Muslims in Europe

Hip-Hop Hybridity for a Glocalized World: African and Muslim Diasporic Discourses in French Rap Music

by David Drissel

England’s “Problem” with Shar’ia by Kristina Benson

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project

A recent occurrence in the recent Islamic legal history of England involves women’s use of Shar’ia law to protect... more A recent occurrence in the recent Islamic legal history of England involves women’s use of Shar’ia law to protect their autonomy, marital security, and property rights. Beginning in September 2008, decisions made by Shari’a councils in Britain became legally binding due to a new application of the 1996 Arbitration Act. Much as Jewish Beth Din courts and Quaker courts, had been doing for over a century, over 84 Shar’ia councils could begin to act as “arbitration tribunals,” making legally binding decisions about issues pertaining to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and custody. Scholars and political observers alike immediately voiced concern that Muslim women would be treated unfairly in these councils, or, alternative, claimed that the continued use of these councils was further evidence of cultural separatism, or an unwillingness to assimilate (See McKinstry).

The French anti-racist movement and the Muslim Question

by Timothy Peace

Published in 'Political and Cultural Representations of Muslims' (Brill 2012)

The question of Islam and the existence of Islamophobia are hotly debated and contested issues in France, particularly... more The question of Islam and the existence of Islamophobia are hotly debated and contested issues in France, particularly since the law banning religious symbols in schools. One aspect of this debate that has been neglected by scholars has been the way in which these questions have divided many on the Left in France, a situation that is particularly acute amongst French anti-racist groups. In this chapter I trace the roots of these divisions which have resurfaced and been exacerbated by episodes in recent years, in particular the parallel rise in Islamophobia and acts of antisemitism. I shed light on the reasons for the splits and internal divisions that have been created within organisations such as the MRAP and examine in particular the Mohammed caricature controversy and the subsequent trial of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. I argue that the divisions within these groups are less a product of the latent islamophobia produced by the media and more a consequence of the deeply embedded norms and discourses within the anti-racist movement that has, to some extent, been thrown into practical disarray by the emergence of ‘the Muslim question’.

Basels muslimische Schwimmverweigerer

by Marius Rohrer

Locating Religion in Urban Planning: Beyond 'Race' and Ethnicity?

by Richard Gale

Representing the City: Mosques and the Planning Process in Birmingham

by Richard Gale

Governing European Subjects: Tolerance and Guilt in the Discourse of 'Muslim Women'

by Yasemin Yildiz

Cultural Critique 77.1 (2011): 70-101

Who speaks for Muslims? The role of the press in creating and reporting of Muslim public opinion polls in the aftermath of London bombings in July 2005.

by Maria Sobolewska

This is a draft of an article with Sundas Ali, which is now forthcoming in Ethnicities.

Despite the fact that most British people do not know many Muslims personally, some research claims that the... more Despite the fact that most British people do not know many Muslims personally, some research claims that the impression of what Muslims think is closely matched with what average Britons think they think. We argue that this curious coincidence can be explained by the fact that media controls the process of asking Muslims what they think and then presenting it to the public. Public opinion polls are mostly taken at face value as the direct and unbiased voice of Muslims, but as this article argues nothing could be further from the truth as most of the public opinion polls are commissioned by the media. At a time of national crisis, following the London terrorist atrocities on 7/7 2005, it has become especially clear that the media have been following their pre-existing narrative on Muslims rather than responding to public interest. We analyse all public opinion polls conducted in the 18 months following the 7/7 attacks and all their broadsheet newspaper coverage to show that the media framing effects influence both the creation of Muslim opinion polls, and their reporting.

The New Muslim Religious Brokers in European Cities and Politics of Muslim Citizenship

by Konrad Pedziwiatr

Pędziwiatr, K. (2012). The New Muslim Religious Brokers in European Cities and Politics of Muslim Citizenship. COLLeGIUM: Studies Across Disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences, 11, 83-99.

