DOCSLIB.ORG

Diaspora, Islam, and Belonging: Conceptualising Queer Muslim Subjectivities in Berlin

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Diaspora, Islam, and Belonging: Conceptualising Queer Muslim Subjectivities in Berlin Diaspora, Islam, and belonging: Conceptualising queer Muslim subjectivities in Berlin By Arnold Kovács Submitted to Central European University Department of Gender Studies In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Critical Gender Studies Supervisor: Dr. Nadia Jones-Gailani CEU eTD Collection Second Supervisor: Dr. Vlad Naumescu Budapest, Hungary 2020 Abstract In this thesis, I explore the formation of queer Muslim subjectivities by attending to the multi- faceted ways in which queer people of Muslim backgrounds respond to the temporal and material realities of the matrix of oppression experienced in Berlin, Germany. The project adopts a postcolonial feminist ethnographic approach in order to centre the voices of people constructed as ‘others’ and address the implications of power and positionality on representation in ethnographic knowledge production by foregrounding reflexivity. My analysis is based upon two months of extensive participant observation, as well as eight semi-structured ethnographic interviews, and an interdisciplinary theoretical framework building on scholarship from Religious Studies, Gender and Queer Studies, and Migration Studies. The thesis argues that queer people of Muslim backgrounds cultivate their selves through the articulation of their sense of belonging as they navigate the historically contingent understandings of Islam and sexuality within the context of migration and diaspora. As I further demonstrate, the differing modes of belonging carved out by queer Muslims in Berlin constitute unique ways of reacting to the material realities experienced within the German secular liberal regime. CEU eTD Collection ii Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis is the result of original research; it contains no materials accepted for any other degree in any other institution and no materials previously written and/or published by another person, except where appropriate acknowledgment is made in the form of bibliographical reference. I further declare that the following word count for this thesis are accurate: Body of thesis (all chapters excluding notes, references, appendices, etc.): 23,886 words Entire manuscript: 32,937 words Signed: Arnold Kovács CEU eTD Collection iii Acknowledgements My first words of appreciation go to Nadia. It is almost impossible to put into words how grateful I am for your emotional support, caring words and intellectual guidance throughout the past two years. You have introduced me to postcolonial theory, taught me how to listen vulnerably, and showed me that it is not possible to be a good scholar without being a good person. It is for you that I still believe in academia and knowledge production. Thank you for being the best imaginable supervisor and the most amazing person I met during my studies! Diolch yn fawr iawn! Celui de-al doilea coordonator al meu, Vlad, îți mulțumesc pentru feedback-ul tău continuu și pentru încrederea pe care o ai în munca mea! Senzitivitatea ta față de religie și suportul tău pentru interacțiunea mea cu teoria lui Asad mi-a adus confort considerabil în fața secularismului nechestionat. Thank you for my interlocutors for opening up your lives to me. This thesis would not have been possible without your trust and help. Please forgive me if I misinterpreted your words! I would also like to thank Fabian for introducing me to Berlin and Ármin for guiding me along German politics. Anna! Köszönöm, hogy mindig számíthatok rád! A hosszas beszélgetéseink és meglátásaid nélkül sokkal kevesebb lennék. I would like to give a big shout-out to the people who made my life at CEU more bearable. Thank you Albina for your friendship and for introducing me to Korean cuisine! Hakima, thank you for your friendship and the long nights of studying infused with the smell of clove and cardamom! Michelle and Watson, you brought joy to my lonely first semesters! Thank you Sahar and Ani for supporting me at times when progress seemed almost impossible. Külön köszönet Ágnesnek, Barbinak, Ilkának és Andreinek, hogy a rengeteg tennivaló közepette mindig akadt CEU eTD Collection időnk egymásra. És végül, köszönöm a családomnak, hogy a döntéseimtől függetlenül mindig és mindenben támogatnak! iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Declaration ..................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. A brief history of migration and Islam in Germany ......................................................... 4 1.2. Mapping the literature: Muslim migrants and LGBT+ Muslims in the West ................ 10 1.2.1. Muslim migrants in Germany ................................................................................. 11 1.2.2. LGBT+ Muslims in the West .................................................................................. 13 1.3. Chapter breakdown ........................................................................................................ 18 Chapter 2 Literature review .......................................................................................................... 