The Muslim Diaspora in the Context of the Academic Discourse

The Muslim Diaspora in the Context of the Academic Discourse PDF Author: Andreas Schulz
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668197393
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 19

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Book Description
Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Cultural Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 1, University of Vienna (Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie), course: Home, Habitat and Diaspora, language: English, abstract: In the following I will discuss some general conceptual thoughts on the notion of diaspora, which could be useful for the discussion of the claim of an existing Muslim Diaspora. After the introduction I'd like to illustrate with social-science based literature on Germany and the USA thoughts on The Muslim Diaspora. Referring to this chapter I'd like to present arguments for and against the usage of the notion The Muslim Diaspora in social sciences. A reflection will sum up the ideas of the essay. Many especially western socialized scholars speak about the Muslim Diaspora in Europe and the USA. In fact that the notion of diaspora has been politicized, many nationalist groups or even governments often use the concept of diaspora to pursue agendas of nation-state-building or controlling populations abroad. Because of this politicization of the notion, “scholars have argued that the term should be used with care and not regarded as an innocuous analytical concept” (Brubaker 2005, quoted in Faist 2010: 13). Looking at the EU and the debate on a European comprehensive immigration policy, the term diaspora figures prominently in officially issued EU documents and that the concept has evolved along with efforts at migration control. In EU documents, “Diasporas are portrayed as networks of migrants with various legal links to the home country. By contrast, the language of UN documents revolves around ‘transnational communities’ as main actors in development policy.” (Faist 2010: 19) But in the terms of the EU, Diasporas, as proverbial “seeds in the wind”, “are thought to contribute to development in the countries of origin, without being burdened by the experience of traumatic dispersal.” (ibid. 19) In general, concepts of diaspora deal with dispersal, traumatic and the resulting emergence and reproduction of collective identity (varying intensities of ties to the country of emigration and the countries of immigration) (ibid. 21). It is important to notice that the concept and the meanings of the notion ‘diaspora’ changed dramatically in the academia (and even the politics) in the last decades. If the academia would argue, that the three main categories of the concept of diaspora are (1) the dispersion in space (2) the orientation to a homeland and (3) boundary maintenance - it could be possible to converge to the phenomenon of diaspora and to draw near the discussion if there is the Muslim diaspora in the western world and the following discussion question:

The Muslim Diaspora in the Context of the Academic Discourse

The Muslim Diaspora in the Context of the Academic Discourse PDF Author: Andreas Schulz
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668197393
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 19

Get Book

Book Description
Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Cultural Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 1, University of Vienna (Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie), course: Home, Habitat and Diaspora, language: English, abstract: In the following I will discuss some general conceptual thoughts on the notion of diaspora, which could be useful for the discussion of the claim of an existing Muslim Diaspora. After the introduction I'd like to illustrate with social-science based literature on Germany and the USA thoughts on The Muslim Diaspora. Referring to this chapter I'd like to present arguments for and against the usage of the notion The Muslim Diaspora in social sciences. A reflection will sum up the ideas of the essay. Many especially western socialized scholars speak about the Muslim Diaspora in Europe and the USA. In fact that the notion of diaspora has been politicized, many nationalist groups or even governments often use the concept of diaspora to pursue agendas of nation-state-building or controlling populations abroad. Because of this politicization of the notion, “scholars have argued that the term should be used with care and not regarded as an innocuous analytical concept” (Brubaker 2005, quoted in Faist 2010: 13). Looking at the EU and the debate on a European comprehensive immigration policy, the term diaspora figures prominently in officially issued EU documents and that the concept has evolved along with efforts at migration control. In EU documents, “Diasporas are portrayed as networks of migrants with various legal links to the home country. By contrast, the language of UN documents revolves around ‘transnational communities’ as main actors in development policy.” (Faist 2010: 19) But in the terms of the EU, Diasporas, as proverbial “seeds in the wind”, “are thought to contribute to development in the countries of origin, without being burdened by the experience of traumatic dispersal.” (ibid. 19) In general, concepts of diaspora deal with dispersal, traumatic and the resulting emergence and reproduction of collective identity (varying intensities of ties to the country of emigration and the countries of immigration) (ibid. 21). It is important to notice that the concept and the meanings of the notion ‘diaspora’ changed dramatically in the academia (and even the politics) in the last decades. If the academia would argue, that the three main categories of the concept of diaspora are (1) the dispersion in space (2) the orientation to a homeland and (3) boundary maintenance - it could be possible to converge to the phenomenon of diaspora and to draw near the discussion if there is the Muslim diaspora in the western world and the following discussion question:

Muslim Diaspora in the West

Muslim Diaspora in the West PDF Author: Haideh Moghissi
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317091175
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
In view of the growing influence of religion in public life on the national and international scenes, Muslim Diaspora in the West constitutes a timely contribution to scholarly debates and a response to concerns raised in the West about Islam and Muslims within diaspora. It begins with the premise that diasporic communities of Islamic cultures, while originating in countries dominated by Islamic laws and religious practices, far from being uniform, are in fact shaped in their existence and experiences by a complex web of class, ethnic, gender, religious and regional factors, as well as the cultural and social influences of their adopted homes. Within this context, this volume brings together work from experts within Europe and North America to explore the processes that shape the experiences and challenges faced by migrants and refugees who originate in countries of Islamic cultures. Presenting the latest research from a variety of locations on both sides of The Atlantic, Muslim Diaspora in the West addresses the realities of diasporic life for self-identified Muslims, addressing questions of integration, rights and equality before the law, and challenging stereotypical views of Muslims. As such, it will appeal to scholars with interests in race and ethnicity, cultural, media and gender studies, and migration.

Muslim Diaspora

Muslim Diaspora PDF Author: Haideh Moghissi
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135985405
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 517

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Book Description
Muslim Diaspora identifies those aspects of migratory experience that shatter or reinforce a group’s attachment to its homeland and affect its readiness to adapt to a new country. The contributors to this collection examine many dimensions of life in the Diaspora and demonstrate that identity is always constructed in relation to others. They show how religious identity in diaspora is mediated by many other factors such as: Gender Class Ethnic origin National status A central aim is to understand Diaspora as an agent of social and cultural change, particularly in its transformative impact on women. Throughout, the book advances a more nuanced understanding of the notions of ethnicity, difference and rights. It makes an important contribution to understanding the complex processes of formation and adoption of transnational identities and the challenging contradictions of a world that is being rapidly globalized in economic and political terms, and yet is increasingly localized and differentiated, ethically and culturally. Muslim Diaspora includes contributions from outstanding scholars and is an invaluable text for students in sociology, anthropology, geography, cultural studies, Islamic studies, women’s studies as well as the general reader.

Geographies of Muslim Identities

Geographies of Muslim Identities PDF Author: Peter Hopkins
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317129121
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
In recent years, geographies of identities, including those of ethnicity, religion, 'race' and gender, have formed an increasing focus of contemporary human geography. The events of September 11th, 2001 particularly illustrated the ways in which identities can be transformed across time and space by both global and local events of a social, cultural, political and economic nature. Such transformations have also demonstrated the temporal and spatial construction of hate and fear, and of increasing incidences of 'Islamophobia' through the construction of Muslims as 'the Other'. As the social scientific study of religion continues to be marginalized within mainstream scholarship, there remains an important gap in the literature. This timely book addresses this gap by collecting a range of cutting-edge contributions from the social, cultural, political, historical and economic sub-disciplines of geography, together with writings from gender studies, cultural studies and leisure studies where research has revealed a strong spatial dimension to the construction, representation, contestation and reworking of Muslim identities. The contributors illustrate the ways in which such identities are constructed, represented, negotiated and contested in everyday life in a wide variety of international contexts, focusing upon issues connected with diaspora, gender and belonging.

Muslim Diaspora in Britain

Muslim Diaspora in Britain PDF Author: Sabah Khan
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1003860095
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 127

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Book Description
This book explores the idea of Muslim diaspora in context of Muslim communities in the United Kingdom. It critically looks at the notion of ummah and presents a comprehensive account of South Asian Muslims in London. Employing qualitative research methods and drawing on extensive fieldwork, it delves into the identification and transnational connections of Muslims in Britain. It shows the ways in which religious identity, practices and experiences may instigate diasporas focusing on South Asian Muslims in London — Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims — who account for 3.6 per cent of the total population. Further, the inter as well as intra group dynamics and studies how Muslims of different ethnic background settled in the same geo-political context engage with the notion of ummah. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of religion, especially Islam, politics, British studies and South Asian studies.

