Islamic Religiosity in the West: Belonging and Political Engagement in Multicultural Cities
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Islamic Religiosity in the West: Belonging and Political Engagement in Multicultural Cities Project Investigators: FETHI MANSOURI MICHELE LOBO BRYAN S. TURNER AMELIA JOHNS With Research Support From: Liudmila Kirpitchenko Virginie Andre Matteo Vergani Discovery Project (DP130102601) Report Islamic Religiosity and Challenge of Political Engagement and National Belonging in Multicultural Western Cities Prof Fethi Mansouri, Dr Michele A Lobo, Prof Bryan S Turner Administering Organisation, Deakin University Project Summary This project investigates how participation in Islamic religious practices strengthens attachments to the western cities where Muslims have chosen to live. It will contribute to global, national and local policy outcomes that focus on the challenges of accommodating minority religions in diverse western cities. ISSN: 978-0-646-97150-6 Recommended citation: Mansouri, F., Lobo, M., Johns, A. & Turner, B. (2017), Islamic Religiosity in the West: Belonging and Political Engagement in Multicultural Cities. Deakin University Publising, Melbourne. Unless otherwise indicated, images contained within this report are sourced from unsplash.com and licensed under Creative Commons Zero. Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..............................................................................................................................................03 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................04 Self, Identity and Islamic Rituals ..............................................................................................................................06 Religious Practices, Public Space and Social Connectedness ................................................................................07 Citizenship, Belonging and Political Engagement in a Changing Geopolitical Context ..........................................08 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………….............................................................................10 BACKGROUND……………………………………………………………………………...............................................................................14 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK……………………………………………………………………………........................................................15 Self, Identity and Islamic Rituals……………………………………………………………………………..................................................16 Religious Practices, Public Space and Social Connectedness……………………………………………………………………………...17 Citizenship, Belonging and Political Engagement in a Changing Geopolitical Context............................................18 The City as an Important Unit of Analysis……………………………………………………………………………....................................19 METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………………….............................................................................21 RESEARCH SAMPLE…………………………………………………………………………….....................................................................24 RESEARCH SITES……………………………………………………………………………..........................................................................28 Melbourne, Australia…………………………………………………………………………….....................................................................29 Detroit, U.S.A.……………………………………………………………………………................................................................................30 Lyon / Grenoble / Paris, France……………………………………………………………………………....................................................32 COMPARATIVE INSIGHTS……………………………………………………………………………..............................................................34 Self, Identity and Islamic Rituals ..............................................................................................................................35 The Mosque as a Spatial Form of Belonging and Connection ...........................................................................36 Interfaith Dialogue ..............................................................................................................................................40 Prayer .................................................................................................................................................................44 Hijab ....................................................................................................................................................................48 Fasting during Ramadan ....................................................................................................................................50 Hajj (Pilgrimage) .................................................................................................................................................51 FINDINGS SITE-BY-SITE: PLACE-BASED INSIGHTS ON ISLAMIC RELIGIOSITY……………........................................54 Self, Identity and Islamic Rituals……………………………………………………………………………..................................................55 Melbourne, Australia……………………………………………………………………………..............................................................55 Detroit, U.S.A……………………………………………………………………………...........................................................................61 Lyon / Grenoble / Paris, France……………………………………………………………………………..............................................63 Religious Practices, Public Space and Social Connectedness……………………………………………………………………………...65. Melbourne, Australia……………………………………………………………………………..............................................................67 Detroit, U.S.A.……………………………………………………………………………..........................................................................81 Lyon / Grenoble / Paris, France……………………………………………………………………………..............................................88 Citizenship, Belonging and Political Engagement…………………………………………………………………………….......................95 Melbourne, Australia……………………………………………………………………………..............................................................98 Detroit, U.S.A.……………………………………………………………………………........................................................................113 Lyon / Grenoble / Paris, France……………………………………………………………………………............................................119 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………...............................................................................129 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………..............................................................................132 APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………...............................................................................138 Belonging and Political Engagement in Multicultural Cities 1 2 Islamic Religiosity in the West ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are grateful to researchers Human Rights (MWCHR) from three research sites, Wayne State University (Detroit, USA) including overseas, who assisted Islamic Society of with recruitment, data collection, North America (ISNA) transcription of interviews, focus groups, and preliminary compilation Council on American-Islamic of the quantitative and qualitative Relations (CAIR) research data. Many thanks to Liudmila Institute for Social Policy and Kirpitchenko for her research support, Understanding (ISPU) to Matteo Vergani for performing The Muslim Centre of quantitative descriptive analysis, and Detroit (Detroit, USA) Virginie Andre for using her socio- Al-Islah Islamic Centre linguistic skills to analyse interview (Hamtramck, USA) This research was funded by data from France. Masjid Mu’ath Bin Jabal an Australia Research Council Special thanks to Reem Faiq for (Hamtramck, USA) Discovery grant (ARC providing Arabic translation of the Islamic Centre of Hamtramck DP130102601), and we would interview transcriptions, Anne Faithfull (Hamtramck, USA) like to thank the Australian for compiling data on the project final Islamic House of Wisdom Research Council for their report; and Martine Hawkes and Paula (Dearborn, USA) Muraca for expert editorial assistance. Islamic Center of America support. We are grateful to Lisa Tribuzio and (Dearborn, USA) Helen Heath (Dandenong Interfaith Network) for their assistance with Tawhid Islamic Centre (France) the Melbourne fieldwork and Saeed Union of oung Muslims(France) Khan and Roohi Rahman for their kind Islamic Association Al Islah (France) assistance with the Detroit fieldwork. Organisation Against Many thanks to the mosques, Islamophobia (France) community organisations, and networks for their invaluable help CRIDAF-Pléiade, Université in organising interviews and focus Paris 13 (France) groups in the three locations. These organisations include: Finally, our thanks to all of those who have supported directly or indirectly Victorian Arabic Social Services the successful completion of this (Broadmeadows, Melbourne) project in particular those Muslim Hume Islamic Youth Centre participants across the various sites (Broadmeadows, Melbourne) individuals who opened up about their Albanian Saki Mosque personal experiences and trusted (Dandenong, Melbourne) the research team with capturing Emir Sultan mosque the complex dynamics of their inter- connected religious and, social and (Dandenong, Melbourne) political practices. Hazara Women’s Network (Dandenong, Melbourne) Greater Dandenong City Council (Dandenong, Melbourne) Australian International Academy (Coburg, Melbourne) Prof Fethi Mansouri Project Leader Deakin University Islamic (on behalf of the research team) Society (ISDU) Melbourne, April 2017 Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) Muslim Women’s Centre for Belonging and Political Engagement in Multicultural Cities 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report