20 2.1. Religion and the study of Islam...................................................................................... 20 2.2. Subjectivity(ies) and subject formation.......................................................................... 23 2.3. Queerness ....................................................................................................................... 26 2.4. Migration and diaspora................................................................................................... 27 2.5. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 31 CEU eTD Collection Chapter 3 Methodological considerations .................................................................................... 32 3.1. Research method ............................................................................................................ 32 v 3.2. Research design .............................................................................................................. 35 3.3. Transcription and coding ................................................................................................ 41 Chapter 4 The emergence of a modern Muslim subject ............................................................... 43 4.1. ‘Diaspora Islam’ and its subject positions...................................................................... 46 4.2. Towards a modern Muslim subjectivity ......................................................................... 53 4.3. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 5 Individualisation and the Islamic tradition ................................................................... 62 5.1. Muslim belonging and migration ................................................................................... 64 5.2. Sexuality and migration: towards the individualisation of Islam ................................... 66 5.3. Reconceptualising the Islamic tradition ......................................................................... 73 5.4. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 6 Compelling queer (Muslim) diasporic moments .......................................................... 77 6.1. Shariah, hudood, whips and lashes................................................................................. 79 6.2. Heterotopic remembrance, joy, and protest ................................................................... 83 6.3. Discussion: queer (Muslim) diasporic moments? .......................................................... 88 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 90 Appendix 1: Informed Consent Form (English version) .............................................................. 92 CEU eTD Collection Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 96 vi Chapter 1 Introduction When I first arrived in Berlin on a cold December morning in 2017, I felt an immediate affinity towards the city. Taking the S-Bahn from Schönefeld Airport to Neukölln, I distantly observed the flow of people getting on and off the city train. I spent the first day with a friend going first to a Syrian cake shop, and then through a tour of queer bookstores, followed by an afternoon prayer in Germany’s second largest mosque. We ended the day with a dinner of Lebanese hummus and falafel. My first impression of the city stood in stark contrast with the negative depictions propagated in Hungarian media starting from the summer of 2015
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Islam and Muslim Life in Current Bavarian Geography Textbooks
    Review of International Geographical Education Online ©RIGEO 2016, 6 (1), 86-110 Research Article Copyright © RIGEO 2016 To cite this article: Zecha, S.; Popp, S.; Yaşar, A. (2016). Islam and Muslim Life in Current Bavarian Geography Textbooks. RIGEO, 6 (1), 86-110. Retrieved from http://www.rigeo.org/vol6no1/Number1Spring/RIGEO-V6-N1-5.pdf Submitted: December 19, 2015 / Revised: March 3, 2016 / Accepted: March 27, 2016 Islam and Muslim Life in Current Bavarian Geography Textbooks Stefanie ZECHA1 Catholic University Eichstätt, GERMANY Stephan POPP2 Vienna University, AUSTRIA Aysun YAŞAR3 Mustafa Kemal University, TURKEY Abstract This paper investigates the Islam and Muslim life in German textbooks. The study is based on the analysis of current Geography textbooks in Bavarian secondary schools. As a first step, the authors developed a system for objective analysis of the textbooks that structures the content in categories. In a second step, the authors used the qualitative method. One category system was developed to analyze the didactical quality of the illustration to the theme Islam and Muslim life another category system was developed to analyze the different aspects of Islam and Muslim life in textbooks. Quantitative analysis shows that the book authors use a variety of illustrations, but especially photos followed by maps. The quality is generally good. Three aspects were selected for qualitative analysis: Spatial representations of Islam, Islam as a religion and Muslim people in Germany. The spatial representation of Islam across the different textbooks is very diverse. Islam is usually not presented as a European phenomenon. The presentation of Islam as an oriental phenomenon risks propagating the idea that there is no other religious group in this area.
