C L O S E R

Submitting to God, submitting to the Self

Posted on October 31st, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, Young Muslims.

Doctoraatsverdediging
Submitting to God, submitting to the Self. Secular and religious trajectories of second generation Maghrebi in Belgium, is based upon a PhD research by Nadia Fadil.

The central hypothesis developed in this dissertation is that in a secular context religious and/or secular subjectivities are primarily disciplined and regulated through a liberal agency model, while non-liberal ways of relating to the religious self are problematised. This hypothesis draws on a different reading of the religious individualization narrative than is generally understood within social theory. Following Foucault and Rose’s (1999) work, the process of (religious) individualisation is understood as a specific mode of goverance which draws on the language of ‘freedom’, ‘autonomy’ or ‘authenticity’ in the regulation and disciplining of religious (and secular) bodies and subjectivities. Religious individualisation is thus not viewed as a structural development wherein the individual’s potential to recompose his or her religious practice is enhanced, but rather as a particular mode of (religious) subjectivation (and governance) that is primarily grounded on liberal scripts and sensibilities.

The first purpose of this dissertation is thus theoretical as it aims to reconceptualise certain facets of the secularisation paradigm, i.c. religious individualisation, from a post-structuralist angle. Yet it does so in an empirical manner: by examining how second generation Maghrebi in Belgium (Brussels and Antwerp) make sense of their religious and/or secular selves, i.c. which discursive registers underpin their self-fashioning process. Interviews with second generation Maghrebi linked to Islamic and socio-cultural organizations have been conducted in the course of a fieldwork between 2003 and 2005 in Brussels and Antwerp.

English Summary: (Dutch summary can be found on the website of KU Leuven) (more…)

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Protected: Cool en radicaal

Posted on October 27th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

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M-Kidz: glossy tijdschrift voor moslimkids

Posted on October 3rd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, Young Muslims.

Voor de kleintjes onder ons niet te verwarren met M Kids, maar nu bestaat er ook M-Kidz!

(De naar mijn mening mooie en overzichtelijke website is gemaakt door Timaar.nl die ook andere sites in hun port folio hebben – om maar even aan te geven dat Islamsites tegenwoordig een heuse markt vormen).

M-Kidz: glossy tijdschrift voor moslimkids – Patrick Pouw

Bladerend door een exemplaar van jongerentijdschrift Taptoe stuitte Loubna Feghouli ooit op een plaatje van kinderen, die een bezoekje brachten aan het Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem. Prominent aanwezig op dat plaatje: een enorme pul bier.

Dat kan anders en dus lanceerde Loubna Feghouli een glossy-magazine voor het jonge kind. Het proefnummer daarvoor is HIER te lezen en vooral ook te bekijken want er zitten veel plaatjes in. Nu is het gebruik van afbeeldingen omstreden in de Islamitische tradities (hoewel zeker niet afwezig) en dus werd er gevraagd om een gezaghebbend advies (fatwa) vanuit Saoedi-Arabië:

De islam kent een verbod op afbeeldingen, maar geleerden hebben geoordeeld dat het in dit specifieke geval mag omdat kinderen heel visueel zijn ingesteld en omdat wij in ons blad islamitische kennis overdragen.”

Het zal nog niet makkelijk worden om dit blad te laten slagen denk ik. Een ander blad voor jonge kinderen ‘Onze Oemma’ is ter ziele, maar wie weet is er een markt voor dit type glossy en flashy bladen.

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Protected: AD.nl – Moskee: toenemend radicalisme

Posted on September 26th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

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Moroccan adolescents – more Muslim than Moroccan

Posted on September 22nd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, Young Muslims.

Moroccan adolescents – more Muslim than Moroccan
Given the negative reporting about Islam, you wouldn’t expect adolescents to be happy to identify with it. However, that is exactly what’s happening, research by Susan Ketner of a large number of Moroccan adolescents has revealed. They often deliberately choose to emphasize their Muslim identity. This supports them and gives them a feeling of belonging. Ketner will be awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen on 2 October.

‘It goes without saying that their religion is something that they are born into’, according to Ketner. ‘But what I found particularly interesting in many conversations is that there’s also a large element of choice on their part, too. You can choose whether or not to be a Muslim. That’s the opposite to being Moroccan.’ This clearly less strong link with their Moroccan identity can certainly be attributed to discrimination, among other things, argues Ketner in her thesis. ‘They are also discriminated against as Muslims, but it appears that that group identity is much stronger.’ Incidentally, discrimination does not have a negative influence on all adolescents – some of them want to play a leading role in improving the image of Moroccans.

