C L O S E R

Cosmo-Salafists in Europe and the Middle East

Posted on September 29th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Ritual and Religious Experience, Young Muslims.

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, usually for two main reasons:

1. Study
2. Hijra

Study
Young men and women travel to the Middle East for Arab language courses and/or Islamic courses. The University of Medina in Saudi Arabia is a popular venue but not always easy to get in. Other countries also offer a variety of courses. In the past Syria has been very popular for such courses; it was relatively easy to get into the country and the course fees were low or in some case the courses were almost for free. People have different motivations for attending these courses: acquiring more knowledge about Arabic language and Islam, sometimes for personal use and within their family only but also sometimes in order to become one of the ‘daiya’ (one who practices da’wa) in their country of residence. Others use their time abroad as a period of time in which they can reflect on their current existence and contemplate on how they want to lead a more fulfilling and pious life. And probably other motives exist as well. Their stay abroad in this case is always temporarily; usually after a year (those studying in Saudi Arabia will stay longer) they return to their country of residence.

Hijra
Hijra is the wish, or for some the command of God to Muslims, to return to the world of Muslims and to leave the home of the infidels. It is part of Islamic tradition but the interpretation of this command differs. Are there truly Islamic countries? Is the West in some ways not more Islamic than the countries in the Middle East? Nevertheless talk about the wish to migrate to a Muslim country is abundant but few really make the step. Popular venues in this case are, for Moroccan-Dutch Muslims, Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia although the latter is almost impossible. People expect life in those countries is easier for Muslims because Islam is embedded in daily life: one can hear the call for prayer, during the month of fasting many shops and restaurants are closed during the day and one expects they have to explain less about their lifestyle than they experience in the West. In some cases migration to the UK (in particular Birmingham, Leeds and Leicester) is seen as an alternative for or a first step towards ‘real’ hijra. Of those people who do make hijra to the Middle East, some of them return after a while. There are different reasons but often their experience in the Middle East is that they face a lot of difficulties adjusting to the culture of the country; they are more ‘Dutch’ than previously imagined or they did not prepare well enough. Other people develop some sort of ‘betwixt and between’ relationship with the West and the Middle East and travel back and forth several times a year. And of course there is a group who is perfectly happy in their new found residence and probably will stay.

Jihad
As has been reported over the years there is a group of young Muslims who (try to) go to the Middle East to receive training for engaging in a violent jihad such as in Iraq. In almost all of the cases this proves to be much more difficult than they had anticipated and many of these travels fail or do not even begin. In a few cases however people succeed to reach the battleground and really engage in, what they see as, a fight for justice. Some of them die doing so, others may return after a while.

Now it is difficult to determine what and how exactly their influence substantiates but a recent article by Dutch journalist Alexander Weissink for NRC/Handelsblad newspaper (in DUTCH and in ENGLISH) provides with some clues, also about the response of the local authorities in the Middle East who usually keep an eye on these euro-salafists.
nrc.nl – International – Features – Egypt suspicious of European language students

Young men with downy beards, caps, kneelength galabeyas and sandals sat chatting in a MacDonald’s restaurant in Nasr City, a large middle class district in the eastern part of Cairo. Women wearing concealing black garments and veils over their faces scurried around the small dusty streets between their apartments and the neighbourhood shops. They were not from here and they barely spoke any Arabic. Asking around revealed that every one of them came from Europe and most of them have North African roots.
Amidst the neighbourhood Egyptians, the European Salafists – Sunni religious fundamentalists – are outsiders. Ashraf (26), a Dutchman of Moroccan descent, came to Cairo a year ago. “To learn Arabic,” he said, “the language of my religion.” He had just visited the mosque, where many kindred spirits go to pray five times a day. A not-so-secret agent of the security service stood outside the mosque. The house of prayer is under surveillance. “We aren’t hurting anyone,” said Ashraf, whose apartment was recently searched. “We only come to study and pray.”

Apparently their is a risk of these import-salafists to become involved in illegal or even terrorist activities:
nrc.nl – International – Features – Egypt suspicious of European language students

Most students are mainly centred on themselves and their faith, but some come here with firm opinions about Islam and call anyone who sees it differently an infidel,” the director said. “We try to teach them the language so they learn to understand the true message of the Koran, but they often look for trouble. They get in with a bad crowd, visit the wrong mosque and listen to the wrong sheik.

But let’s also not forget Egypt is not a very democratic country and has in the past had major crackdowns aimed against particular Muslim groups (often related to the Muslim Brotherhood). And it indeed is probably not a coincidence that the latest crackdown occurred just before president Obama’s visit to Egypt.
nrc.nl – International – Features – Egypt suspicious of European language students

A number of students from France, Belgium and the United Kingdom for instance are suspected of involvement in a bomb attack in Cairo in February which killed a French tourist. The chief suspects – Dodi Hoxha, a French woman of Albanian descent, and Farouk Taher Ibn Abbas, a Belgian of Tunisian origin – have been subjected to heavy-handed interrogation since April, a diplomatic source reported on condition of remaining anonymous. Both studied at Al-Fajr, director Al-Gohari confirmed when asked.

The Belgian chief suspect reportedly confessed that he had been ordered to return to Belgium to prepare a bomb attack in Paris. Questions from this reporter about evidence were not answered. But an informal source in the Egyptian public prosecution department said the suspects had travelled from Egypt to the Gaza strip and became involved with extremist groups there.

Also in the past (as stated by Weissink) Egypt witnessed similar crackdowns in which European students (including one Dutch) were arrested and interrogated. One can only wonder about the role of the European intelligence and security services.

Egypt is important in this case since it seems to have replaced Syria as the most popular venue for studying Arab language and Islamic traditions. There are many schools, although the credentials are not always very clear, and certainly Cairo has a positive image as an easy to live in city. Most people I know who went there or are thinking about it, do not seem to have any violent intentions whatsoever. It would be interesting to record how these people experience their daily (religious) life over there, what they have learned from the whole experience when they return and what role (if any) they play in community life over there. Weissink’s article provides some clues but more research needs to be done about these transnational or even cosmopolitan citizens.

5 comments.

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

Posted on September 28th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues, ISIM/RU Research, Public Islam.

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. A while ago there was a debate in the Netherlands about banning the burqa from public spaces. A proposal for this by Wilders’ Party of Freedom never made it, but in the mean time the burqa and niqaab have been banned for women in public service. Working for local or national authorities, at schools and universities, the burqa/niqaab is not allowed. a decision that has been implemented without any fuss, let alone a political debate.

Now the social democratic mayor of Amsterdam, famous for his attempts to ‘keep people together’ has stated in an interview in Dutch daily Trouw:

Contrary to france, the separation of church and state never meant that public space should be free of religious expressions. […]Personally I find it terrible to see a woman walk about in a burqa. But whether or not I like it is not a criterium by which to forbid it

In situations however when contact and interaction with other people is necessary, things are different according to him:

I agree with the notion that if you cannot find work because of the burqa you can also not turn up for benefits.

The idea is similar to what current Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb (also social democrat) said in 2006 in an interview with feminist magazine Opzij:

Nobody wants to hire someone with a burqa […] In that case, I say: off with the burka and apply for work. If you don’t want to do that, that’s fine, but you don’t get a benefit payment.

Now if Cohen says he thinks a burqa is terrible, but that is not a reason to ban it, he is right of course. But if other people hate the burqa too and therefore do not want women on the working place wearing it, that is a reason to cut benefit for women with a burqa? There are not that many women wearing niqaab, let alone burqa (not that both terms are used as if they are the same) so is it that difficult to come up with a solution that fits the individual case? Do we really need a law for this or a general measure?

In 2006 and 2007 a counter campaign was run by Muslim women opposing the proposed ban on the burqa. There was an online petition and a demonstration in the Hague. The demonstration took place and the slogans used focused on themes such as freedom, personal choice and emancipation. (Interesting at that time was that a few days before this demonstration, another demonstration took place in which Afghan women also used the burqa for their statement about freedom and emancipation, but then in order not to be expelled to Afghanistan where they would be forced to wear it). As I have shown in my PhD research and also in my current research on the Salafi movement, female behaviour and body, therefore, are important symbolic boundary markers. And not only for Muslims. The teenage girls and women in my research also experienced their behaviour and attire as an important factor in the attention of native Dutch people which leads them to the perception that not only do other Muslims try to tell them how to behave and what to wear, but so also do the native Dutch. 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.

Will be continued probably.

1 comment.

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

Posted on September 28th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues, ISIM/RU Research, Public Islam.

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. A while ago there was a debate in the Netherlands about banning the burqa from public spaces. A proposal for this by Wilders’ Party of Freedom never made it, but in the mean time the burqa and niqaab have been banned for women in public service. Working for local or national authorities, at schools and universities, the burqa/niqaab is not allowed. a decision that has been implemented without any fuss, let alone a political debate.

Now the social democratic mayor of Amsterdam, famous for his attempts to ‘keep people together’ has stated in an interview in Dutch daily Trouw:

Contrary to france, the separation of church and state never meant that public space should be free of religious expressions. […]Personally I find it terrible to see a woman walk about in a burqa. But whether or not I like it is not a criterium by which to forbid it

In situations however when contact and interaction with other people is necessary, things are different according to him:

I agree with the notion that if you cannot find work because of the burqa you can also not turn up for benefits.

The idea is similar to what current Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb (also social democrat) said in 2006 in an interview with feminist magazine Opzij:

Nobody wants to hire someone with a burqa […] In that case, I say: off with the burka and apply for work. If you don’t want to do that, that’s fine, but you don’t get a benefit payment.