Imagining Muslims in South Asia and the Diaspora

Imagining Muslims in South Asia and the Diaspora PDF Author: Claire Chambers
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317654129
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Literary, cinematic and media representations of the disputed category of the ‘South Asian Muslim’ have undergone substantial change in the last few decades and particularly since the events of September 11, 2001. Here we find the first book-length critical analysis of these representations of Muslims from South Asia and its diaspora in literature, the media, culture and cinema. Contributors contextualize these depictions against the burgeoning post-9/11 artistic interest in Islam, and also against cultural responses to earlier crises on the subcontinent such as Partition (1947), the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and secession of Bangladesh, the 1992 Ayodhya riots , the 2002 Gujarat genocide and the Kashmir conflict. Offering a comparative approach, the book explores connections between artists’ generic experimentalism and their interpretations of life as Muslims in South Asia and its diaspora, exploring literary and popular fiction, memoir, poetry, news media, and film. The collection highlights the diversity of representations of Muslims and the range of approaches to questions of Muslim religious and cultural identity, as well as secular discourse. Essays by leading scholars in the field highlight the significant role that literature, film, and other cultural products such as music can play in opening up space for complex reflections on Muslim identities and cultures, and how such imaginative cultural forms can enable us to rethink secularism and religion. Surveying a broad range of up-to-date writing and cultural production, this concise and pioneering critical analysis of representations of South Asian Muslims will be of interest to students and academics of a variety of subjects including Asian Studies, Literary Studies, Media Studies, Women’s Studies, Contemporary Politics, Migration History, Film studies, and Cultural Studies.

Muslims at the Margins of Europe

Muslims at the Margins of Europe PDF Author: Tuomas Martikainen
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004404562
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
This volume focuses on Muslims in Finland, Greece, Ireland and Portugal. It highlights how Muslim experiences can be understood in relation to country’s particular historical routes, political economies, and post-colonial legacies. It also reveals that country particularities shaping European Muslim experiences cannot be understood independently of global dynamics.

Secularism and Identity

Secularism and Identity PDF Author: Reza Gholami
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317058275
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Within western political, media and academic discourses, Muslim communities are predominantly seen through the prism of their Islamic religiosities, yet there exist within diasporic communities unique and complex secularisms. Drawing on detailed interview and ethnographic material gathered in the UK, this book examines the ways in which a form of secularism - ’non-Islamiosity’ - amongst members of the Iranian diaspora shapes ideas and practices of diasporic community and identity, as well as wider social relations. In addition to developing a novel theoretical paradigm to make sense of the manner in which diasporic communities construct and live diasporic identity and consciousness in a way that marginalises, stigmatises or eradicates only ’Islam’, Secularism and Identity shows how this approach is used to overcome religiously inculcated ideas and fashion a desirable self, thus creating a new space in which to live and thereby attaining ’freedom’. Calling into question notions of anti-Islamism and Islamophobia, whilst examining secularism as a means or mechanism rather than an end, this volume offers a new understanding of religion as a marker of migrant identity. As such it will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology and political science with interests in migration and ethnicity, diasporic communities, the sociology of religion and emerging forms of secularism.

Spaces of Engagement

Spaces of Engagement PDF Author: Syed Furrukh Zad Ali Shah
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN: 3643909136
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 349

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Book Description
This study reflects on discourses, politics, and culture of islamophobia with reference to Muslim diaspora communities in a post-migration Western European context. It argues that islamophobia is the product, as well as carries the agency, of Muslim diaspora enclave-exclave phenomenon. These socio-spatial encounters are not to be seen as divisive, but are to be understood as productive to seek to negotiate a transnational multi-cultural public space for integration. It is in this context that this study has sought to relocate European Islamophobia in Muslim diaspora enclaves. Dissertation. (Series: Islam in the Existence of Europe / Islam in der Lebenswelt Europa, Vol. 11) [Subject: Islamic Studies, Middle East Studies, Muslim Studies]

A Muslim Diaspora in Australia

A Muslim Diaspora in Australia PDF Author: Lejla Voloder
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786730650
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
In a world of increasingly mixed identities, what does it mean to belong? As western democracies increasingly curtail their support for multiculturalism, how can migrants establish belonging as citizens? A Muslim Diaspora in Australia explores how a particular migrant group has faced the challenges of belonging. The author illustrates how Bosnian migrants in Australia have sought to find places for themselves as migrants, as refugees, and as Muslims, in Australia and Australian society. Challenging the methodological nationalism that tends to dominate discussions of migrant identities, the author exposes the ways in which dignity emerges as a dominant concern for people as they relate to varied local, national and translational contexts. Very little is known about how migrants themselves read and react to the multiple challenges of belonging and this pioneering work offers a timely and much needed critical insight into what it means to belong.