    [Show full text]
  • Berlin - Wikipedia
    Berlin - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin Coordinates: 52°30′26″N 13°8′45″E Berlin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Berlin (/bɜːrˈlɪn, ˌbɜːr-/, German: [bɛɐ̯ˈliːn]) is the capital and the largest city of Germany as well as one of its 16 Berlin constituent states, Berlin-Brandenburg. With a State of Germany population of approximately 3.7 million,[4] Berlin is the most populous city proper in the European Union and the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union.[5] Located in northeastern Germany on the banks of the rivers Spree and Havel, it is the centre of the Berlin- Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, which has roughly 6 million residents from more than 180 nations[6][7][8][9], making it the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union.[5] Due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one- third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals and lakes.[10] First documented in the 13th century and situated at the crossing of two important historic trade routes,[11] Berlin became the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1417–1701), the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and the Third Reich (1933–1945).[12] Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world.[13] After World War II and its subsequent occupation by the victorious countries, the city was divided; East Berlin was declared capital of East Germany, while West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall [14] (1961–1989) and East German territory.
    [Show full text]
  • The Transgender-Industrial Complex
    The Transgender-Industrial Complex THE TRANSGENDER– INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX Scott Howard Antelope Hill Publishing Copyright © 2020 Scott Howard First printing 2020. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, besides select portions for quotation, without the consent of its author. Cover art by sswifty Edited by Margaret Bauer The author can be contacted at [email protected] Twitter: @HottScottHoward The publisher can be contacted at Antelopehillpublishing.com Paperback ISBN: 978-1-953730-41-1 ebook ISBN: 978-1-953730-42-8 “It’s the rush that the cockroaches get at the end of the world.” -Every Time I Die, “Ebolarama” Contents Introduction 1. All My Friends Are Going Trans 2. The Gaslight Anthem 3. Sex (Education) as a Weapon 4. Drag Me to Hell 5. The She-Male Gaze 6. What’s Love Got to Do With It? 7. Climate of Queer 8. Transforming Our World 9. Case Studies: Ireland and South Africa 10. Networks and Frameworks 11. Boas Constrictor 12. The Emperor’s New Penis 13. TERF Wars 14. Case Study: Cruel Britannia 15. Men Are From Mars, Women Have a Penis 16. Transgender, Inc. 17. Gross Domestic Products 18. Trans America: World Police 19. 50 Shades of Gay, Starring the United Nations Conclusion Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Introduction “Men who get their periods are men. Men who get pregnant and give birth are men.” The official American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Twitter account November 19th, 2019 At this point, it is safe to say that we are through the looking glass. The volume at which all things “trans”
    [Show full text]
  • Hans Christian Jasch
    STATE-DIALOGUE IN ITALY AND GERMANY FOR PROMOTING INTEGRATION OF MUSLIMS. Italy and Germany are following the example of other EU-countries and have started to establish a dialogue between the state and Muslim communities in order to promote integration. The objective of these initiatives is to develop joint and commonly owned solutions with representatives of Muslim communities, and to strengthen the moderate voices with a view to preventing radicalization. Due to divisions within and the heterogeneity of the Muslim minorities in both countries it has so far not been possible to establish single Muslim representations with genuinely representative organs. Therefore both initiatives in Italy and Germany followed a top-down approach with the Ministers of Interior carefully selecting the members of these Councils and thus establishing a forum of state- dialogue for the first time. The future will show whether this policy is successful. Hans-Christian Jasch* * The author is a Government Councillor in the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and spent 2005/6 as a fellow of the Robert-Bosch-Foundation-Bellevue-Programme in Rome in the cabinet of the Italian Minister of the Interior. Currently he is working for) the Cabinet of Vice-President of the EU-Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini, in Brussels. This article reflects only the private opinion of the author. While the presence of Muslims in Western Europe often relates to the era of colonial rule – especially Britain and France experienced significant