On the basis of the research into active social citizenship amongst the new Muslim religious brokers in Brussels and... more On the basis of the research into active social citizenship amongst the new Muslim religious brokers in Brussels and London, this paper explores the transition from the politics of Muslim identity to the politics of Muslim citizenship, a major change in the public mobilisation of Islam in Belgium and Britain. It argues that this move has been closely linked with the development of civic consciousness among certain
segments of the Muslim populations in Europe and the construction of a new type of identity – ‘Muslim civicness’ - which is characterised by strong support for the
national projects, activism beyond Muslim symbolic boundaries, emphasis on the similar rights to other citizens and obligations vis-à-vis all the citizens regardless of their religious adherence.   

What the Future Holds for Muslims in Western Europe

by Konrad Pedziwiatr

Pedziwiatr, K. (2006). What the Future Holds for Muslims in Western Europe. Arches Quarterly, 2, 2-8.

La construcció de l'islam com a objecte de polítiques públiques a Catalunya

by Gloria García-Romeral

Co-authored with Griera, Maria M.
Published in Societat Catalana, 2011

L’objectiu d’aquest capítol és descriure, explicar i analitzar les polítiques públiques vers les comunitats islàmiques... more L’objectiu d’aquest capítol és descriure, explicar i analitzar les polítiques públiques vers les comunitats islàmiques de Catalunya desenvolupades pel govern de la Generalitat de Catalunya, fixant-nos especialment en el període comprès des de l’any 2003 fins a finals del 2010 (el qual correspón a l’etapa del Govern tripartit i del Govern d’entesa). L’article es divideix en tres grans parts: per una banda, descriu i analitza el procés d’implantació i creixement de l’islam a Catalunya; per altra banda, examina els factors legals, socials i polítics que ens ajuden a contextualitzar i a comprendre de quina manera l’islam s’incorpora a l’agenda política del govern català i, finalment, una tercera part on s’expliquen les polítiques públiques principals del govern català en relació a l’islam a Catalunya.

Muçulmanos Nas Suas Cidades

by maria cardeira da silva

Islamophobia in the British Tabloids

by Nadeem Fayaz

This essay attempts to contribute to the extensive amount of research on the representation of Muslims in the media.... more This essay attempts to contribute to the extensive amount of research on the representation of Muslims in the media. This paper, however, focuses more specifically on the representation of Muslims in British tabloid newspapers. Edward Said’s notion of Orientalism is the foundation from which this essay is built around with the intention of showing how Orientalist commentary finds its way into the tabloid newspaper representations of Muslims. This paper finds evidence of a growing trend of stories that target Muslims in articles about immigration thereby positioning British Muslims as a particular problem section of the population. ‘British values’ are consistently pitted against ‘Muslim values’ in these articles in the classic Orientalist standpoint that creates a false binary of the two supposedly homogenous values. In the analysis of these texts, John E. Richardson’s ‘ideological square’ is applied in order to show the positive ‘self’ presentations alongside the negative ‘other’ presentations. The tendency to portray domestic violence when involving Muslim men as a conflict of culture is also drawn upon. The essay also points to the tendency to portray Muslims as a homogeneous mass and often with unrepresentative individuals who fit into the ‘fanatical’ stereotype made ready for them. This is coupled with the marginalization of more ‘moderate’ Muslim voices thereby portraying a particular image of Islam and Muslims.

Muslims in Contemporary Poland

by Konrad Pedziwiatr

Pędziwiatr, K. (2011). Muslims in Contemporary Poland. In J. Bureš (Ed.), Muslims in Visegrad Countries (pp. 10-24). Prague: Anna Lindh Foundation and Visegrad Fund.

From Islam of Immigrants to Islam of Citizens

by Konrad Pedziwiatr

Pedziwiatr, K. (2007). From Islam of Immigrants to Islam of Citizens or Key Transformation Within Islam in Europe. Arches Quarterly, 1(1), 28-34.

Les avatars du ‘Turc’. Esclaves et commerçants musulmans en Toscane (1600-1750)/ The avatars of the 'Turk'. Muslim Slaves and Traders in Tuscany (1600-1750)

by Guillaume Calafat

Published in Jocelyne Dakhlia et Bernard Vincent (ed.), 'Les Musulmans dans l’histoire de l’Europe, tome 1. Une intégration invisible', Paris, Albin Michel, 2011, p. 471-522 [co-authored with Cesare Santus (Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa)].