Trust and support

During adolescence, Moroccan teenagers are confronted with challenges, including living in several cultures, bargaining with parents, experiences of discrimination and giving shape to their Muslim identity in a non-Islamic context. One explanation for the strong identification with Islam, according to Ketner, is the support and the trust that a religion can offer. These adolescents can observe a lot of things from the viewpoint of a Muslim. In Islam they can find many points of references to bridge the contradictions between cultures and they can use their own knowledge of Islam in negotiations with their parents.
Contemporary interpretation of Islam

There’s a high degree of exploration in the field of Islam: adolescents do not automatically adopt the customs and habits of their parents but have their own ideas about a Muslim identity. About 95 percent of the adolescents indicate that they are independently seeking information about their religion. ‘That can be in a mosque, but also on the internet or in a library’, according to Ketner. ‘They also use each other as sources. As a result, many adolescents have a unique, contemporary interpretation of Islam. They are involved with it in a different way to their parents.’

Letting adolescents speak for themselves

Ketner deliberately chose not to interview adolescents from the major cities. ‘So much research is being done there already. For the same reasons I have not confined my research to problem youths or radicalization.’ No professionals or specialists have a say either – Ketner has let the adolescents themselves talk about the various themes that are important to them as teenagers.
Curriculum vitae

Susan Liesbeth Ketner (1976, Wageningen) has a degree in Religious Studies from the University of Groningen. Her PhD supervisors at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies are Prof. J.N. Bremmer, Dr M.W. Buitelaar and Dr H.A. Bosma. Her thesis is entitled ‘Marokkaanse wortels, Nederlandse grond; exploratie, bindingen en identiteitsstrategieën van jongeren van Marokkaanse afkomst.’ [Moroccan roots, Dutch soil; exploration, commitment and identity strategies among adolescents of Moroccan origin’] Ketner currently works as a researcher for Variya, a support organ for social development and integration in Overijssel.

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Marokkaanse jongeren: meer moslim dan Marokkaan

Posted on September 22nd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, Young Muslims.

Marokkaanse jongeren: meer moslim dan Marokkaan
Gezien de negatieve berichtgeving over de islam verwacht je niet dat jongeren zich daar graag mee identificeren. Toch is dat juist wel het geval, blijkt uit onderzoek dat Susan Ketner deed onder een groot aantal Marokkaanse jongeren. Vaak kiezen ze er zelfs bewust voor om hun moslimidentiteit te benadrukken. Dit geeft hen steun en een gevoel ergens bij te horen. Ketner promoveert op 2 oktober aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

‘Natuurlijk is het geloof iets dat ze van huis uit mee hebben gekregen’, aldus Ketner. ‘Maar wat me opviel bij veel gesprekken is dat er een groot element van keuze door de jongeren zelf in zit. Je kunt kiezen of je moslim bent of niet. Dit in tegenstelling tot hun Marokkaan zijn.’ Deze duidelijk minder sterke binding met hun Marokkaanse identiteit is onder andere te wijten aan discriminatie, beargumenteert Ketner in het onderzoek. ‘Ook als moslim worden ze gediscrimineerd. Maar blijkbaar is die groepsidentiteit toch een stuk sterker.’ Overigens heeft discriminatie niet op alle jongeren een negatieve invloed; sommige jongeren willen juist een voortrekkersrol vervullen in het verbeteren van het imago van Marokkanen.
Steun en vertrouwen

Tijdens de adolescentie kunnen Marokkaanse jongeren geconfronteerd worden met uitdagingen, zoals leven in meerdere culturen, onderhandelen met ouders, ervaringen van discriminatie en het vormgeven van hun moslimidentiteit in een niet-islamitische context. Een verklaring voor de sterke identificatie met de islam is volgens Ketner de steun en het vertrouwen die een religie hierbij kan bieden. Deze jongeren kunnen veel dingen bekijken vanuit hun moslim zijn. In de islam vinden ze aanknopingspunten om tegenstellingen tussen culturen te overbruggen en ze kunnen hun zelf verworven kennis van de islam inzetten bij onderhandelingen met hun ouders.
Eigentijdse interpretatie islam