Now if Cohen says he thinks a burqa is terrible, but that is not a reason to ban it, he is right of course. But if other people hate the burqa too and therefore do not want women on the working place wearing it, that is a reason to cut benefit for women with a burqa? There are not that many women wearing niqaab, let alone burqa (not that both terms are used as if they are the same) so is it that difficult to come up with a solution that fits the individual case? Do we really need a law for this or a general measure?

In 2006 and 2007 a counter campaign was run by Muslim women opposing the proposed ban on the burqa. There was an online petition and a demonstration in the Hague. The demonstration took place and the slogans used focused on themes such as freedom, personal choice and emancipation. (Interesting at that time was that a few days before this demonstration, another demonstration took place in which Afghan women also used the burqa for their statement about freedom and emancipation, but then in order not to be expelled to Afghanistan where they would be forced to wear it). As I have shown in my PhD research and also in my current research on the Salafi movement, female behaviour and body, therefore, are important symbolic boundary markers. And not only for Muslims. The teenage girls and women in my research also experienced their behaviour and attire as an important factor in the attention of native Dutch people which leads them to the perception that not only do other Muslims try to tell them how to behave and what to wear, but so also do the native Dutch. 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.

Will be continued probably.

1 comment.

Closing the week 39

Posted on September 28th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Most popular at Closer this week:

1. Closing the week 38 – Featuring Ramadan 2009: Eat and Meet
2. Islamizing Europe – Muslim Demographics
3. Riotous Roterdam – Ethnography in the Netherlands

If you want to stay updated and did not subscribe yet, you can do so HERE

Hijab issues
Hijab permitted at world championship after law change – The National Newspaper

Hijab permitted at world championship after law change

Zoë Griffiths

The head of the UAE taekwondo team has praised the sport’s governing body after it allowed Mulsim women to wear the hijab at the forthcoming world championship.

The Permission to Narrate « Nuseiba

What interested me was the assumption of these women to debate the issue of the hijab (whatever forms of it) and the experiences of Muslim women without involving a practicing Muslim woman who observes the hijab or at least be a part of the community and faith that practices it, and thus be more qualified on the subject.

altmuslim – Clothing bans: Burqini blues

Those who wish ban the Burqini, as is happening in Europe, should simply say, “We don’t like Muslims swimming in our pools.” Any other justification, such as hygiene or “disturbing small children” simply doesn’t hold water.

Islam in Europe: Belgium: Headscarf update

The Forum, which unites more than 30 Flemish organizations, was set up after the headscarf ban. The organizations include Leidraad, vzw Vrije Keuze, AEL and imam Nordine Taouil. The Forum says they advocate active pluralism in society and oppose the headscarf ban for students.

The Forum says they’ve received dozens of complaints from girls in various provinces.

Islam in Europe: Spain: Judge refuses to hear testimony from burqa wearer

Judge refuses to hear testimony from burqa wearer

In a similar case in Denmark the judges focused on being able to identify the witness, but did not say anything about being able to judge the veracity of the witness’ testimony.

Sveriges Radio International – English — Engelska

Education Minister Jan Björklund says he doesn’t want to legislate against the use of headscarves, niqab, and burkas in Swedish schools.

Teachers unions have called for common rules for teachers and teaching students working in the Swedish education system, as it is currently up to each school to decide, which can sometimes cause conflict with students and teachers.

In a recent case a niqab-wearing teaching student was told that she couldn’t wear the face-covering head scarf by a school she was going to work in.

Anthropology
New bibliography: Media in Everyday Life « media/anthropology

This is the list of course readings and other resources that I’ve put together for my new module at Sheffield Hallam University entitled “Media in Everyday Life”. As always, further suggestions are very welcome.

Your virtual you « Anthromodernity

There is a debate in Swedish news media regarding diseased peoples facebook profiles, do we honour them by letting the profile remain as a virtual bversion of the deas person, or is it simply disrespectful? In the infomation age – death is no longer definite.

anthropologyworks » American Anthropologist launches “Public Anthropology Reviews”

Public Anthropology Reviews will highlight anthropological work principally aimed at non-academic audiences, including websites, blogs, white papers, journalistic articles, briefing reports, online videos, and multimedia presentations. The editors will also consider other traditional and innovative mechanisms for communicating anthropological research and concepts outside of academic realms and welcome suggestions. Please note that this review section will complement existing review sections and will therefore not review books, films or museum exhibits.

The Prism

Last week marked eight years since September 11, 2001. The internet is a medium that lends itself to all sorts of ideas and projects, and the collective memorization of 9/11 is one of them. Last Friday I was sifting through different sites, paying attention to the vast stories, reflections, and memories that people have of that day. Here are just a few examples of how this event has been remembered, carried on, reflected upon, and disseminated:

Misc.
Al-Qaida and the German Elections — jihadica

I think al-Qaida would not issue all these messages if something really big was in the making in the next few days, precisely because media offensives put intelligence services on high alert.

My guess is that these messages are primarily intended to influence German public opinion at a crucial juncture in the Western campaign in Afghanistan. Germany is a pivotal player in the coalition; her withdrawal could initiate a vicious (or virtuous, depending on one’s preferences) circle of European withdrawals from the Afghanistan enterprise. Al Qaida is focusing the weakest link in the coalition, just as the Madrid bombers were advised to do.

Dutch

Haagse As–Soennah moskee matigt toon – Regio – Reformatorisch Dagblad

De boodschap van de radicale as–Soennah moskee in Den Haag is onder invloed van het nieuwe bestuur gematigder van toon. Ook neemt de moskee sindsdien afstand van het aanwenden van geweld. Dat schrijft burgemeester Van Aartsen maandag op vragen van de VVD en SP. Volgens Van Aartsen komt de AIVD tot eenzelfde conclusie.

„Wij stellen vast dat de toon en de inhoud van de preken in de afgelopen periode is aangepast en dat de woordvoerders en imam van de moskee zich in het openbaar gematigder uitlaten”, zo laat Van Aartsen de gemeenteraad weten.

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Riotous Rotterdam – Ethnography in the Netherlands

Posted on September 21st, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: anthropology, Blogosphere, Multiculti Issues.

I don’t think there that many people from abroad who are doing ethnographic research in the Netherlands. Which is a pity. The country is small, travelling is easy and Dutch may seem a difficult language but many people also speak (some kind of) English. In particular with regard to integration, islam, radicalization, migrants, multiculturalism and so on, a lot is happening here and many of the transnational debates about these issues have a particular local flavor.

One of the exceptions doing research here is Ms. Long from Canada. Her Ph.D project on constructing national identity through space in the Netherlands aims at understanding 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.

Besides this very interesting topic she also holds a weblog: Riotous Rotterdam where she blogs about her experiences as a researcher, PhD student, migrant and so on. The next entry is exemplary in the sense that it not only combines all those aspects and also makes clear what good ethnographic research is about:

Riotous Rotterdam: Lost in Transit

I followed all the steps to buy a ticket at the machine (the station is under construction so there is no ticketbooth with an actual person) yet when I went to pay, none of my cards would work! Debit yes, but only for a Dutch bank, Chipcard yes (of which I own one) but it didn’t have the 24 Euros on it that I needed to get to Amsterdam Centraal. After fidgeting and becoming exasperated I noticed that a line had accumulated behind me and I tried to cancel out of my purchase so others could go ahead of me. Just when I thought all is lost, the man behind me asked if he could help. He ended up purchasing my ticket on his card to which I gave him money – Thank goodness. As it turns out this man was an audio technician who has travelled all over the world creating speaking podiums, concert halls, and the like. He had spent much time in Iran and had an opinion on the state of affairs in Rotterdam with regard to how Muslims living here choose their identity. He believed that religious identity had become a cultural identity for some, and that the distinction between these identities was lost to both those adopting the label ‘Muslim’ and those native Dutch who conflated the religious and cultural identities of individuals. Heavy talk for 10 in the morning but it works for me!

This man also informed me that my ticket to Amsterdam Centraal would not take me to the station that I was trying to go to, Amsterdam-Sloterdijk. The conductor on the train also surmised that I would have to get out and buy the extra ticket at the Central train station that would take me the one train stop further or I could take my chances with the next conductor who would switch over at the Centraal station. ‘It’s okay’, he said, ‘you have 5 minutes between when we arrive and when we leave again, so you can run to get your ticket’. Great.

So our train arrives and I’m waiting by the doors. I run downstairs to the ticket machines and search on the screen for Sloterdijk…Sloterdijk…Sloterdijk…but it’s nowhere. Arg! So I queue up with other passengers to ask at the information desk. The line-up took a while and when I finally told her my issue, she gave me a mothering look, “well that’s because you’re looking for Amsterdam-Sloterdijk, darling” Ah, yes, I should have known. So back to the machine, I go through all the steps (which station, first or second class, single or return, full price or discount) when I realise…this machine ALSO doesn’t take any of my cards and while it was only 2,20 Euros to the next stop…I was 30 cents short! So I walked into the nearest shop to purchase a small drink to get change meanwhile giving up on the idea that I would make the same train but that I would catch the next one. Wait in line, purchase a water, walk back to the ticket machine, purchase the ticket, walk slowly to the train listing on the wall when I realise…I still had one minute to make the train! So I’m running back through the station up platform 8a run up the flight of stairs just in time…to see the doors close and the train pull away.