    [Show full text]
  • The Religious Identity of Young Muslim Women in Berlin Muslim Minorities
    The Religious Identity of Young Muslim Women in Berlin Muslim Minorities Editors Jørgen S. Nielsen, University of Copenhagen Felice Dassetto, University of Louvain-la-Neuve Aminah McCloud, DePaul University, Chicago VOLUME 14 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/mumi The Religious Identity of Young Muslim Women in Berlin An Ethnographic Study By Synnøve K.N. Bendixsen LEIDEN • BOSTON 2013 This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the prevailing CC-BY-NC License at the time of publication, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched (KU). KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality content Open Access for the public good. More information about the initiative and links to the Open Access version can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org. Financial support was received from The Research Council of Norway (NFR) and from Uni, Stein Rokkan Centre for Social Studies, Norway. Cover illustration: Graffiti on wall, Lausitzer Strasse, Kreuzberg. Photo provided by Synnøve Bendixsen. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bendixsen, Synnøve K.N. The religious identity of young Muslim women in Berlin : an ethnographic study / by Synnøve K.N. Bendixsen. p. cm. -- (Muslim minorities ; v. 14) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-22116-1 (hardback : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-90-04-25131-1 (e-book) 1. Muslim women--Relgious life--Germany--Berlin.
    [Show full text]
  • Pride Around the World Plan Your Celebrations a Community United
    ISSUE # 19 | 05.11.17 ARTUNDRESSED ART + NUDITY 7TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL DESTINATIONS: QUÉBEC FABULOUSLY FRENCH CANADIAN TOP TRAX: EMIN'S MIAMI TOUR FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD PLAN YOUR CELEBRATIONS A COMMUNITY UNITED DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about $1 a day* Keep your own dentist! NO networks to worry about No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow Coverage for over 350 procedures – including cleanings, exams, fi llings, crowns…even dentures NO annual or lifetime cap on the cash benefi ts TABLE OF CONTENTS: you can receive 8. FEATURE: ARTUNDRESSED The fusion of art and sensuality in the form of nudity is explored extensively in the upcoming 7th FREE Information Kit annual ARTundressed Festival and Wire Magazine sat down with acclaimed artist Noel to discuss the occasion. PHOTO BY PETER ARNOW. COURTESY OF KEY WEST PRIDE COURTESY PHOTO BY PETER ARNOW. 14. COVER STORY: PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD Pride is an international experience, so Wire Mag- azine brings you a special issue that offers a look at many of the celebrations dotting the globe. 20. TOP TRAX: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE Emin Araz oglu Agalarov (we'll just call him Emin) is about to do what no other Russian male singer has done before – become America's newest pop star – and he's starting with Miami. 1-866-748-4542 22. DESTINATIONS: QUÉBEC www.dental50plus.com/wire Travelers can get all the French immersion and culture they might want much closer to home and enjoy a beneficial currency exchange in Canada's Québec.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Stonewall Still Matters…
    PrideLife Magazine 2019 / pridelifemagazine 2019 @pridelife YOUR ESSENTIAL th 2020 ELECTION 50 PRIMER stonewall P.68 anniversaryspecial issue STEP INSIDE THE NIGHT OF WHY THE RIOTS STONEWALL P.50 STILL MATTERS… THE FIERCE WITH EXCLUSIVE AND TRIBUTES FROM FABULOUS Asia Kate Dillon Jesse Tyler Ferguson Madonna Christian Siriano Kamala Harris Indigo Girls Gus Kenworthy Bethany Meyers George Takei BILLY Margaret Cho Rufus Wainwright Carson Kressley Adore Delano Daya And more... PORTERP.46 PLUS! INTRODUCING THE INTERPRIDELIFE SEAL OF APPROVAL P.14 B:17.375” T:15.75” S:14.75” Important Facts About DOVATO Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, This is only a brief summary of important information about including if you: (cont’d) This is only a brief summary of important information about DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you SO MUCH GOES about your condition and treatment. take DOVATO. You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing What is the Most Important Information I Should ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing What is the Most Important Information I Should HIV-1 to your baby. Know about DOVATO? INTO WHO I AM If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and ° One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk. hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.