This paper deals with Muslim merchants and slaves in Early Modern Tuscany (1590-1750). The first part of this article... more This paper deals with Muslim merchants and slaves in Early Modern Tuscany (1590-1750). The first part of this article is a description of Livorno bagno (slave prison), and the second part of free Muslims (traders, diplomats, sailors) in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Rapporti commerciali tra Firenze e il Regno di Granada nel XV secolo

by Raúl González Arévalo

In "Mercatura è arte". Uomini d'affari toscani in Europa e nel Mediterraneo tardomedievale, a cura di L. Tanzini e S. Tognetti. Roma, Viella, 2012, pp. 179-203.

This paper aims to study a hitherto bad known aspect, the position of the Republic of Florence in the Nasri sultanate.... more This paper aims to study a hitherto bad known aspect, the position of the Republic of Florence in the Nasri sultanate. To achieve this we shall take as reference the commercial mechanisms developed by the Tuscan merchants in their relationships with the Western Islam between the Thirteenth and the Fifteenth Centuries, underlying the particularities observed in Grenade. Last, data about the Florentine galley system’s commerce will serve to offer a provisional conclusion.

"I never faced up to being gay": Sexual, ethnic and religious identities among British South Asian gay men.

by Rusi Jaspal

Jaspal, R. (in press). "I never faced up to being gay": Sexual, ethnic and religious identities among British South Asian gay men.Culture, Health and Sexuality.

This paper presents the results of a comparative qualitative study of British Indian and British Pakistani gay men,... more This paper presents the results of a comparative qualitative study of British Indian and British Pakistani gay men, all of whom self-identified as members of their religious communities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and identity process theory. Results suggest that the intersection between sexuality and religion is more relevant to British Pakistani participants, while the intersection between sexuality and ethnicity is more relevant to British Indian participants. For British Indian participants, in particular, homosexuality seems to be socially problematic, posing potential obstacles for interpersonal and intergroup relations. Conversely, for British Pakistanis, homosexuality is both socially and psychologically problematic, affecting intrapsychic as well as interpersonal levels of human interdependence. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

‘Islam as rebellion and conformity: The importance of the local context in the growth of violent extremism and radical ideologies’,

by Lucy Michael

Religion, State and Society, Volume 39, Issue 2-3, 2011
Special Issue: Muslim Young People in Britain and Russia: Intersections of Biography, Faith and History

The public performance of various and sometimes conflicting identities constitutes a recognisable part of the late... more The public performance of various and sometimes conflicting identities constitutes a recognisable part of the late adolescent and early adult period. Often such identities are transitional and interchangeable. For young Muslims in Britain, however, the performance of a recognisable ‘Muslim’ identity through religious practices and affiliations to named Muslim groups has frequently been read as the adoption of an oppositional identity in reaction to the increased stigmatisation and racialisation of the Muslim population. Exploring a range of spaces in which these Muslim identities are learned and adapted by young adults, this paper seeks to understand how Islam can be used as a vehicle through which to practise both rebellion and conformity. By interrogating the nuances in decision-making related to conformity and the management of deviant identities, it further attempts to understand the importance of the local context in the place of violent extremism and radical ideologies and their relation to ‘seditious spaces’.

‘We see our people suffering’: the war, the mass media and the reproduction of Muslim identity among youth

by Ülkü Güney

The wars in the Middle East and representations of Muslims in this context have an immediate effect on Muslim minority... more The wars in the Middle East and representations of Muslims in this context have an immediate effect on Muslim minority ethnic groups, particularly youth in western European countries. This article explores the relationship between the construction of identities of British Muslim Asians between the ages of 16 and 23 years and the mass media. It is based on fieldwork conducted from 2002 to 2004 in Bradford, an impoverished northern ‘milltown’ in Britain that witnessed violent protests known as ‘race riots’ in 2001. The results of the fieldwork suggest a correlation between the conceptions of media messages about the wars in the Middle East and the construction of a global Muslim community with which youths associate themselves. Using excerpts from individual and focus group interviews, the article aims to investigate the link between the challenging local and national conditions caused by racial discrimination and the affiliation of these youths with a global Muslim community.