I should also add that throughout the rest of the day I proceeded to lock myself out of my mobile (the mobile I have here has a pin code that I must be entered when it’s turned back on which I forgot in the safety of my room in Rotterdam), mix-up where I was suppose to check out of the metro thus docking my Chipcard to the point where I couldn’t afford another route (so I got off and tried to walk, got lost and fed up, got back on the tram and paid for another ticket) and then had to pay for both internet time and a pay phone card in order to meet with my colleague who is doing research in Amsterdam. Phew. If it feels like a wild ride just reading the blog I was very very very tired yesterday when I finally stepped back into the flat. Although I was lost in/through/around transit at points during my day, I did make some wonderful contacts and learn quite a lot. I look forward to the next time I visit Amsterdam…but maybe next time I’ll take a smoother ride.

Ok, forget what I wrote about ‘easy travelling’ but it is exactly these kind of experiences that makes ethnography difficult, exhausting and so rewarding.

Ms. Long also has a colleague who does ethnographic research in Poland and yes she is also blogging about it.
Notorious Nowa Huta

Using Nowa Huta as a case study, my research looks at the changes that have taken place in Poland over the past twenty years, the ways in which people of different generations remember the socialist past, and what their memories can tell us about people’s lives in contemporary Poland.

Both researches and blogs are very interesting to monitor which I certainly will do for the time to come. And if there are other researchers from abroad working in the Netherlands I would love to hear it!

0 comments.

Closing the week 38 – Featuring Ramadan 2009: Eat and Meet

Posted on September 19th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Most popular on Closer this week:

1. Islamizing Europe – Muslim Demographics
2. The headscarf all over…again
3. AIVD – Stagnatie groei salafisme?

If you want to stay updated and did not subscribe yet, you can do so HERE

Featuring Ramadan – Eat & Meet
Dutch Muslims welcome non-Muslims to iftar dinners | Top News

Thousands of non-Muslims are to dine with Muslim families during the month of Ramadan as part of an intercultural dialogue festival in the Netherlands.

National : In Aminabad, Muslim women enjoy Iftar prepared by Hindus : 671142

Hundreds of women rozedars, who gather at the busy Aminabad area here for an all-women special namaz, end their fast with delicacies prepared by Hindus.
In a unique event at the historical&aposzanana (female) park’, Muslim women gather for the’ Salatut Tasbeeh&aposnamaz , held annually under the aegis of Bazm-e-khawateen.

The namaz is followed by Iftar, which is monitored by Hindu members of the Bazm.

“At a time when grand feasts are organised by various organisations and political parties all through Ramzan, the one at the Zanana park is different as our Hindu sisters prepare for the feast at home and bring food for us,”says president of the Bazm-e-khawateen, Begum Shahnaz Sidrat.

altmuslimah.com – eid prayer: Thoughts on women and the Eid prayer

I’ve been mulling over this topic since the beginning of Ramadan really, wondering how to broach it. For a few years now, (since I married and my husband educated me on the undeniable proofs) my attempts to get other women to attend the Eidgah have been just that – attempts. Feeble one’s.

Gender
At home in Morocco with an Islamist…and a feminist | Worldfocus

At home in Morocco with an Islamist…and a feminist

Madame Nadia Yassine is the public face of a Moroccan Islamist association. She describes the social and political goals of her organization and the situation of women in Morocco.

Indigo Jo Blogs » Former K-Towners who leave Islam

Recently sister Safiya (Outlines) posted an article about the situation of women who got hurt in the Kharabsheh or “K-Town” community in Jordan; this is the community of Shaikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller’s students who settle in or around his zawiya. One recurring theme, in a comment on that entry and on a blog linked off that entry ([1], [2]), is that there have been a few women who have left Islam after having a miserable time there.

[…]

The theme of someone leaving Islam after coming to associate it with a particularly unpleasant or rigid variant is not new — the essay The Wahhabi who Loved Beauty gives an example from Saudi Arabia — but it’s not an excuse at the end of the day; a person may be forgiven for it if it’s temporary, but at the end of the day accepting Truth is a duty and this means accepting that the extreme behaviour of one group is not the same as Islam itself. However, the majority of those who have defected from the community in Jordan appear not to have left Islam. I’ve been in contact with one of them. She’s still Muslim and still bringing her kids up Muslim. She’s also quite close to the group which has been bringing scholars from the Middle East to the UK (and perhaps North America) for years. It’s not a conspiracy against Sufism or traditional Islam, which is what I thought it might have been when the allegations started surfacing on Umar Lee’s blog and later on Salafi Burnout early this year. Even if most of the “speaking out” is done anonymously, I know who this woman is and I have no reason to disbelieve her.

Of course, wearing niqab and abstaining from TV are quite legitimate positions in Islam; Shaikh Nuh’s tariqa is not the first I’ve come across who hold to them. It’s not that women are being told to wear niqab and otherwise unostentatious clothing or obey their husbands. The problem seems to be the backbiting and spying, and the fact that serious marital problems, often the men’s fault, are blamed on the women, some of whom have been deceived into marrying in the first place. I can’t personally accuse Shaikh Nuh or the two women involved of anything because I have only met them briefly and my encounters with them were pleasant, but these problems are real and cannot be brushed under the carpet for much longer, even though this is not a cult, let alone a Jonestown type affair, but a dysfunctional tariqa group. It’s not about women leaving Islam; it’s about Muslim women getting hurt, and it risks undoing a lot of the good work that has been done to promote classical Islam and Sufism since the 1990s.

Islamophobia / Eurabia
A culture of fear | Books | The Guardian

A culture of fear

Liberal spaces within Europe have brought many more Muslim women out of their old confinements Europe is at risk of being ‘colonised’ by its Muslim populations, argue a number of bestselling new books, acclaimed across the political spectrum. How has such hysteria gone unchallenged? Pankaj Mishra on the ‘Eurabia-mongers’

Mark Steel: So has anyone really been ‘Islamified’ against their will? – Mark Steel, Commentators – The Independent

There’s something touchingly innocent about the argument put forward by many people that the BNP should be allowed space in the mainstream media as this will “expose their ignorant ideas”. Because history doesn’t necessarily prove this to be the case. I don’t suppose that, in 1941, many people thought: “You see, this is all working to plan. Now he’s invaded Russia everyone will see just what an idiot this Hitler really is.”

The arguments of the far-right groups are already obviously ridiculous. The latest slogan they march under is “Stop the Islamification of England”. But how many people have had their lives Islamified against their will?

Don’t repeat this mistake | Yahya Birt | Comment is free | The Guardian

Don’t repeat this mistake

The government should not use the same flawed tactics with the far right that it used on Muslims.

The Rise and Fall of the Salafi Movement
Rise and Fall of The Salafi Movement ( Complete) « Umar Lee

I had taken all in this ten-part series off of my page and only left the last page which is where the comments are. This is the entire series plus some my clarification and an introduction from a sister.

Dutch

’Terug in de tijd met verbod op familiehuwelijk’ – Trouw

’Terug in de tijd met verbod op familiehuwelijk’

Maatregel tegen importbruiden

Het kabinet wil neef-nichthuwelijken verbieden. „Een stap terug in de tijd”, zegt Masha Antokolskaia, hoogleraar familierecht van de VU.

Islamcritici: Wilders slaat plank mis met hoofddoektaks – Trouw

Islamcritici: Wilders slaat plank mis met hoofddoektaks
PVV-voorman Geert Wilders.

Met de hoofddoekenbelasting leidt Wilders de aandacht af van het echte probleem, zeggen islamcritici: de islamisering van de openbare ruimte

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1 comment.

New Muslim Cool

Posted on September 15th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Arts & culture, Multiculti Issues, Youth culture (as a practice).

A documentary about Jason Perez, an American man who’s a rapper, educator, father, Muslim, husband and idealist who is trying to get away from his old life with gangs and drugs. The documentary is not a typical feel good film but also moves beyond the usual stereotypes showing the reproduction and transformation of cultural repertoires. Great film and probably useful for teaching purposes as well.

You can watch the trailer here:

[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne-dhZckbIk /]

The website New Muslim Cool has the DVD along with an educational toolkit (incl. lessons plans).

0 comments.

Protected: 'Innovators en Zondaars': kritiek en repliek

Posted on September 15th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

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Protected: ‘Innovators en Zondaars’: kritiek en repliek

Posted on September 15th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

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The headscarf all over…again

Posted on September 14th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues.

Sometimes particular debates become very irritating. In particular because they seem to return every year. This time in Europe the Belgian case makes headlines. There has been a row in Antwerp about the banning of headscarves on one of the schools triggering all kinds of protests among Muslims and others. Yesterday the Council of State (the highest advisory body) in Belgium stated (after an official protest of a Muslim girl) that individual schools cannot ban the headscarf. The result is now that the network of community schools in Belgium (Flanders) decided to ban the headscarf in all schools. Already 1/3 of the 700 schools belonging to this network has such a ban; for the rest a transitional period of one year will applied. The ban does not only apply to headscarfs but to all religious symbols.

Then in several newspapers and all over the internet a debate about the headscarf is going on that started with an article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Naomi Wolfe.Behind the veil lives a thriving Muslim sexuality – Opinion – smh.com.au

Ideological battles are often waged with women’s bodies as their emblems, and Western Islamophobia is no exception. When France banned headscarves in schools, it used the hijab as a proxy for Western values in general, including the appropriate status of women. When Americans were being prepared for the invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban were demonised for denying cosmetics and hair colour to women; when the Taliban were overthrown, Western writers often noted that women had taken off their scarves.