    [Show full text]
  • Pink Pillow – New Network of Hotels in Berlin
    pink pillow – New Network of Hotels in Berlin Berlin, 4 March 2013 | The ITB will be the official launch of the pink pillow Berlin Collection. This new initiative from visitBerlin and the Berlin hotel industry invites hotels to come out as especially welcoming to gay and lesbian visitors to Germany's capital. The pink pillow Berlin Collection provides further evidence that Berlin is a tolerant and open metropolis and one of the world's leading gay travel destinations. That´s why visitBerlin and the Berlin hotel industry wanted to strengthen the city's reputation as an attractive destination for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. The pink pillow Berlin Collection for the first time sets standards to be identified as especially welcoming. Each participating hotel of the pink pillow Berlin Collection stands for the right that everyone can be the way he wants to be and that every guest should feel safe and welcome. This unique project makes Berlin the first city in the world with a long-term LGBT tourism programme. Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, remarks: "In Berlin, tolerance is practised and all people are free to be themselves. The city has now created something new for the gay and lesbian travel market and has established a unique hotel network." Kicking off with 23 hotels in the pink pillow Berlin Collection The 23 hotels who have joined the pink pillow Berlin Collection at its launch include the nhow Berlin, the Grand Hotel Esplanade Berlin, the Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten, the Radisson Blu Hotel Berlin, and The Westin Grand Berlin.
    [Show full text]
  • GERMANY Population: 80+ Million Stonewall Global Diversity Champions: 74
    STONEWALL GLOBAL WORKPLACE BRIEFINGS 2018 GERMANY Population: 80+ million Stonewall Global Diversity Champions: 74 THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE In Stonewall’s Global Workplace Equality Index, broad legal zoning is used to group the differing challenges faced by organisations across their global operations. Germany is classified as a Zone 1 country, which means sexual acts between people of the same sex are legal and clear national employment protections exist for lesbian, gay, and bi people. Two further zones exist. In Zone 2 countries, sexual acts between people of the same sex are legal but no clear national employment protections exist on grounds of sexual orientation. In Zone 3 countries, sexual acts between people of the same sex are illegal. FREEDOM OF FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS EQUALITY AND EMPLOYMENT GENDER IDENTITY IMMIGRATION EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY Articles 5, 9 and 8 Sexual acts between people of The Equal Treatment Act The Transgender Law (1980) Section 27 (2) of the of the Constitution the same sex are legal. (2006) provides protection provides trans people the Act on the Residence, protect the general from discrimination on the right to change their legal Economic Activity rights to freedom There is an equal age of grounds of ‘sexual identity’ in name (Section 1) and/or their and Integration of of expression, consent of 14 years for sexual employment and occupation. legal gender to ‘female’ or Foreigners in the association and acts regardless of gender under ‘male’ (Section 8). Federal Territory assembly. Article 176 of the Criminal Code. The same law also provides enables family general protection from Legal gender can be changed reunification of Each of these rights Same-sex marriage was discrimination based on on all identification same-sex couples may be restricted legalised on 01 October 2017 ‘sexual identity’ in civil law documents including the if they are married or under certain specified under Section 1353 of the (Section 19) and in regard to the birth certificate if the legal their partnership is circumstances, Civil Code.
