An anthropology of Muslims in Europe - A modest attempt by Martijn
Jokes can be funny, or not. What matters is who has the power to define what is funny and what the position of the target of the joke is. It is the transgressive quality of jokes that makes them funny but also very suitable for political uses. Which jokes are made at the responses to these jokes reveal important processes, hierarchies and discourse in society.
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 featuring the case of Roshonara Choudry.
Een wekelijks portie burgerschap. Deze week met bureaucratie, securitization en de risico-paradox
In een doorstuurmail worden moslims gewaarschuwd voor de demonstratie van de Dutch Defense League, een zusterorganisatie van de English Defense League. De EDL heeft een zeer slechte reputatie opgebouwd op basis van intimidatie, racisme, islamofobie en gewelddadige rellen. In de mail worden echter ook voorvallen waarvan het onduidelijk is of ze aan de EDL toegeschreven kunnen worden onder die noemer geplaatst. Waar de EDL verbale en fysieke intimidatie als strategie lijkt te hanteren, is het gevaar met deze mails dat er eveneens een sfeer van angst wordt geschapen die bovenop de, in sommige kringen, toch al zenuwachtige sfeer komt en bijdraagt aan het vergroten van wantrouwen.
Een wekelijks portie burgerschap. Met deze week Angela Merkel’s uitspraak ‘Multikulti ist absolut gescheitert’.
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 featuring the waning of multiculturalism in Europe.
Een wekelijks portie burgerschap. Deze week maar weer eens over de vrijheid van meningsuiting.
Religious authority – both in its abstract and concrete forms – is the research object of many disciplines, and especially for the academic study of religion, anthropology and sociology. What is religious authority exactly? Which insights are supplied by the academic discourse on this topic? The concepts that we use in studying religious authority offer a rich array of approaches which will be scrutinized in this conference. The extensive debate on concepts, such as charisma, authority, power and status, shows that ‘religious authority’ is a captivating object of research in the academic study of religion.
The trial against Geert Wilders for insulting groups and incitement to hatred is still going on. Last Friday was the last day for the Dutch prosecutors, followed by the plaintiffs on Monday and the defence on Tuesday. Is it a case of ‘killing’ the messenger?
Although anthropology is by definition ‘public’, the relationship between its practitioners and society, its social relevance and its connections with the wider audience, have always been controversial and complex. This will be the general theme of the meeting on 5 November 2010 at Ravenstein. To be sure, it is a vast and multifaceted topic.