A clear and justified point by Wolfe although nothing new here. She then goes on by talking about her own experiences of travelling in Muslim countries:
Behind the veil lives a thriving Muslim sexuality – Opinion – smh.com.au

The West interprets veiling as repression of women and suppression of their sexuality. But when I travelled in Muslim countries and was invited to join a discussion in women-only settings within Muslim homes, I learned that Muslim attitudes toward women’s appearance and sexuality are not rooted in repression, but in a strong sense of public versus private, of what is due to God and what is due to one’s husband. It is not that Islam suppresses sexuality, but that it embodies a strongly developed sense of its appropriate channelling – toward marriage, the bonds that sustain family life, and the attachment that secures a home.

Behind the veil lives a thriving Muslim sexuality – Opinion – smh.com.au

The Western Christian tradition portrays all sexuality, even married sexuality, as sinful. Islam and Judaism never had that same kind of mind-body split. So, in both cultures, sexuality channeled into marriage and family life is seen as a source of great blessing, sanctioned by God.

This may explain why both Muslim and Orthodox Jewish women not only describe a sense of being liberated by their modest clothing and covered hair, but also express much higher levels of sensual joy in their married lives than is common in the West. When sexuality is kept private and directed in ways seen as sacred – and when one’s husband isn’t seeing his wife (or other women) half-naked all day long – one can feel great power and intensity when the headscarf or the chador comes off in the the home.

Among healthy young men in the West, who grow up on pornography and sexual imagery on every street corner, reduced libido is a growing epidemic, so it is easy to imagine the power that sexuality can carry in a more modest culture. And it is worth understanding the positive experiences that women – and men – can have in cultures where sexuality is more conservatively directed.

I do not mean to dismiss the many women leaders in the Muslim world who regard veiling as a means of controlling women. Choice is everything. But Westerners should recognise that when a woman in France or Britain chooses a veil, it is not necessarily a sign of her repression. And, more importantly, when you choose your own miniskirt and halter top – in a Western culture in which women are not so free to age, to be respected as mothers, workers or spiritual beings, and to disregard Madison Avenue – it’s worth thinking in a more nuanced way about what female freedom really means.

This has led Meghan Daum in the LA Times to contrast Wolfe’s piece with the case of Lubna Hussein who has been punished for wearing pants in Sudan, labelled as ‘indecent clothing’. The chador and feminism don’t always fit — latimes.com

But if equating the hijab with patriarchal oppression is reductive and reactionary, romanticizing it is even more so, and the case of Lubna Hussein is a reminder of that. As Wolf’s experience suggests, it’s fun to dress up if you’re truly dressing up, if the fabric that covers you feels more like a fun costume than a state- enforced shield against arrest or worse. Miniskirts may represent their own kind of tyranny, but in this country we have a way of fighting back: We can wear something else.

Also this reminder is a valid issue in itself of course. 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:
Of Burkas And Bikinis: Exercise, Body Image, And The Veil – Veil – Jezebel

Wolf seems to want to show how different Muslim women are from non-Muslims, how much freer and even sexier life is when lived in modest dress. But really, women face many of the same pressures, veiled or not. As much as Westerners like to talk about the oppressive Middle East, much of the same sexism is visible here. And as much as Wolf trumpets the freedom of modesty, restrictive beauty standards may affect Muslim women too. Rather than romanticizing the veil, as Wolf does, or banning it, as France threatens, we should be campaigning to keep women from being judged on how they look — just one of many issues that affect all of us.

Furthermore it is also a debate on feminism and between (white, non-Muslim) feminists. This brings us to the Netherlands where, probably as the result of the Belgian debate, the headscarf is also an issue again. Green-Left leader Femke Halsema stated in an interview:
Islam in Europe: Quote: ‘Islam is a problem’

Q: What do you think of the headscarf?

A: No objection against it, as long as it’s put on freely

Q: What do you think of it?

A: I think it’s really a pity that women hide their pretty hair

Q: That’s it?

A: No. I say that out of playfulness. When I come to my children’s school it’s difficult for me – I really come straight out of the feminist movement – that I then sit among all types of veiled women. I will not attack their rights in there. But I can’t wait for the moment when they’ll freely fling off their headscarf. I prefer each woman in the Netherlands to be headscarf-less. And completely free. I don’t believe that any God has clothing requirements too. It was the men who expounded faith.

You don’t coerce women’s emancipation from the top. It must come from the woman herself. I have said that police agents should be able to wear headscarves. I have quarreled with Ciska Dresselhuys, who did not want to accept any woman with a headscarf for Opzij magazine. That that doesn’t alter the fact that I have difficulties with the headscarf.

I notice it in my neighborhood: Naturally Islam is a problem. Indeed, especially Islam in combination with illiteracy. It is: having few opinions of your own about the good life. Not having much foothold in education and work, fearing our society and thereby being very receptive to what the imam thinks. Who is often very conservative.

There have been many reactions on this interview ranging from journalist Bennema who in an article (Hooray for the headscarf) calls for solidarity by wearing a headscarf and calls Halsema narrow minded. Halsema is being accused of aligning with the islam-bashers (I don’t think that is true and the statement is actually problematic in itself and exemplary of the whole islam debate). The reaction of salafi imam Fawaz Jneid on the interview with Halsema will probably yield controversy in itself as he asks the question of which women are more often the target of rape and sexual intimidation; veiled or non-veiled women. Furthermore he asks her if she does not realize that the headscarf makes women feel safe and produces respect (besides that, according to him, it is an obligation for women as stated by God). The interview also produced reactions from the social democrats such as Ahmed Marcouch on Twitter who stated ‘Dear Femke, the Islam is NO problem!! A (little) headscarf isn’t either!’ and by feminist and socialist party senator Anja Meulenbelt who stated that Muslim girls are working hard to conquer their place in society and now they get attacked by the leader of the Green Left.

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Closing the week 37

Posted on September 13th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Most popular on Closer this week

1. AIVD – Stagnatie groei salafisme?
2. Islamizing Europe – Muslim Demographics
3. Eigenheid of Eigenzinnigheid in Ede

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Ramadan

altmuslimah.com – Family: Ramadan: A wife’s perspective (and a husband’s)

By Zehra Rizavi and Yusif Akhund, September 11, 2009
When my husband finally makes his way down the stairs, my frustration abates and he and I sit across from each other and share our early morning meal. We speak intermittently and keep one eye trained on the clock to ensure we finish our food by the time dawn prayers begin. Despite the sparse conversation and the hurried meal, I enjoy the feeling that we are both beginning our obligatory fasts together, as a unit.

Ramadan 2009 – The Big Picture – Boston.com

Ramadan 2009
In Muslim nations and regions around the globe, this is the first week of the holy month of Ramadan, a time for followers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity during the day, breaking their fast each sunset, with traditional meals and sweets. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran, to give freely to those in need, and strengthen their ties to God through prayer. The goal of the fast is to teach humility, patience and sacrifice, and to ask forgiveness, practice self-restraint, and pray for guidance in the future. This year, Ramadan will continue until Saturday, September 19th

Anthropology
Sexual mutilation and ethnocentrism – Open Anthropology Cooperative

I have a question which concerns a quite recent controversy about ethnocentrism, that has been raised by the the French ethno-psychiatrist Tobie Nathan. In fact, I am looking for the writings in which he says that we cannot condemn (morally and politically) practices of sexual mutilation in certain countries of the South, because this kind of assessment would be a new and hidden form of ethnocentrism. I know that his position has been criticized by other French anthropologists, but I don’t know who and where. That’s why I would like to find these texts too, at least the most significant ones, and have a global view on this debate.

Language Log » Whatever

In fact, whatever has come to be seen as a mark of disaffected young people all over the U.S., conveying apathy, dismissiveness, and a variety of related attitudes (lack of commitment, refusal to make discriminations, and so on) that draw scorn from all sorts of sources. Predictably, some of these sources grossly exaggerate the prevalence of whatever, as in this Urban Dictionary entry from 2003:
[…]

Language Log has looked at whatever as a symptom of what’s wrong with young people — “whateverist nomads” — these days: first in a critique by Geoff Pullum of Naomi Baron’s alarmist outcries about the dire effects of cellphones, texting, and the like; then in light-hearted follow-ups by Roger Shuy (it’s not electronic media that are at fault, but crossword puzzles) and Mark Liberman (in the comics: is youth slang the death of us?).

Visual Anthropology of Japan: Blog writers beware!

An academic blogger critiquing a government funded study, albeit done by his rival it seems, is being sued! Beware of Japanese libel laws! Can academic critique be grounds for a libel case in Japan? Even if the defendant is found innocent, as he most likely will be, the idea that this case actually is going to court and the costs involved are ridiculous.

anthropologyworks » Are teens subconscious online racists?

it seems to me that a person’s race, ethnicity and class surely shape her or his practical, technical, and aesthetic preferences. How could it be otherwise?

Boyd challenges us to recognize that our everyday practices on the internet – from the way we type to the layouts we prefer, even our sense of humor and aesthetic taste – separate us along racial and social lines from people we have never known, seen, or interacted with.

For me, the bottom line is: Are social networking choices political? Ethnographic methods, which can get beyond the surface of what people say about what they do and why they do it, often reveal patterns that may be subconscious. Ethnographic data can be a rude awakening, but it can reveal to us the unintended effects of our choices.

