Monthly Archive: September 2009

Cosmo-Salafists in Europe and the Middle East 5

Cosmo-Salafists in Europe and the Middle East

Salafism can be seen as a transnational movement; originating in the Middle East it has acquired a more global outlook with local characteristics in Africa, Asia, America’s and Europe. This of course fuels the discourse of the Middle East as a hotbed for radicals but less well known is that there is a reverse influence as well. Salafis from other continents travelling to the Middle East, as is explored by journalist Alexander Weissink in a recent article.

Whose body is it anyway? | Amsterdam mayor: No Benefit with Burqa 1

Whose body is it anyway? | Amsterdam mayor: No Benefit with Burqa

It seems that, with a few notable exceptions, people in the Netherlands have been accustomed to the headscarf. The burqa or niqaab however is a different matter. As did his fellow social democrat Aboutaleb a few years ago, current mayor of Amsterdam, Cohen, stated that women with a burqa should not be allowed to receive benefit. By politicizing gender in relation to Islam, women become the core of the struggle between Muslims and native Dutch people over the control of the Muslims in the Netherlands. They have become the embodiment of the Islam debate and integration debate as well as many internal Muslim struggles.

Closing the week 39 0

Closing the week 39

A weekly round up of writings on the Internet, some relevant for my research, some political, some funny but all of them interesting (Dutch/English). (As usual to a large extent based upon suggestions from Dutch, other European, American and Middle Eastern readers. Thank you all.)

Riotous Rotterdam – Ethnography in the Netherlands 0

Riotous Rotterdam – Ethnography in the Netherlands

I don’t think there that many people from abroad who are doing ethnographic research in the Netherlands. One exception is Ms. Long, a Canadian researcher who tries to understand the relationship between Dutch Muslims and Dutch natives by looking at how people interpret their belonging (and not belong) in relation to specific places and how this is influenced by national and Islamophobic sentiments.

The headscarf all over…again 1

The headscarf all over…again

Sometimes particular debates become very irritating. In particular because they seem to return every year. The headscarf debate is probably the clearest example. Following the debates in Antwerp and among feminists the debate has also hit the Netherlands. What is at stake in this whole debate on both sides is a struggle for the right of women not to be judged on (and reduced to) their appearance but since it seems to be a debate between white, non-Muslim feminists as well it is also about something else.

Closing the week 37 0

Closing the week 37

A weekly round up of writings on the Internet, some relevant for my research, some political, some funny but all of them interesting (Dutch/English). (As usual to a large extent based upon suggestions from Dutch, other European, American and Middle Eastern readers. Thank you all.) This week special attention for Ramadan.