The chapter shows that no party seems to fully correspond to the full range of sentiments held by the majority of respondents, effectively leaving them without a fully representative political alternative. If anything is a problem for this group of respondents, it is not a lack of interest or knowledge about politics, but rather one of representation.Less
The chapter analyses young Swedish Muslims’ attitudes towards democratic processes in relation to Swedish political parties. Based on a survey among approximately 250 young Muslims that are affiliated to the Swedish youth organisation SUM (Sweden’s Young Muslims), the chapter outlines how young Muslims position themselves in relation to the political left-right spectrum. The survey’s findings lead us to conclude that the political left-right spectrum is hardly relevant to this group of young Muslims. The majority of the respondents self-identify as either somewhat or clearly to the left. However, in seven out of 25 specific political proposals, the group show a clear sentiment towards what could be called conservative values (usually considered to be located to the right of the political spectrum). The chapter shows that no party seems to fully correspond to the full range of sentiments held by the majority of respondents, effectively leaving them without a fully representative political alternative. If anything is a problem for this group of respondents, it is not a lack of interest or knowledge about politics, but rather one of representation.
Franck Frégosi
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780748646944
- eISBN:
- 9780748684281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748646944.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The author reminds us of the truism that the Muslims of Europe have different visions of their religion, of what is Islam, sometimes they are almost opposed. Their attitudes range from the strictest ...
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The author reminds us of the truism that the Muslims of Europe have different visions of their religion, of what is Islam, sometimes they are almost opposed. Their attitudes range from the strictest forms of practice to a critical rejection. While some young Muslims are deeply religious, because they believe in being concerned citizens and are politically active, numerous others do not use their faith as the only prism through which they look at their everyday lives and are active within society. Being a Muslim does not necessarily mean having a life centred only on religion; therefore the Muslims do not only mobilise to achieve religious goals. The chapter compares these various forms of mobilisation in order to underline the main diverging and converging lines between them in terms of social involvement (conflicted or consensual mobilisation), related or not with claims of citizenship (minority or civic mobilisation), and political partnerships with others social and political forces. The author points also to those individuals of Muslim background who have become activists against Islam.Less
The author reminds us of the truism that the Muslims of Europe have different visions of their religion, of what is Islam, sometimes they are almost opposed. Their attitudes range from the strictest forms of practice to a critical rejection. While some young Muslims are deeply religious, because they believe in being concerned citizens and are politically active, numerous others do not use their faith as the only prism through which they look at their everyday lives and are active within society. Being a Muslim does not necessarily mean having a life centred only on religion; therefore the Muslims do not only mobilise to achieve religious goals. The chapter compares these various forms of mobilisation in order to underline the main diverging and converging lines between them in terms of social involvement (conflicted or consensual mobilisation), related or not with claims of citizenship (minority or civic mobilisation), and political partnerships with others social and political forces. The author points also to those individuals of Muslim background who have become activists against Islam.
Paul O’Connor
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9789888139576
- eISBN:
- 9789888180165
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888139576.003.0008
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Chapter 8 deals with the twin issues of language and education. Regarding the provision of education for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, this chapter shows how multitudes of Muslim youths are faced ...
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Chapter 8 deals with the twin issues of language and education. Regarding the provision of education for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, this chapter shows how multitudes of Muslim youths are faced with academic challenges and underscores the concerns of some ethnic minority families with regard to education policies in Hong Kong towards non-Chinese-speaking youths. In addition, apart from looking at the everyday ‘language lives’ of the respondents, it examines Cantonese-language media consumption and suggests that many juvenile Muslims are in fact immersed in local Hong Kong popular culture.Less
Chapter 8 deals with the twin issues of language and education. Regarding the provision of education for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, this chapter shows how multitudes of Muslim youths are faced with academic challenges and underscores the concerns of some ethnic minority families with regard to education policies in Hong Kong towards non-Chinese-speaking youths. In addition, apart from looking at the everyday ‘language lives’ of the respondents, it examines Cantonese-language media consumption and suggests that many juvenile Muslims are in fact immersed in local Hong Kong popular culture.
Muna Ali
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190664435
- eISBN:
- 9780190664466
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190664435.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter considers the narrative of an alleged “identity crisis” among young Muslim Americans, whereby they are torn between seemingly irreconcilable worlds of home/community/Islam and a secular ...