    [Show full text]
  • European Islam Challenges for Public Policy and Society
    EUROPEAN ISLAM CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND SOCIETY SAMIR AMGHAR, AMEL BOUBEKEUR, MICHAEL EMERSON (EDITORS) CHRIS ALLEN, VALERIE AMIRAUX, TUFYAL CHOUDHURY, BERNARD GODARD, IMANE KARICH, ISABELLE RIGONI OLIVIER ROY AND SARA SILVESTRI CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES BRUSSELS The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) is an independent policy research institute based in Brussels. Its mission is to produce sound analytical research leading to constructive solutions to the challenges facing Europe today. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors writing in a personal capacity and do not necessarily reflect those of CEPS or any other institution with which the authors are associated. This study was carried out in the context of the broader work programme of CEPS on European Neighbourhood Policy, and is generously supported by the Compagnia di San Paolo and the Open Society Institute. The project was initiated at a conference held in Sofia in November 2006, sponsored under International Policy Fellowship programme of the Open Society Institute. Cover photograph: Stockholm Great Mosque ISBN 13: 978-92-9079-710-4 © Copyright 2007, Centre for European Policy Studies. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior permission of the Centre for European Policy Studies. Centre for European Policy Studies Place du Congrès 1, B-1000 Brussels Tel: 32 (0) 2 229.39.11 Fax: 32 (0) 2 219.41.51 e-mail: [email protected] internet: http://www.ceps.eu CONTENTS 1.
    [Show full text]
  • 30Th ANNIVERSARY 1982 – 2012 2012 Annual Report
    International Association of Pride Organizers 30th ANNIVERSARY 1982 – 2012 2012 Annual Report InterPride Inc. – International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Pride Organizers Founded in 1982, InterPride is the world’s largest organization for organizers of Pride events. InterPride is incorporated in the State of Texas in the USA and is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organiza- tion under US law. It is funded by membership dues, sponsor- ship, merchandise sales and donations from individuals and organizations. Our Mission InterPride’s mission is to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans- gender and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride on an international level and to encourage diverse com munities to hold and attend Pride Events. InterPride increases networking, communication and education among Pride Organizations. InterPride works together with other LGBTI and Human Rights organizations. InterPride’s relationship with its member organizations is one of advice, guidance and assistance when requested. We do not have any control over, or take responsibility for, the way our member organizations conduct their events. Regional Director reports contained within this Annual Report are the words, personal accounts and opinions of the authors involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of InterPride as an organization. InterPride accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of material contained within. InterPride can be contacted via email [email protected] or via our website. www.interpride.org © 2012 InterPride Inc. Information given in this Annual Report is known to be correct at the time of production September 20th, 2012 2 © InterPride Inc. | www.interpride.org 2012 Annual Report Table of Contents Corporate Governance 4 Executive Committee 4 Regional Directors 4 Regions and Member Organizations 6 InterPride Regions 6 Member Organizations 7 InterPride Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Areas at Municipal Cemeteries in Germany and Austria1
    Studia Religiologica 50 (3) 2017, s. 203–220 doi:10.4467/20844077SR.17.013.7746 www.ejournals.eu/Studia-Religiologica Muslim Areas at Municipal Cemeteries in Germany and Austria1 Martin Klapetek Department of Philosophy and Study of Religions University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice [email protected] Abstract The paper is devoted to funeral culture and its connection to the acculturation of Muslims in German and Austrian society. The vast majority of the deceased are still transported back to their country of origin, which hampers the successful integration of their families. With regard to the establishment of specialised areas within municipal cemeteries, the significance of the process of institutionalisa- tion of Muslim organisations has become clear, as has the emphasis on experts. An increase in the number of Muslim burials in Western Europe is expected in future. Importance is also attached to the funerals of new-borns, but the long-term integration effect of such funerals on the whole family is still debatable. Problems with operation of Islamic cemeteries in Germany are influenced by con- ferring public rights on Muslim organisations. However, some examples of successful operation of Islamic cemeteries can already be found in Austria. The current situation is influenced by the need to respond to an ever-increasing number of seniors from the first generation of Muslim migrants and asylum seekers from the second half of the last century. The creation of special areas at munici- pal cemeteries may not actually constitute an expression of separation. It rather corresponds to the process of integration within a stratified society.
    [Show full text]