De exploratie op het gebied van de islam is hoog: de jongeren nemen niet automatisch de gewoontes en gebruiken van hun ouders over, maar geven een eigen invulling aan de moslimidentiteit. Zo’n 95 procent van de jongeren geeft aan dat zij zelfstandig op zoek gaan naar informatie over hun geloof. ‘Dat kan in de moskee zijn, maar ook op internet of in de bibliotheek’, aldus Ketner. ‘Daarbij gebruiken ze ook elkaar als bron. Veel jongeren hebben daardoor een heel eigen en eigentijdse interpretatie van de islam. Ze zijn er op een andere manier mee bezig dan hun ouders.’
Jongeren zelf aan het woord

Ketner koos er bewust voor geen jongeren te interviewen uit de grote steden. ‘Daar wordt al zo’n groot deel van de onderzoeken gedaan. Om dezelfde reden heb ik mijn onderzoek ook niet speciaal gefocust op probleemjongeren of radicalisering.’ Er komen geen professionals of specialisten aan het woord; Ketner heeft de jongeren zelf laten vertellen over verschillende thema’s die in hun adolescentieperiode belangrijk zijn.
Curriculum vitae

Susan Liesbeth Ketner (1976, Wageningen) studeerde Godsdienstwetenschap aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Ze promoveert tot doctor in Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap bij prof.dr. J.N. Bremmer, mw.dr. M.W. Buitelaar en dr. H.A. Bosma. De titel van het proefschrift luidt: ‘Marokkaanse wortels, Nederlandse grond; exploratie, bindingen en identiteitsstrategieën van jongeren van Marokkaanse afkomst.’ Momenteel is Ketner werkzaam als wetenschappelijk onderzoeker bij Variya, de steunfunctie voor maatschappelijke ontwikkeling en integratie te Overijssel.

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BBC NEWS | UK | Aabid Khan and his global jihad

Posted on September 19th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: International Terrorism, Young Muslims.

BBC NEWS | UK | Aabid Khan and his global jihad
By Steve Swann
Aabid Khan’s conviction marks the latest chapter in a series of raids and arrests across three continents. Four trials have already led to convictions in three countries – and the investigations continue. (more…)

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BBC NEWS | UK | Aabid Khan and his global jihad

Posted on September 19th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: International Terrorism, Young Muslims.

BBC NEWS | UK | Aabid Khan and his global jihad
By Steve Swann
Aabid Khan’s conviction marks the latest chapter in a series of raids and arrests across three continents. Four trials have already led to convictions in three countries – and the investigations continue. (more…)

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How Heavy Metal Is Working Its Way Into Islam : NPR

Posted on July 13th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

How Heavy Metal Is Working Its Way Into Islam : NPR
Talk of the Nation, July 10, 2008 · Music like heavy metal, punk, hip-hop and reggae — often voices of protest — are typically considered immoral in the Muslim world. But this music may also turn out to be the soundtrack of a revolution unfolding across that world, according to one author. Mark LeVine, an author, musician and professor of Middle Eastern history, talks about the young generation of heavy metal fans in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Excerpt: ‘Heavy Metal Islam’

by Mark LeVine

The first time I heard the words “heavy metal” and “Islam” in the same sentence, I was confused, to say the least. It was around 5:00 p.m. on a hot July day in the city of Fes, Morocco in 2002. I was at the bar of the five-star Palais Jamai Hotel with a group of friends having a drink—and only one drink, considering they were about twenty-five dollars apiece—to celebrate a birthday. Out of nowhere the person sitting across from me described a punk performance he had seen not long before we met, in the city of Rabat.

“There are Muslim punks? In Morocco?” I asked him.

The idea of a young Moroccan with a mohawk and a Scottish kilt almost caused me to spill my drink.

“Of course,” he replied. “And the metal scene here is good too.” That the possibility of a Muslim heavy-metal scene came as a total surprise to me only underscored how much I still had to learn about Morocco, and the Muslim world more broadly, even after a dozen years studying, traveling, and living in it. If there could be such a thing as a Heavy Metal Islam, I thought, then perhaps the future was far brighter than most observers of the Muslim world imagined less than a year after September 11, 2001.