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This chapter considers the narrative of an alleged “identity crisis” among young Muslim Americans, whereby they are torn between seemingly irreconcilable worlds of home/community/Islam and a secular society and that presumably puts them at risk for radicalization. The chapter dissects this narrative, then examines the theoretical landscape for identity formation and constructs an alternative synthesis that serves as the theoretical framework for this book. The chapter then explores the participants’ self-narrations of how they see themselves through recountings of childhood experiences at home, school, college, and as adults. This chapter argues that rather than suffering from this pathologized “identity crisis,” young Muslims struggle with issues of normal development, recognizing the difficulty of being a young person marked in American society by multiple differences (race, ethnicity, and religion); but they learn to navigate that challenging course and construct a sense of self that incorporates all the different “parts” of themselves, as one of the participants put it.Less
This chapter considers the narrative of an alleged “identity crisis” among young Muslim Americans, whereby they are torn between seemingly irreconcilable worlds of home/community/Islam and a secular society and that presumably puts them at risk for radicalization. The chapter dissects this narrative, then examines the theoretical landscape for identity formation and constructs an alternative synthesis that serves as the theoretical framework for this book. The chapter then explores the participants’ self-narrations of how they see themselves through recountings of childhood experiences at home, school, college, and as adults. This chapter argues that rather than suffering from this pathologized “identity crisis,” young Muslims struggle with issues of normal development, recognizing the difficulty of being a young person marked in American society by multiple differences (race, ethnicity, and religion); but they learn to navigate that challenging course and construct a sense of self that incorporates all the different “parts” of themselves, as one of the participants put it.
Stig Jarle Hansen
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199327874
- eISBN:
- 9780199388103
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199327874.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
This chapter elaborates on Al-Shabaab’s gains between 2010 and the present. While Al-Shabaab was losing in south central Somalia it gained allies outside the country, and expanded in Kenya, as well ...
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This chapter elaborates on Al-Shabaab’s gains between 2010 and the present. While Al-Shabaab was losing in south central Somalia it gained allies outside the country, and expanded in Kenya, as well as renewing its activities in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. Al-Shabaab was regionalized, with affiliates such as the Muslim Youth Centre emerging, and with the frequency of terror attacks in Kenya increasing. There were traces of Al-Shabaab influence inside Tanzania. In Ethiopia and Uganda, terrorist court cases that involved Al-Shabaab were held, but the general human-rights situation in these countries made it hard to say what was really going on, and if the government used accusations of being Al-Shabaab to delegitimize opposition. This chapter also traces Al-Shabaab expansion in the Puntland region of Somalia and within Somaliland.Less
This chapter elaborates on Al-Shabaab’s gains between 2010 and the present. While Al-Shabaab was losing in south central Somalia it gained allies outside the country, and expanded in Kenya, as well as renewing its activities in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. Al-Shabaab was regionalized, with affiliates such as the Muslim Youth Centre emerging, and with the frequency of terror attacks in Kenya increasing. There were traces of Al-Shabaab influence inside Tanzania. In Ethiopia and Uganda, terrorist court cases that involved Al-Shabaab were held, but the general human-rights situation in these countries made it hard to say what was really going on, and if the government used accusations of being Al-Shabaab to delegitimize opposition. This chapter also traces Al-Shabaab expansion in the Puntland region of Somalia and within Somaliland.
Guido W. Steinberg
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231159920
- eISBN:
- 9780231500531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231159920.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
This chapter puts the growth of jihadism in Germany within its larger context—namely, the development of global jihadism since 2001 and the internationalization of jihadist ideology, strategies, and ...
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This chapter puts the growth of jihadism in Germany within its larger context—namely, the development of global jihadism since 2001 and the internationalization of jihadist ideology, strategies, and social base. The internationalization process had been a complex interplay seen primarily between Western intervention in Muslim states and the increasing attractiveness of internationalist ideology among young Muslims themselves. A catalyst for the growth and expansion of jihadism was the foreign policies implemented by the United States and its allies, which stirred up a fervor for a “classical” jihadist call to duty to fight against foreigners occupying Muslim territory. Another factor was the Muslim diaspora residing in Europe, whose disconnect from the Middle East made them good candidates for carrying out jihadist activity on an international scale. And, of course, the accessibility of jihadist propaganda on the Internet made it even easier to gather up new recruits among the Muslim youth.Less
This chapter puts the growth of jihadism in Germany within its larger context—namely, the development of global jihadism since 2001 and the internationalization of jihadist ideology, strategies, and social base. The internationalization process had been a complex interplay seen primarily between Western intervention in Muslim states and the increasing attractiveness of internationalist ideology among young Muslims themselves. A catalyst for the growth and expansion of jihadism was the foreign policies implemented by the United States and its allies, which stirred up a fervor for a “classical” jihadist call to duty to fight against foreigners occupying Muslim territory. Another factor was the Muslim diaspora residing in Europe, whose disconnect from the Middle East made them good candidates for carrying out jihadist activity on an international scale. And, of course, the accessibility of jihadist propaganda on the Internet made it even easier to gather up new recruits among the Muslim youth.