Anthropology 2.0 « Anthromodernity

I created a Facebook profile. I concluded my research days logging in to the Facebook chat where I always found someone of my informants. The social network profile became a tool of great utility for me, facilitating me in keeping contact with informants on a regular basis. Time of the day when we did not find actual time to meet me in real life we could spend time online chatting on Facebook. I thought about call these meetings to have taken place in virtual time, since the take place virtually not phisically, but I see the philosophical contradiction in time being virtual since time is actual…

The increasing feminization of anthropology

Have you been in an anthropology class / course with more men then women? I haven’t. In both Norway, Germany and Switzerland (pluss many other places incl South Africa, I heard), the gender balance between men and women is around 25-75. Eli Thorkelson, graduate student in cultural anthropology in Chicago, gives us some statistics from American universities that present a similar picture. But as she shows, it hasn’t always been like this. And according to her, we witness both an increasing feminization of anthropology and an ongoing masculine bias.

Middle East

What does the political science literature on civil wars really say about Iraq? | Marc Lynch

The most interesting panel which I attended at the American Political Science Association’s annual meeting in Toronto was on the state of the field of the study of civil wars and genocide. A diverse group of top scholars in the field — Scott Straus, Ben Valentino, Elizabeth Wood, Barbara Walter, and Stathis Kalyvas — offered an overview of the evolution of the field which demonstrates how much rich, useful knowledge has been produced over the last decade. But what most caught my attention — and led me to join the discussion from the floor — was a discussion of the applicability of the literature to Iraq sparked by Barbara Walter’s presentation.

9/11
Explaining 9/11 to a Muslim Child – Motherlode Blog – NYTimes.com

Explaining 9/11 to a Muslim Child
By Lisa Belkin

This day will always bring more questions than answers. How to explain to your child what happened on a crystalline morning eight years ago? And if your child is Muslim, those questions have added layers, and more complicated answers. In a guest blog today, Moina Noor (a freelance journalist who blogs about public education at NorwalkNet.com) describes trying to make sense of it for her young son, while still trying to understand it all herself.

Europe
Belgium – Parliamentarians with Headscarves : Euro-Islam: News and Analysis on Islam in Europe and the United States

26-year-old Mahinur Özdemir is the first woman to enter a parliament in Europe with a headscarf. The daughter of a Turkish green grocer in Brussels immigrant quarter Schaarbeek,she is the youngest delegate in Brussels new regional parliament.Not only in Belgium,the headscarf has fueled discussion about religious symbols in public,about tolerance,and about integration policies. A portrait of a young woman who was born in Belgium and now sees herself as a representative of a new,self-confident Belgian Muslim immigrant generation.

Dutch
Jong – Ik ben een rechtlijnige moslima

Oem Imran draagt een niqaab. Als ze de straat opgaat, is haar hele lichaam bedekt met een zwart gewaad; alleen haar ogen zijn zichtbaar. Ze zegt: “Ik heb er lak aan wat mensen denken, ik leef toch niet voor de mensen op deze wereld.”

Sinds 11 september 2001 is de angst voor moslims en de islam toegenomen. Het dragen van een burka of niqaab levert vaak negatieve reacties op. Presentator Manuel Venderbos trekt een paar dagen op met Oem Imran om te zien hoe zij leeft en denkt. Manuel bezoekt haar thuis en gaat op straat de discussie aan met omstanders. Een ontmoeting met oud-klasgenoten levert verrassende inzichten op. Maar de echte klapper is dat Oem Imran heel graag wil schieten op een schietvereniging.

Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep » Archief » Da’wah on the streets

Da’wah on the streets 07-09-09

door Halima Taoinza

Wanneer ik vroeger aan het woord da’wah dacht, kwam direct de gedachte bij me op van mensen die de boodschap van de Islam verkondigden op een vurige en eloquente wijze. Toen ik een filmpje had gezien over moslimpredikers die in Hyde Park in Londen tussen allerlei mensen in stonden en dingen zeiden als “Islam is the truth,” en “Why should you be a Muslim“, was mijn beeld compleet. Later leerde ik dat da’wah niet alleen een kwestie is van welbespraaktheid of mensen direct aanspreken en hen proberen te overtuigen van de waarheid, maar dat da’wah een levensstijl is en dat elke moslim dit kan doen op zijn of haar eigen manier. Alles wat je doet of zegt als moslim, kan een aanleiding voor iemand zijn om nader tot de islam te komen of zich er juist van af te wenden. Een wijs persoon zei eens dat de beste da’wah die van je daden is. Doe wat je moet doen en mensen zullen vanzelf onder de indruk raken.

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AIVD – Stagnatie groei salafisme?

Posted on September 10th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Volgens het journaal stelt de AIVD dat de groei van het salafisme in Nederland stagneert:

De groei van het salafisme, een ultraorthodoxe stroming in de islam, stagneert in Nederland. Dat concludeert de inlichtingendienst AIVD. Aanhangers van het salafisme willen terug naar de ‘zuivere’ islam van de begintijd (rond 600 na Christus) en leven strikt naar de wetten uit deze tijd.

Twee jaar geleden waarschuwde de AIVD nog voor de toenemende invloed van salafistische imams op Nederlandse moslims. Niet omdat ze oproepen tot geweld, maar omdat ze met hun afwijzing van de Westerse samenleving de integratie van moslims belemmeren. De AIVD vreesde toen dat het salafisme zou uitgroeien tot een beweging.

Uit een recent onderzoek van de AIVD blijkt dat dit niet gebeurt. “Onze belangrijkste conclusie is dat de groei stagneert. Het leidt niet tot een brede verspreiding en dat was vooral onze zorg”, zegt Wil van Gemert, directeur binnenlandse veiligheid van de AIVD.

Hypocriet
Volgens de inlichtingendienst zijn er verschillende oorzaken voor de afgenomen groei van het salafisme. Zo krijgen de salafistische centra nauwelijks meer subsidies. Ook wordt er vanuit de allochtone gemeenschap meer tegengas gegeven. Niet alleen door gematigde moslims maar ook door niet-gelovigen en orthodoxe moslims die sommige predikers hypocriet vinden omdat ze zich zelf niet aan hun strenge regels houden.

Verder ziet de AIVD dat jonge salafistische moslims na verloop van tijd weer uittreden. “Ze zeggen dat dit niet past in een Westerse samenleving, dat het niet aansluit bij de vrijheid en eigen mening die ze willen”, zegt Van Gemert.
De inlichtingendienst signaleert wel dat de professionalisering van de salafistische centra doorzet. Studenten kunnen cursussen volgen om de salafistische boodschap verder te verspreiden. Ook blijven de centra het gedachtengoed verspreiden dat moslims zich niet moeten vermengen met de Nederlandse samenleving.

Jihad
Een positieve ontwikkeling is volgens de AIVD dat de salafistische moskeeën radicaliserende jongeren de deur wijzen. Het gaat om jongeren die een stap verder willen gaan dan het politiek salafisme en bereid zijn tot de jihad en dus geweld niet schuwen.

Zo heeft het bestuur van de As Soenah moskee in Den Haag vorig jaar een groepje jongeren de deur gewezen. Enkele van deze jongeren doken deze zomer op in Kenia. Volgens het Openbaar Ministerie waren de jonge moslims op weg naar Somalië om deel te nemen aan een jihadistisch trainingskamp.

Stromingen
Het salafisme wordt onderverdeeld in drie stromingen waarvan de geloofsleer gelijk is, alleen de strategie verschilt. Het puritisme is een niet-politieke stroming die probeert volgens de wetten van de begintijd van de islam te leven. Het politiek salaisme wil het salafisme ook verspreiden en probeert in Nederland een beweging te vormen die op termijn ook invloed en gezag verwerft. Als laatste stroming is er het jihadistisch salafisme. Jihadisten gaan nog een stap verder. Zij vinden geweld gerechtvaardigd (vooral in moslimlanden).

In Nederlands zijn vier grotere salafistische centra in Den Haag, Amsterdam, Tilburg en Eindhoven. Het doel van deze centra is het herislamiseren van moslims. Dit leidt volgens de AIVD niet tot acute aantasting van de democratische rechtsorde, wel op langere termijn tot polarisatie. Dit is een sluipend proces, aldus de inlichtingendienst.

Bekijk HIER het journaal-item met daarin onder meer een interview met Nora die de salafistische kringen inmiddels grotendeels vaarwel heeft gezegd. Het volledige interview met haar is HIER te zien.

In bovenstaande tekst en ook in het journaal komen nogal wat aspecten voor waar vraagtekens bij te zetten zijn. Al eerder heb ik vraagtekens gezet bij de schattingen van de AIVD voor wat betreft het (potentiële) aantal salafisten. Het is volstrekt onduidelijk waar men de getallen destijds op baseerde en (dus) eveneens onduidelijk waar men de getallen nu op baseert. Bij iedere religieuze beweging is er een komen en gaan van participanten, observanten en activisten; dat is hier niet anders temeer omdat de salafistische prediking wel veel vraagt van het individu.

Over de driedeling die hier genoemd wordt zal ik binnenkort eens een apart stuk schrijven. Behalve dat lang niet alle salafisten deze driedeling erkennen, krijg ik er zelf ook steeds meer moeite mee.

UPDATE

Zie het stuk van Nasrah Habiballah en Mark Reuvers op FHJ Factcheck.

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From Salvation to Selfation? Subjectivisation among Dutch Christian youngsters

Posted on September 9th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, Religion Other, Youth culture (as a practice).

Tomorrow my colleague Johan Roeland will defend his PhD thesis: Selfation – Dutch Evangelical Youth Between Subjectivization and Subjection

Published by AUP.

You can download the thesis at VU DARE. Unfortunately I cannot be there because of teaching obligations but I would like to recommend his book to you.  Besides the fact that many of his findings corresponds with that of mine (and other’s) research among Muslim (salafi) youth, it is one of the best accounts of religious life among Dutch orthodox-christian youth.