I shouldn’t have been surprised at the notion of Muslim metalheads or punkers. Muslim history is full of characters and movements that seemed far out of the mainstream in their day, but that nevertheless helped bring about farreaching changes in their societies. As I nursed my drink, I contemplated the various musical, cultural, and political permutations that could be produced by combining Islam and hard rock. I began to wonder: What could Muslim metal artists and their fans teach us about the state of Islam today?

(more…)

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Marc Sageman on the battle for young Muslims' hearts and minds and the future of the leaderless jihad – Full Comment

Posted on July 8th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, International Terrorism, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Marc Sageman on the battle for young Muslims’ hearts and minds and the future of the leaderless jihad – Full Comment

There has been talk of an al-Qaeda resurgence, but the truth is that most of the hard core members of the first and second waves have been killed or captured. The survival of the social movement they inspired relies on the continued inflow of new members. But this movement is vulnerable to whatever may diminish its appeal among young people. Its allure thrives only at the abstract fantasy level. The few times its aspirations have been translated into reality — the Taliban in Afghanistan, parts of Algeria during its civil war and, more recently, in Iraq’s Anbar province — were particularly repulsive to most Muslims.

What’s more, a leaderless social movement is permanently at the mercy of its participants. As each generation attempts to define itself in contrast to its predecessor, what appeals to the present generation of young would-be radicals may not appeal to the next. At present, the major source of appeal is the anger and moral outrage provoked by the invasion of Iraq. But as the Western footprint there fades so will the appeal of fighting it.

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Marc Sageman on the battle for young Muslims’ hearts and minds and the future of the leaderless jihad – Full Comment

Posted on July 8th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, International Terrorism, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims.

Marc Sageman on the battle for young Muslims’ hearts and minds and the future of the leaderless jihad – Full Comment

There has been talk of an al-Qaeda resurgence, but the truth is that most of the hard core members of the first and second waves have been killed or captured. The survival of the social movement they inspired relies on the continued inflow of new members. But this movement is vulnerable to whatever may diminish its appeal among young people. Its allure thrives only at the abstract fantasy level. The few times its aspirations have been translated into reality — the Taliban in Afghanistan, parts of Algeria during its civil war and, more recently, in Iraq’s Anbar province — were particularly repulsive to most Muslims.

What’s more, a leaderless social movement is permanently at the mercy of its participants. As each generation attempts to define itself in contrast to its predecessor, what appeals to the present generation of young would-be radicals may not appeal to the next. At present, the major source of appeal is the anger and moral outrage provoked by the invasion of Iraq. But as the Western footprint there fades so will the appeal of fighting it.

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Protected: nrc.nl – Binnenland – Baard én kaalkop willen gezelligheid

Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

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Zoeken naar een ‘zuivere’ Islam – Media overzicht

Posted on April 24th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Gouda Issues, My Research, Young Muslims.

Hieronder een overzicht van de interviews met mij over het onderzoek Zoeken naar een ‘zuivere’ Islam. (more…)

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Zoeken naar een 'zuivere' Islam – Media overzicht

Posted on April 24th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Gouda Issues, My Research, Young Muslims.

Hieronder een overzicht van de interviews met mij over het onderzoek Zoeken naar een ‘zuivere’ Islam. (more…)

1 comment.

Toevalligerwijs in een slechte actiefilm – de Volkskrant

Posted on January 19th, 2008 by .
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Murder on theo Van Gogh and related issues, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Toevalligerwijs in een slechte actiefilm – New Articles – de Volkskrant
Toevalligerwijs in een slechte actiefilm

Door Janny Groen en Annieke Kranenberg

De laatste keer dat Rachid zijn beste vriend sprak, maakten ze ’s avonds na elven een wandeling rond de Sloterplas in Amsterdam-West. Ze waren met z’n drieën: Rachid, Mohammed B. en een buurjongen. De drie kenden elkaar uit dezelfde betonnen flat in de Hart Nibbrigstraat. Ze spraken over vroeger, toen ze nog jong en onbezonnen waren. Rachid moest lachen. Mohammed niet. Hij was heel stil, herinnert Rachid zich. ‘Mohammed vond dat de groep niet serieus bezig was met het geloof. Ik zei dat ik voortaan beter mijn best zou doen zijn leer te begrijpen.’ Zo namen ze afscheid.