Muna Ali
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190664435
- eISBN:
- 9780190664466
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190664435.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This final chapter summarizes the points made in the previous chapters and closes with the vision of the project collaborators for the future, including the role they see for themselves and their ...
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This final chapter summarizes the points made in the previous chapters and closes with the vision of the project collaborators for the future, including the role they see for themselves and their community in society and on the world stage. The chapter demonstrates the interwoven nature of the four narratives explored in this book, which circulate locally, nationally, and internationally; it has examined their role in shaping the perspectives of both individuals and collectives in the Muslim community.Less
This final chapter summarizes the points made in the previous chapters and closes with the vision of the project collaborators for the future, including the role they see for themselves and their community in society and on the world stage. The chapter demonstrates the interwoven nature of the four narratives explored in this book, which circulate locally, nationally, and internationally; it has examined their role in shaping the perspectives of both individuals and collectives in the Muslim community.
Muna Ali
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190664435
- eISBN:
- 9780190664466
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190664435.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This book explores the identities, perspectives, and roles of the second and subsequent generations of Muslim Americans of both immigrant and convert backgrounds. As these younger Muslims come of ...
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This book explores the identities, perspectives, and roles of the second and subsequent generations of Muslim Americans of both immigrant and convert backgrounds. As these younger Muslims come of age, and as distant as they are from historical processes that shaped their parents’ generations, how do they view themselves and each other? What role do they play in the current chapter of Islam in a post-9/11 America? Will they be able to cross intra-community divides and play a pivotal role in shaping their community? Culture figures prominently in the discussions about and among Muslims and is centered on four dominant narratives: 1) culture is thought to be the underlying cause of an alleged “identity crisis,” 2) it presumably contaminates a “pure/true” Islam, 3) it is the cause for all that divides Muslim American immigrants and converts, which could be remedied by creating an American Muslim community and culture, and 4) some Americans fear an “Islamization of America” through a Muslim cultural takeover. In this ethnographic study, Muna Ali explores these questions through these four dominant narratives, which are both part of the public discourse and themes that emerged from interviews, a survey, social and traditional media, and participant observation. Situating these questions and narratives in identity studies in a pluralistic yet racialized society, as well as in the anthropology of Islam and in the process and meaning of cultural citizenship, Ali examines how younger Muslims see themselves and their community, how they negotiate fault lines of ethnicity, race, class, gender, and religious interpretation within their communities, and how their faith informs their daily lives and how they envision a future for themselves in post-911 America.Less
This book explores the identities, perspectives, and roles of the second and subsequent generations of Muslim Americans of both immigrant and convert backgrounds. As these younger Muslims come of age, and as distant as they are from historical processes that shaped their parents’ generations, how do they view themselves and each other? What role do they play in the current chapter of Islam in a post-9/11 America? Will they be able to cross intra-community divides and play a pivotal role in shaping their community? Culture figures prominently in the discussions about and among Muslims and is centered on four dominant narratives: 1) culture is thought to be the underlying cause of an alleged “identity crisis,” 2) it presumably contaminates a “pure/true” Islam, 3) it is the cause for all that divides Muslim American immigrants and converts, which could be remedied by creating an American Muslim community and culture, and 4) some Americans fear an “Islamization of America” through a Muslim cultural takeover. In this ethnographic study, Muna Ali explores these questions through these four dominant narratives, which are both part of the public discourse and themes that emerged from interviews, a survey, social and traditional media, and participant observation. Situating these questions and narratives in identity studies in a pluralistic yet racialized society, as well as in the anthropology of Islam and in the process and meaning of cultural citizenship, Ali examines how younger Muslims see themselves and their community, how they negotiate fault lines of ethnicity, race, class, gender, and religious interpretation within their communities, and how their faith informs their daily lives and how they envision a future for themselves in post-911 America.