In the social-scientific study of religion, two theories on the history, development and fate of religion in West-Europe and the United States have been dominant. On the one hand, the secularisation-thesis supporting the conviction that religion in this part of the world is on the decline, both in social and individual respect. On the other hand, the sacralisation-thesis stressing the idea of a lasting and even growing significance of religion, visible in the resurgence of Christianity in charismatic and evangelical forms, the increasing awareness of religious fundamentalism, and the rise of new-religious movements and implicit religious sentiments connected to phenomena such as sport, well-being, health, spirituality, art and internet.

Recently, some scholars in the field (among them Anton van Harskamp, Paul Heelas and Linda Woodhead), dissatisfied with the two main theoretical frameworks, developed a third theory, referred to as the subjectivisation-thesis. In the first place they recognise that the West currently witnesses both secularisation and sacralisation, and secondly, that both developments are an expression of – what scholars like Charles Taylor, Ronald Inglehard and Robert Bellah have indicated as – the subjective turn in modern culture.

In this present qualitative research, which is based on fieldwork in Houten, a suburban area in the Netherlands, I will investigate whether the subjectivisation-thesis is a fruitful theory to describe and explain current modes of evangelical and charismatic Christianity among Dutch Christian youngsters. Both the evangelical and charismatic movement have increased in popularity in recent years, especially among young people, and have become a visible, lively and attractive phenomenon in the Dutch religious scene. My main question addresses the extension of these modes of religiosity in terms of subjectivization among young people. I will answer this question by focusing on three aspects of subjectivisation: identity, subjectivity and experience.

Het voorheen vanzelfsprekende denkbeeld van de onvermijdelijke afname van de betekenis van religie in Noordwest Europa staat meer en meer ter discussie. Religie lijkt niet zozeer te verdwijnen, maar ze lijkt subjectief en persoonlijk te worden, gericht op de individuele religieuze beleving. In zijn proefschrift onderzoekt Johan Roeland in hoeverre de dominante opvatting over religieuze veranderingen houdbaar is.

Roeland deed een kwalitatief onderzoek naar een van de meest populaire manifestaties van Protestantisme in Nederland: evangelicalisme onder Nederlandse jongeren. Hij neemt de lezer in zijn proefschrift mee naar de settings en gemeenschappen waarin deze jongeren hun geloof beleven en vorm geven. Tevens bespreekt hij de morele en ideologische repertoires aan de hand waarvan deze jongeren gestalte geven aan hun religiositeit, de wijze waarop hun connectie met het heilige is bemiddeld, en de implicaties hiervan voor de discussies over de aard en toekomst van religie in Noordwest Europa.

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Kabinet: geen parallelle samenleving?

Posted on September 9th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Public Islam.

Kabinet: geen parallelle samenleving laten ontstaan

Persbericht | 01-09-2009

Het kabinet wil er geen misverstand over laten bestaan dat bepaalde elementen en interpretaties van de sharia haaks staan op de kernwaarden van onze democratische rechtsstaat. Strafbare gedragingen zullen worden vervolgd en in voorkomende gevallen kunnen rechtspersonen worden ontbonden of verboden verklaard. Het kabinet ziet het dan ook als zijn taak, te zorgen dat er geen parallelle samenlevingen ontstaan waar mensen het recht in eigen hand nemen of een eigen rechtssysteem hanteren dat zich buiten de kaders van onze rechtsorde begeeft. Dit schrijft minister Hirsch Ballin van Justitie in een brief aan de Tweede Kamer, mede namens minister Van der Laan voor Wonen, Wijken en Integratie.

Een vorm van geschillenbeslechting over geloofskwesties of passend gedrag van moslims in bepaalde situaties waaraan betrokkenen zich vrijwillig onderwerpen, hoeft niet in strijd met onze openbare orde te zijn. ‘Tegen dwang, ongeoorloofde druk of machtsmisbruik zal ik krachtig optreden’, aldus minister Hirsch Ballin.

Ook schrijft de bewindsman dat in Nederland geen polygame huwelijken kunnen worden gesloten met een juridisch bindend karakter, noch scheidingen op grond van de sharia worden uitgesproken die enig rechtsgevolg hebben. Naar de mogelijkheden om de strafbaarstelling van polygamie uit te breiden wordt nader onderzoek gedaan. De resultaten van een rechtsvergelijkend onderzoek naar de erkenning van polygame huwelijken worden niet voor eind november 2009 verwacht.

Verder gaat de brief in op de resultaten van een onderzoek naar informele huwelijken in Nederland. De indruk is, dat informele huwelijken op kleine schaal voorkomen en dat het aantal afneemt. Er is echter een toename te zien in informele huwelijken in islamitische kringen; waarbij tevens wordt geconstateerd dat het informeel trouwen met een imam in een moskee juist afneemt.

Behalve onwetendheid, die een enkele keer voorkomt, lijkt het belangrijkste motief voor het informele huwelijk in islamitische kringen het legitimeren van een relatie (en de daarmee gepaard gaande seksuele omgang) voor God en de sociale omgeving. Het vormt in islamitische kringen het alternatief voor ongehuwd samenwonen.

De relatiebevestigingen lijken aan te sluiten bij de in Nederland in het algemeen bestaande trend van informalisering van relaties. In de gevallen waar het hier om gaat is het echter twijfelachtig of er handelingen worden verricht die op een huwelijk betrekking hebben en of dat sprake is van een religieuze inzegening van een relatie. Tevens is onvoldoende duidelijk of de uitvoerder van een informeel huwelijk een religieus bedienaar is of niet.

De onderzoekers constateren tenslotte dat er geen goed zicht is op de omvang van het verschijnsel informele huwelijken en dat in het bijzonder over huwelijken in salafistische kringen en over geheime huwelijken in andere religies slechts oppervlakkige kennis beschikbaar is. Zij geven aan dat kennis hierover zeer moeilijk zal zijn te verwerven.

De bevindingen van de onderzoekers geven geen aanleiding tot beleidswijzigingen. Voorlichting over (het ontbreken van) de juridische gevolgen van relatiebevestigingen blijft nodig, met name ter bescherming van vrouwen die hier nog maar kort verblijven. Het kabinet ondersteunt diverse projecten die het verbeteren en versterken van de positie en weerbaarheid van migrantenvrouwen tot doel hebben, zoals rond huwelijksdwang en achterlating. Met deze projecten probeert het kabinet te bewerkstelligen dat met name migrantenvrouwen op de hoogte zijn van hun rechten en plichten in de Nederlandse samenleving.

Het is niet bekend of er door verenigingen of stichtingen shariarechtspraak wordt gefaciliteerd of georganiseerd die verder gaat dan advisering of geschillenbeslechting over geloofsregels. Of er imams bij shariarechtspraak zijn betrokken en hoeveel dit er zijn, moet ook blijken uit het onderzoek naar de mate waarin shariarechtbanken voorkomen in Nederland. De resultaten daarvan worden voor de zomer van 2010 verwacht.
Meer informatie

* Brief Tweede Kamer: Schriftelijk overleg over shariarechtbankenBrief / circulaire / beleidsregels | 01-09-2009 | pdf-document, 60 KB
* Studie: Informele huwelijken in NederlandRapport | 01-09-2009 | pdf-document, 3.20 MB

1 comment.

Eigenheid of Eigenzinnigheid in Ede

Posted on September 9th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Religion Other, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Eigenheid of eigenzinnigheid. Analyse van cultuur- en geloofsgerelateerde denkbeelden en gedragsuitingen in de gemeente Ede.
Door: mr. drs. Lenke Balogh, dr. mr. Mirjam Siesling, dr. Menno Jacobs, drs. Hans Moors
1 september 2009, 171 pagina’s, isbn-nummer: 978-90-78886-36-5

Ede wil dialoog met islam- en plattelandsgemeenschap intensiveren
Cultuur- en geloofsgerelateerde denkbeelden en gedragsuitingen vormen geen grote maatschappelijke risico’s in de gemeente Ede. Dat blijkt uit een vandaag gepresenteerd onderzoek. Het gaat om het rapport ‘Eigenheid of eigenzinnigheid. Analyse van cultuur- en geloofsgerelateerde denkbeelden en gedragsuitingen in de gemeente Ede’.

Het rapport beantwoordt de vraag in welke mate radicalisering in Ede een maatschappelijk risico vormt. Het onderzoek bestond uit twee delen, namelijk (1) radicalisering onder Marokkaanse jongeren, bezoekers van de moskee en jongeren met extremistische opvattingen en (2) welke opvattingen, attituden, en mechanismen kenmerken gesloten gemeenschappen en waarom en op welke wijze zetten groepen mensen zich tegen elkaar af. Het rapport geeft aanbevelingen om verdere afzijdigheid van de samenleving van de gemeenschappen te voorkomen dan wel deze meer aan de (Edese) samenleving te binden.

In algemene zin brengt het onderzoek in uiteenlopende contexten verschillende vormen van wij/zij denken voor het voetlicht. De onderzoekers denken dat dit niet makkelijk te bestrijden is. Het besef van vrijheid van meningsuiting, maar ook dat van vrijheid van godsdienst, telt zwaar. Daarom vindt het college het van belang dit te accepteren en de verdeeldheid te erkennen. Het hoort thuis in de arena van de democratie, waar die een plek biedt voor meningsuitwisseling, debat, belangenafweging en besluitvorming.

Graag onderschrijft het college de mening van de onderzoekers dat eventuele spanningen tussen bevolkingsgroepen niet te maken hebben met religie of cultuur als zodanig.