De volgende dag, op 2 november 2004, hoorde Rachid van zijn broertje dat Theo van Gogh was vermoord. Hij zette de televisie aan en hoorde het signalement van de dader: baard, bril, djellaba. Rachid dacht onwillekeurig aan zijn vriend, maar verwierp die gedachte weer snel. (more…)

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Protected: Googelend op zoek naar zingeving – Kerk & Godsdienst – Reformatorisch Dagblad

Posted on January 18th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, My Research, Religion Other, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

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‘Ze geloven het wel’ Een seminar over jongeren en religie in 2008

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by .
Categories: Important Publications, ISIM Research II, Islam in the Netherlands, My Research, Religion Other, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Op 17 januari 2008 vindt het seminar ‘Ze geloven het wel’ plaats aan de Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Het is een seminar voor mensen die de thematiek jongeren en religie aan het hart gaat, en die een beroepsmatige affiniteit met jongeren hebben. Wij denken daarbij aan wetenschappers die onderzoek doen op dit vlak en aan sleutelfiguren uit het bredere maatschappelijke veld.

De dag is allereerst bedoeld als impulsdag. Het programma biedt veel ruimte voor ontmoeting en discussie tussen wetenschappers en mensen uit de praktijk van het jongerenwerk. Inhoudelijk wordt gepoogd inzicht te krijgen in het hoe, wat, waar, wanneer en waarom jongeren geloven, en in het typerende van de religiositeit van de generatie jongeren die na 1980 geboren is. De organisatoren van deze dag hebben daartoe al geruime tijd gewerkt aan een state of the art van het Nederlandse onderzoek naar deze thematiek, dat in het ochtendprogramma van het seminar gepresenteerd zal worden. Deze presentatie zal gevolgd worden door coreferaten van prof. dr. Hijme Stoffels (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) en Clazien Broekhoff (dekenaat IJssellanden, Zwolle). ‘s Middags vinden twee discussiesessies plaats: één sessie over religie en nieuwe organisatievormen, ingeleid door dr. Ton Zondervan (Universiteit van Tilburg) en Carolien Roos (Xnoizz Flevo Festival), en één sessie over religie en nieuwe media, ingeleid door drs. Johan Roeland (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) en Umar Mirza ( Wijblijvenhier.nl). Daarna worden drie verrassende onderzoeken gepresenteerd:

1. dr. Stef Aupers (Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam) – Betovering Inc. De spirituele betekenis van computer gaming onder jongeren
2. drs. Martijn de Koning (ISIM, Leiden) -De ‘knip- en plakislam’. Marokkaans-Nederlandse moslimjongeren en internet
3. prof. dr. Liesbet van Zoonen (Universiteit van Amsterdam) -Trek je religie aan? Religie, populaire cultuur en kleding

(more…)

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'Ze geloven het wel' Een seminar over jongeren en religie in 2008

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications, ISIM Research II, Islam in the Netherlands, My Research, Religion Other, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Op 17 januari 2008 vindt het seminar ‘Ze geloven het wel’ plaats aan de Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Het is een seminar voor mensen die de thematiek jongeren en religie aan het hart gaat, en die een beroepsmatige affiniteit met jongeren hebben. Wij denken daarbij aan wetenschappers die onderzoek doen op dit vlak en aan sleutelfiguren uit het bredere maatschappelijke veld.

De dag is allereerst bedoeld als impulsdag. Het programma biedt veel ruimte voor ontmoeting en discussie tussen wetenschappers en mensen uit de praktijk van het jongerenwerk. Inhoudelijk wordt gepoogd inzicht te krijgen in het hoe, wat, waar, wanneer en waarom jongeren geloven, en in het typerende van de religiositeit van de generatie jongeren die na 1980 geboren is. De organisatoren van deze dag hebben daartoe al geruime tijd gewerkt aan een state of the art van het Nederlandse onderzoek naar deze thematiek, dat in het ochtendprogramma van het seminar gepresenteerd zal worden. Deze presentatie zal gevolgd worden door coreferaten van prof. dr. Hijme Stoffels (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) en Clazien Broekhoff (dekenaat IJssellanden, Zwolle). ‘s Middags vinden twee discussiesessies plaats: één sessie over religie en nieuwe organisatievormen, ingeleid door dr. Ton Zondervan (Universiteit van Tilburg) en Carolien Roos (Xnoizz Flevo Festival), en één sessie over religie en nieuwe media, ingeleid door drs. Johan Roeland (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) en Umar Mirza ( Wijblijvenhier.nl). Daarna worden drie verrassende onderzoeken gepresenteerd:

1. dr. Stef Aupers (Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam) – Betovering Inc. De spirituele betekenis van computer gaming onder jongeren
2. drs. Martijn de Koning (ISIM, Leiden) -De ‘knip- en plakislam’. Marokkaans-Nederlandse moslimjongeren en internet
3. prof. dr. Liesbet van Zoonen (Universiteit van Amsterdam) -Trek je religie aan? Religie, populaire cultuur en kleding

(more…)

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Tri-City Herald: Opinions – Hannah Allam: Muslims speak out through Arab-themed T-shirts

Posted on December 22nd, 2007 by .
Categories: Arts & culture, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Tri-City Herald: Opinions
HANNAH ALLAM: Muslims speak out through Arab-themed T-shirts

http://www.halalapalooza.com/
http://www.rootsgear.com/
http://www.phatwafactory.com/
http://www.t-shirtat.com/
http://www.zazzle.com/
http://www.wearaloud.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/khalifaklothing
http://www.cafepress.com/muslimteez
http://casualdisobedience.com/

Published Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

— McClatchy Newspapers

CAIRO, Egypt The Christmas and Eid holidays run back-to-back this year, and it’s hard to shop for people who straddle Western and Middle Eastern cultures. While surfing the Web in hopes of finding unique gifts, I was surprised to stumble across an array of Arab-themed T-shirts whose slogans illustrate how bold Muslims have become in speaking out about their post-9-11 experience.

Once described as an “invisible minority,” Muslims in the United States and abroad can now express themselves with in-your-face T-shirts that strike at U.S. foreign policy, racial profiling, cultural stereotypes and Islamist extremism. A few years back, a friend gave me a gag gift, a T-shirt that shows a dancing mullah below the word, “FUNdamentalist.” A novelty at the time, such clothing is now widely available from online specialty stores.

Last year, an Iraqi peace activist said he was forced to remove a T-shirt printed with, “We will not be silent” before boarding a JetBlue flight to California. Activists against racial profiling drew attention to the case. A blogger who was outraged by the incident has created his own T-shirt, with “I am not a terrorist” written in Arabic. Proceeds reportedly go to the ACLU. Go to: http://casualdisobedience.com/

(more…)

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Beliefnet Presents ‘Not My Father’s Hajj’ by Shahed Amanullah — Beliefnet.com

Posted on December 19th, 2007 by .
Categories: Ritual and Religious Experience, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Beliefnet Presents ‘Not My Father’s Hajj’ by Shahed Amanullah — Beliefnet.com

During the modern hajj, the emphasis on commerce and the abundance of modern technology can be distracting. New malls with Western stores are beginning to surround the Masjid al-Haram (“the Sacred Mosque”), contrasting with the nearby bazaars and street markets that echo historic experiences (commerce itself during hajj time has not traditionally been discouraged). Mobile phone and camera use, though prohibited around the Haram, is still widespread, even by pilgrims performing the tawaf and other religious rites (Internet access, on the other hand, is not accessible to pilgrims). The Saudis have been criticized for their disregard for archeology and buildings of historic importance. Most likely, within a decade’s time, few of the buildings immediately around the Haram will be more than 30 years old.

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Beliefnet Presents 'Not My Father's Hajj' by Shahed Amanullah — Beliefnet.com

Posted on December 19th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Ritual and Religious Experience, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Beliefnet Presents ‘Not My Father’s Hajj’ by Shahed Amanullah — Beliefnet.com

During the modern hajj, the emphasis on commerce and the abundance of modern technology can be distracting. New malls with Western stores are beginning to surround the Masjid al-Haram (“the Sacred Mosque”), contrasting with the nearby bazaars and street markets that echo historic experiences (commerce itself during hajj time has not traditionally been discouraged). Mobile phone and camera use, though prohibited around the Haram, is still widespread, even by pilgrims performing the tawaf and other religious rites (Internet access, on the other hand, is not accessible to pilgrims). The Saudis have been criticized for their disregard for archeology and buildings of historic importance. Most likely, within a decade’s time, few of the buildings immediately around the Haram will be more than 30 years old.