Dialoog bevorderen

Op basis van de onderzoeksresultaten heeft het Edese college van burgemeester en wethouders wel zorgen over onvoldoende geïntegreerde bevolkingsgroepen. Doordat gemeenschappen langs elkaar heen leven leidt dit niet tot problemen. Het college wil daarom wel de dialoog met vooral de islamgemeenschap en de plattelandsgemeenschap intensiveren.

De huidige activiteiten voor integratie en participatie worden langs de meetlat gelegd. Maatregelen of activiteiten zullen gericht zijn op opleiding, scholing, werkgelegenheid, tegengaan van discriminatie, opvoedingsondersteuning en openbreken van isolement bij gezinnen. Dat gebeurt omdat de onderzoekers aanbevelen de problemen te benaderen vanuit sociaaleconomisch en sociaal-cultureel perspectief.

Als het gaat om de Marokkaans-Nederlandse jeugd in de wijk Veldhuizen en evenementen in de buitendorpen wil het college van B en W bestaand beleid handhaven. Het Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken is bezig beleid te ontwikkelen rond ‘de kernwaarden van de democratische rechtsstaat’. De gemeente Ede wordt betrokken bij deze beleidsontwikkelingen en zal de vruchten hiervan zonodig gaan invoeren.

Goede communicatie

Daarnaast is er nu regelmatig overleg tussen college en vertegenwoordigers van de buitendorpen en Veldhuizen. Binnen de gemeentelijke organisatie zijn er vaste aanspreekpunten, zoals wijkbeheerder en de milieu- en bouwinspecteurs. Ook is er regelmatig overleg tussen de betreffende portefeuillehouders en sleutelfiguren binnen de verschillende gemeenschappen. Dit beleid blijft gehandhaafd.

Het college vindt dat in de communicatie, tussen gemeente en burgers, over beleid duidelijkheid voorop moet staan, zodat elke inwoner en gemeenschap zich gehoord en gezien voelt. Concreet betekent dit dat over en weer duidelijk dient te zijn wat is afgesproken, hoe de gemeente vorm geeft aan beleid en op welke wijze projecten worden afgerond. In het eerste kwartaal van 2010 zal B en W hierover voorstellen doen.

Enkele conclusies

• Binnen de moslims van Marokkaanse afkomst zijn er gradaties van liberaal tot orthodox. Een kleine groep jongeren is te betitelen als salafistisch. De onderzoekers concluderen dat factoren als geen erkenning, stigmatisering en relatieve (kans) armoede, het risico op maatschappelijke afzijdigheid versterkt en een voedingsbodem legt voor polarisering en voedingsbodem legt voor gevoeligheid voor radicalisering.
• De problemen in de wijk Veldhuizen A zijn dieper geworteld dan vormen van vandalisme en criminaliteit. Hoewel verdergaand onderzoek nodig is om dit goed in beeld te krijgen, concluderen de onderzoekers dat er geen verband is tussen vandalisme/criminaliteit en religieuze radicalisering.
• Kenmerkend voor het buitengebied is dat veel mensen de stad Ede als ver weg ervaren. Analytisch is het moeilijk te duiden of de geslotenheid in het buitengebied voortvloeit uit een plattelands- of uit een structurerende kerkelijke cultuur. Daarbij komt dat er ook in het buitengebied verschillen zijn: niet alle inwoners zijn kerkelijk en er is een verschil tussen de bewoners van dorpskernen en bewoners van het buitengebied. De zorg van de gemeente voor het ontstaan van een machtsvacuüm lijkt niet ongegrond, blijkens bijvoorbeeld de vasthoudendheid om drankketen in stand te houden
• Als het gaat om de identificatie met het geloof en ‘leven in eigen kring,’ zijn er mechanismen aan te wijzen binnen de reformatorische gezindte en de Marokkaanse moslimcultuur, die overeenkomen. Het gaat dan om een gelijksoortige manier van denken en van leven naar je geloof. Het geloof en/of de cultuur geven houvast en leveren enerzijds een systeem van sociale controle en anderzijds (angst voor) sociale uitsluiting.
• In het onderzoek blijkt uit de gesprekken met jongeren dat de omvang en aard van interetnische of interculturele confrontaties beperkt blijft tot een negatieve spanning tussen Lonsdalers en Marokkaanse jongeren als ze elkaar treffen op school, na schooltijd en op het Museumplein. Een verscherping van de polarisatie tussen beide groepen is lopende het onderzoek niet vastgesteld.
• Hoewel Ede markant is als het gaat om de culturele en religieuze bindingen, de stedelijke kern met een groot buitengebied en de stedelijke problematiek, is Ede zeker niet uniek. In andere gemeenten met vergelijkbare verstedelijking en plattelandsgebieden doen zich vergelijkbare spanningen voor tussen en binnen de bevolkingsgroepen.

IVA Beleidsonderzoek

‘IVA Beleidsonderzoek en Advies’ in Tilburg heeft het onderzoek uitgevoerd. De onderzoekers werden bijgestaan door een begeleidingscommissie, bestaande uit vertegenwoordigers van onder meer gemeente, politie, ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties en werd voorgezeten door een onafhankelijke wetenschapper. Een klankbordgroep, die onder anderen bestond uit vertegenwoordigers van de Marokkaanse gemeenschap en de buitendorpen, was ook betrokken bij het onderzoek. Het onderzoek is mede tot stand gekomen door een financiële bijdrage van de Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding en van het ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties.

Het rapport is HIER te downloaden.

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Closing the week 36

Posted on September 6th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Closer
Most popular on Closer this week

1. Raad het plaatje – Spitsnieuws Online
2. Spitsnieuws – Kutmarokkanen is geld
3. Spitsnieuws Online – Veel geschreeuw, weinig wol / Islamizing Europe – Muslim Demographics

Featuring Ramadan 2009
30 Mosques in 30 Days
Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq share their Ramadan journey through New York’s Muslim community. They visit 30 mosques throughout the whole month of fasting. The blog has interesting accounts and pictures and is a must read!
Blogging Ramadan Competition – IslamOnline.net – Art & Culture

Believing that Muslim culture is rich, diversified, and inspired by Muslims’ writings and thoughts, [Islam Online’s]Art & Culture Page is launching “Blogging Ramadan” Competition.

Blogging Ramadan is fashioned to be a platform for Muslims to participate with their reflections on the meaning of Ramadan and how they celebrate it in the light of their cultures’ diversity.

Gender
The Global “War on Terror” and Muslim Women | RHRealityCheck.org

We cannot ignore the reality of hatred that is brewing in societies being acted out on Muslim women. Note that my argument is not one that involves whether or not the burqa, purdah, niqab, or hijab is truly a Muslim practice or whether choice is exercised in wearing religious clothing; the fact is that women wear religious clothing and because of this fact they are discriminated against in the context of a growing anti-Muslim sentiment – and this cannot be simply ignored.

French Parliament to Investigate a Possible Ban on the Burqa and Niqab – NYTimes.com

It is a measure of France’s confusion about Islam and its own Muslim citizens that in the political furor here over “banning the burqa,” as the argument goes, the garment at issue is not really the burqa at all, but the niqab.

altmuslim – Honor killings: Rifqa, the Reverend and apostasy

The claims of Fathima Rifqa Bary, the 17-year-old Christian convert from Columbus, Ohio who ran away from home in fear of violence by her Muslim father, are being challenged by local authorities who see otherwise. How far will the culture war take this case?

Muslim family: Problems with Rifqa Bary began with laptop gift — OrlandoSentinel.com

Mohamed Bary is a doting Muslim father, intent on giving his daughter the best education he can. But he says he made a terrible mistake last October: He bought her a laptop computer.

Because of that laptop and access to the Internet, he says he lost his daughter to Christian extremists.

Fathima Rifqa Bary, 17, is 800 miles away, living with a Christian foster family in the Orlando area. She is a runaway who has become a cause célèbre among evangelical Christians. She fled Ohio last month, saying her father had threatened to kill her because she had converted to Christianity.

Not true, Mohamed Bary said.

Anthropology
Is autonomy as a universal aspiration?

During the teen years, kids in Asian and Western cultures alike gravitate toward a broader class of moral imperatives, including rights to privacy, education and freedom of speech, Helwig and colleagues find in another new study published in the August Social Development. Adolescents also appeal to democratic notions, such as majority rule, to justify a preference for representative forms of government — even if they live in a communist or authoritarian society.

tabsir.net » Saudi- Iranian War fought in Sa’ada

Over 5000 people have died in the ongoing war in Sa’ada, 45,000 have been injured and more than 200,000 displaced and living in tents, eating charity food, and sleeping through cold nights.
Saudis and Iranians have convinced the Yemeni government and Houthis to fight each other for nothing.

Question of the day… – Open Anthropology Cooperative

So, is anthropology an apolitical endeavor? Or is it inherently political?

You. Tell. Me.

‘ilm al-insaan ??? ???????: Orthodoxy and New Media in Cairo

Michael Slackman in yesterday’s NYTimes highlighted the greater reach that new media in Egypt has offered dissenting voices in debates on Islam. Using the example of Gamel Al-Banna (brother of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan Al-Banna) and his recent positive statements over tolerance within the Muslim community, Slackman has pointed out the ways in which the internet as well as other forms of new media offer public forums in which conservative visions of orthopraxy can be actively challenged and debated.

Dutch
Burgerschap op school: alleen papier – Trouw

Burgerschap op school: alleen papier

Sinds 2006 moeten scholen ook werken aan burgerschap en sociale integratie. Maar wat dat precies is? „Een school kan zelf keuzes maken, de overheid wil dat niet sluitend voorschrijven”, aldus de onderwijsinspectie.

NRC commentaar » Niet bij rekenen alleen

Het bestuur van de islamitische basisscholen As-Siddieq in Amsterdam speelt de vermoorde onschuld. De beslissing van staatssecretaris Dijksma (Onderwijs, PvdA) en wethouder Asscher (Financiën, PvdA) om op de overheidssubsidie voor de bijzondere school te korten, is volgens een bestuurder een „misverstand” gebaseerd op „gevoelens”. Maar de sancties kunnen amper een verrassing zijn geweest.

Lezen leer je op de As-Siddieq – Opinie – de Volkskrant

Er moet een politieke keuze gemaakt worden: het toelaten van succesvolle islamitische scholen, die echter met de rug naar de Nederlandse samenleving staan, of het echt zorgen voor een betere kwaliteit van alle scholen, ongeacht of het bestuur zo prettig meewerkt. Dan pas vervalt de reden voor ouders hun kind naar orthodoxe scholen te sturen: onderwijs waar men goed taal en rekenen leert, zodat hun kind verder komt.

1 comment.

Ethnic Hostility Among Ethnic Majority and Minority Groups in The Netherlands

Posted on September 2nd, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications.

Jochem Tolsma promoveert op 28 september 2009 aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Hij heeft onderzoek gedaan naar de competitie tussen etnische meerderheid en minderheid.

Ouders met een hoge opleiding en hoge maatschappelijke status zijn doorgaans tolerant tegenover buitenlanders en geven die houding aan hun kinderen door. Zelfs als die kinderen een lagere opleiding en status hebben – waar gemiddeld een minder verdraagzame houding bij hoort – blijft die tolerantie overeind. Dat is een van de conclusies uit het promotieonderzoek van Jochem Tolsma, socioloog aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen.

Buurt

Tolsma onderzocht ook de invloed van de buurt op de weerstand die bewoners hebben tegen andere bevolkingsgroepen. Die invloed is er wel, maar ze is minder groot dan die van persoonlijke factoren. Bovendien blijkt de etnische samenstelling van een buurt minder belangrijk dan het gemiddelde inkomen van een buurt.

Scholing
De onderzoeker stelt verder vast dat naarmate allochtonen beter geschoold zijn, zij zich meer met Nederland identificeren. Echter, over autochtone Nederlanders worden zij niet tot nauwelijks enthousiaster. Met name Turkse en Marokkaanse Nederlanders die gestudeerd hebben, zijn niet positiever over autochtone Nederlanders.

Mediagebruik
Hoger opgeleide allochtone Nederlanders gebruiken doorgaans meer Nederlandse media dan lager geschoolde minderheden. In het algemeen gaat dit samen met een positievere houding tegenover Nederland en (autochtone) Nederlanders. Maar niet bij tweede generatie Marokkaanse Nederlanders: zij worden door het gebruik van Nederlandse media eerder negatiever over autochtonen.
Geschoolde allochtoon niet toleranter – Binnenland – de Volkskrant

Van onze verslaggeefsters Janny Groen, Annieke Kranenberg

AMSTERDAM –
Hoger opgeleide allochtonen oordelen nauwelijks positiever over autochtone Nederlanders dan laaggeschoolde minderheden. Dat geldt vooral voor Marokkaanse en Turkse Nederlanders van de tweede generatie. Wel identificeren allochtonen die gestudeerd hebben zich meer met Nederland dan lager opgeleiden.

Ethnic Hostility Among Ethnic Majority and Minority Groups in The Netherlands: An Investigation into the Impact of Social Mobility Experiences, the Local Living Environment and Educational Attainment on Ethnic Hostility.

In his dissertation, Tolsma focuses on the consequences of social mobility on antagonistic views towards ethnic out-groups and on the influence of the direct living environment on these attitudes. It appears that the influence of one’s neighbourhood is less compared to personal circumstances and the average income of the neighbourhood is more important than the ethnic outlook.

Higher educational levels among migrants are related to a stronger identification with the Netherlands, but not with a positive attitude towards native Dutch people. Migrants with a higher educational level more often use Dutch media compared to migrants with a lower level. In general this leads to a more positive attitude towards the Netherlands and native Dutch people except among Moroccan-Dutch migrants whose media use generates negative views about native Dutch.

You can find more information about Tolsma and his research on his own webpage and there you can also find the complete PhD.

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The case of Tariq Ramadan…again

Posted on September 1st, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Multiculti Issues, Public Islam.

Yes, I thought about writing a piece, again, about Tariq Ramadan and his dismissal from Erasmus University of Rotterdam. But I’m not going to do it. I had to read the reports about the case after my holidays and I finally finished reading most articles and several blogitems. Most of it makes me too tired to write anything sensible about the topic so I will be silent.

If you want to read more about the case I refer you to the English pages of the Dutch newspaper NRC-Handelsblad:
Recent news
nrc.nl – International – Ramadan criticised over Iran connection

Ramadan criticised over Iran connection
Published: 13 August 2009 15:14 | Changed: 13 August 2009 16:47
By our news staff
Opposition members in the Rotterdam city council are once again calling for the resignation of integration consultant Tariq Ramadan, this time because he is hosting a talk show on an Iranian TV station.

nrc.nl – International – Rotterdam fires Tariq Ramadan over Iranian TV show

Rotterdam fires Tariq Ramadan over Iranian TV show
Published: 18 August 2009 14:19 | Changed: 19 August 2009 15:28
By Mark Hoogstad
The Rotterdam city government wants to break ties with the Muslim philosopher Tariq Ramadan, sources at city hall say.

nrc.nl – International – Ramadan: A bridge too far?

Ramadan: A bridge too far?
Published: 19 August 2009 14:49 | Changed: 20 August 2009 17:21
It is easy to see Tariq Ramadan’s connection to an Iranian TV station as a convenient excuse for his dismissal, but there has always been doubt about Ramadan’s suitability as a “builder of bridges”.

Opinion and rejoinder
nrc.nl – International – Don’t I get a chance to defend myself, Ramadan asks

Don’t I get a chance to defend myself, Ramadan asks
Published: 19 August 2009 14:44 | Changed: 20 August 2009 15:11
Tariq Ramadan, the Swiss philosopher and theologists, plans to fight his dismissal as an adviser and a professor in court. In an interview with NRC Handelsblad, he talks about his anger and his involvement with a government-funded Iranian TV channel that was the cause for the latest controversy in Rotterdam.

nrc.nl – International – Opinion – Rotterdam should get rid of this Islamist

Rotterdam should get rid of this Islamist
Published: 17 August 2009 10:45 | Changed: 18 August 2009 16:45
Anyone who, like Tariq Ramadan, works voluntarily for an immoral and extremely violent regime like that in Iran cannot be a ‘builder of bridges’ in the Netherlands.

nrc.nl – International – Opinion – Tariq Ramadan answers his Dutch detractors

Tariq Ramadan answers his Dutch detractors
Published: 18 August 2009 12:25 | Changed: 26 August 2009 10:56
Tariq Ramadan has once again come under fire in Rotterdam, where he is an adviser on integration. Ramadan says he is not surprised that it is only in the Netherlands that his collaboration with Iranian state TV has been criticised. “The controversy says far more about the alarming state of politics than about my person.”

nrc.nl – International – Ramadan wants to take Rotterdam to court

Ramadan wants to take Rotterdam to court
Published: 19 August 2009 11:47 | Changed: 19 August 2009 17:27
By Mark Hoogstad
Tariq Ramadan is furious about the way he has been cast aside by the Rotterdam city government. The Islamic scholar was fired from his job as integration adviser on Tuesday because of a talk show he hosts on Iranian state TV.

Older news
nrc.nl – International – Features – Controversy follows Tariq Ramadan to Rotterdam

Controversy follows Tariq Ramadan to Rotterdam
Published: 8 April 2009 17:09 | Changed: 18 August 2009 13:50
Controversy seems to follow Tariq Ramadan wherever he goes. In Rotterdam, where the Swiss philosopher and theologist has been asked to contribute to the multicultural dialogue, the gay community is up in arms over Ramadan’s statements about homosexuality and the role of women in society.

Closer
C L O S E R » Blog Archive » Tariq Ramadan controversy: Moulding Muslim leaders

In fact it appears now that the frequent attacks on him are more dangerous for his position as a consultant than his statements. In particular because he is not only under attack from Dutch secularists and anti-islamists but also from radical groups who oppose his cooperation with Dutch authorities and his statements about homosexuality and his call for a moratorium on corporate punishment. According to these critics Ramadan sells himself to the Dutch authorities which inevitable means that he will have to adjust (in their view dilute) the Islamic message. Their interpretation seems to be correct due to this controversy.

Worthwile reading is an older entry on The Immanent Frame about the reversal of a lower court ruling allowing the US government from entering the country.
The Immanent Frame » Reversal in the case of Tariq Ramadan

In light of the new developments in the case, we asked: what are the potential implications of the Ramadan case for both academic freedom and public discussions of Islam in the United States?

Our panelists:

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im, Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law

Mohammed Bamyeh, Professor of Sociology, University of Pittsburgh

Richard W. Bulliet, Professor of History, Columbia University

Craig Calhoun, President of the Social Science Research Council, University Professor of the Social Sciences at New York University and Director of its Institute for Public Knowledge

John L. Esposito, University Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Professor of Islamic Studies and Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Mark Juergensmeyer, Director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara, and President of the American Academy of Religion

Arvind Rajagopal, Associate Professor of Culture and Communication, New York University

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