0 comments.

What does it mean to be Muslim in Morocco ? | sur Jeunes Du Maroc, Portail des Jeunes

Posted on December 14th, 2007 by .
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Morocco, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

What does it mean to be Muslim in Morocco ? | sur Jeunes Du Maroc, Portail des Jeunes

The Moroccan constitution updated in 1996 states that people who are born in Morocco are by tradition Muslims- 85% to 90% are Sunnis

(Lamchichi, 1995, p.239). It implies that Moroccan citizens are not religiously free and have no choice in term of religion direction while it represents a public affair, yet it should private. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary, “religion is one of the systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular god or gods”. In reality, Moroccans do not follow Islam’s precepts and rules because of the educational system, the western influence, and the cult’s freedom. In fact, for example, in the Islamic religion as it is written is the Koran, the sacred book for Muslims, it is prohibited to have premarital relations for both men and women and it is forbidden to drink wine. However, Moroccans do it without paying attention to Islam and society. Also, politically, some Moroccans believe that the increasing of the Islamic party, PJD, is going to be a disaster since they strongly believe that they will live in the same context that people lived in Iran during 1979. All these ideas give no homogenous religious identity – in accordance with Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary “who or what somebody or something is”- to Moroccans. Indeed, what does it mean to be Muslim in Morocco ? I will try to propose a possible answer to this question in six parts : first, Moroccans’ points of view through a survey, second the conception of Islam by Moroccan intellectuals, third the ideas of famous figures in Muslim World, fourth foreign authors’ point of view, fifth the feedback of a seminar organized by a scholar group HEM (High Studies of Management), and finally position of Moroccan government about Moroccan citizens’ religious identity.

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What does it mean to be Muslim in Morocco ? | sur Jeunes Du Maroc, Portail des Jeunes

Posted on December 14th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Morocco, Religious and Political Radicalization, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

What does it mean to be Muslim in Morocco ? | sur Jeunes Du Maroc, Portail des Jeunes

The Moroccan constitution updated in 1996 states that people who are born in Morocco are by tradition Muslims- 85% to 90% are Sunnis

(Lamchichi, 1995, p.239). It implies that Moroccan citizens are not religiously free and have no choice in term of religion direction while it represents a public affair, yet it should private. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary, “religion is one of the systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular god or gods”. In reality, Moroccans do not follow Islam’s precepts and rules because of the educational system, the western influence, and the cult’s freedom. In fact, for example, in the Islamic religion as it is written is the Koran, the sacred book for Muslims, it is prohibited to have premarital relations for both men and women and it is forbidden to drink wine. However, Moroccans do it without paying attention to Islam and society. Also, politically, some Moroccans believe that the increasing of the Islamic party, PJD, is going to be a disaster since they strongly believe that they will live in the same context that people lived in Iran during 1979. All these ideas give no homogenous religious identity – in accordance with Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary “who or what somebody or something is”- to Moroccans. Indeed, what does it mean to be Muslim in Morocco ? I will try to propose a possible answer to this question in six parts : first, Moroccans’ points of view through a survey, second the conception of Islam by Moroccan intellectuals, third the ideas of famous figures in Muslim World, fourth foreign authors’ point of view, fifth the feedback of a seminar organized by a scholar group HEM (High Studies of Management), and finally position of Moroccan government about Moroccan citizens’ religious identity.

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Middle East Report 245: Imagined Youths by Ted Swedenburg

Posted on December 14th, 2007 by .
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Young Muslims, Youth culture (as a practice).

Middle East Report 245: Imagined Youths by Ted Swedenburg

Youth in the Middle East are burdened with authoritarian states, corruption and nepotism that circumscribe their life chances, as well as structural socio-economic crisis stemming from the failures of state-led development and the systemic inequalities of global capitalism. Not the least of their burdens, however, are the expectations and imprecations generated by the “youth” of the elite imagination. In the manner of youth everywhere, young Middle Easterners can be expected to heed the paternalism of their governments and the projections of outsiders unevenly at best, as they strive to fulfill their own aspirations, whether they are emancipatory, mundane or somewhere in between.

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Protected: Rector maakt eind aan ‘missiewerk’ – Binnenland – Telegraaf.nl [24 uur actueel, ook mobiel] [binnenland]

Posted on November 17th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Young Muslims.

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