New Directions in Islam – serie

The question of Muslim identity–and, more specifically, Muslim masculinities, political loyalty, and action–has become the central pivot for the debate on the place of Islam in the West, state polices on multiculturalism, and even foreign policy towards the Middle East.

This book analyzes the development of Islam and Muslim communities in the West, including influences from abroad, relations with the state and society, and internal community dynamics. The project examines the emergence of Islam in the West in relation to the place of Muslim communities as part of the social fabric of Western societies.

This edited volume explores various facets of Muslims’ civic engagement in Western post-secular societies, fundamentally challenging simplistic boundaries between Islamic ethical conduct and liberal-democratic norms and practice.Bringing together scholars from sociology, anthropology, and Islamic theology, the collection offers sound theoretical and empirical elaborations on the complex ways in which Islamic piety, principles and norms interact with, and shape, Muslims’ everyday practice of volunteering as a performance of active citizenship in liberal societies. The contributions cover diverse manifestations of Muslim volunteering in North America, Europe and Australia, from environmentalism to mental health volunteering, and critically examine the national and global socio-political context within which certain forms of Muslims’ civic engagement are viewed with skepticism and suspicion. It will be of use to students and scholars across sociology, political science, community studies and Islamic studies, with a focus on migrant integration, diaspora studies, and inter-ethnic relations.

This edited volume explores various facets of Muslims’ civic engagement in Western post-secular societies, fundamentally challenging simplistic boundaries between Islamic ethical conduct and liberal-democratic norms and practice.Bringing together scholars from sociology, anthropology, and Islamic theology, the collection offers sound theoretical and empirical elaborations on the complex ways in which Islamic piety, principles and norms interact with, and shape, Muslims’ everyday practice of volunteering as a performance of active citizenship in liberal societies. The contributions cover diverse manifestations of Muslim volunteering in North America, Europe and Australia, from environmentalism to mental health volunteering, and critically examine the national and global socio-political context within which certain forms of Muslims’ civic engagement are viewed with skepticism and suspicion. It will be of use to students and scholars across sociology, political science, community studies and Islamic studies, with a focus on migrant integration, diaspora studies, and inter-ethnic relations.

Drawing on qualitative research conducted in Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders, Islam and Turks in Belgium examines the interdependence between Muslim community and association. With a focus on social groups, religious structures and circles within Turkish populations, this book demonstrates how communal and associative movements operate through a combination of relationships of proximity and distance. Proximity is a way in which Muslim organisations establish religious, social, and cultural ties with communities. Distance, on the other hand, takes into account social, historical, and political elements from abroad, and refers to the relationship with the Muslim world more broadly. As this reciprocal web of relations gives rise to Islamic mobilisations, it leads to the emergence or persistence of different figures of authority within associations and communities who articulate traditional, charismatic, and bureaucratic legitimacies.This book will be of interest to students and scholars of the sociology of religion, migration, race, ethnicity and Islamic studies.

Drawing on qualitative research conducted in Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders, Islam and Turks in Belgium examines the interdependence between Muslim community and association. With a focus on social groups, religious structures and circles within Turkish populations, this book demonstrates how communal and associative movements operate through a combination of relationships of proximity and distance. Proximity is a way in which Muslim organisations establish religious, social, and cultural ties with communities. Distance, on the other hand, takes into account social, historical, and political elements from abroad, and refers to the relationship with the Muslim world more broadly. As this reciprocal web of relations gives rise to Islamic mobilisations, it leads to the emergence or persistence of different figures of authority within associations and communities who articulate traditional, charismatic, and bureaucratic legitimacies.This book will be of interest to students and scholars of the sociology of religion, migration, race, ethnicity and Islamic studies.

This book outlines the principal motivations, opportunities and barriers to Muslim women’s political participation in France and francophone Belgium.

This book outlines the principal motivations, opportunities and barriers to Muslim women’s political participation in France and francophone Belgium.

As volunteering and interacting (caring) with the society requires careful deliberation of their society and their position as Muslims, and as women in that society, this research unpacks how multiple belongings of Muslim women in Belgium are negotiated, balanced, and influenced.

As volunteering and interacting (caring) with the society requires careful deliberation of their society and their position as Muslims, and as women in that society, this research unpacks how multiple belongings of Muslim women in Belgium are negotiated, balanced, and influenced.

The alternative conceptual framework to traditional analyses of secularisation and civility presented across this volume will be of interest to students and scholars across Islamic studies, religious studies, sociology and political science, civilisation studies, and cultural studies.

The alternative conceptual framework to traditional analyses of secularisation and civility presented across this volume will be of interest to students and scholars across Islamic studies, religious studies, sociology and political science, civilisation studies, and cultural studies.

This book investigates ways of dressing, style and fashion as gendered and embodied, but equally as “religionized” phenomena, particularly focusing on one significant world religion: Islam.

This book investigates ways of dressing, style and fashion as gendered and embodied, but equally as “religionized” phenomena, particularly focusing on one significant world religion: Islam.

This book presents an empirical examination of consent-seeking among Pashtun Muslims in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), to determine whether cultural norms and beliefs have largely come to diverge from the principles of consent in Islamic law and jurisprudence. Is culture part of the ‘inevitable decay’ to which Max Müller says every religion is exposed? Or – if rephrased in terms of the research encapsulated within this book – are cultural beliefs and practises the inevitable decay to which Islam has been exposed in Muslim societies?Drawing on interviews with Muslims in Pakistan and Australia, the research broadly broaches questions around the rights of women in Islam and contributes to a wider understanding of Muslim social, cultural, and religious practices in both Muslim majority nations and diaspora communities. The author disentangles cultural practices from both religious and universal legal principles, demonstrating how consent seeking in Pashtunculture generally does not reflect the spirit or the intent of consent as described in Hanafī law and jurisprudence. This research will be of interest to students and scholars across sociology, anthropology, socio-legal studies, and law, with a focus on Islamically-justified law reform in Muslim nation states.

This book presents an empirical examination of consent-seeking among Pashtun Muslims in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), to determine whether cultural norms and beliefs have largely come to diverge from the principles of consent in Islamic law and jurisprudence. Is culture part of the ‘inevitable decay’ to which Max Müller says every religion is exposed? Or – if rephrased in terms of the research encapsulated within this book – are cultural beliefs and practises the inevitable decay to which Islam has been exposed in Muslim societies?Drawing on interviews with Muslims in Pakistan and Australia, the research broadly broaches questions around the rights of women in Islam and contributes to a wider understanding of Muslim social, cultural, and religious practices in both Muslim majority nations and diaspora communities. The author disentangles cultural practices from both religious and universal legal principles, demonstrating how consent seeking in Pashtunculture generally does not reflect the spirit or the intent of consent as described in Hanafī law and jurisprudence. This research will be of interest to students and scholars across sociology, anthropology, socio-legal studies, and law, with a focus on Islamically-justified law reform in Muslim nation states.

This edited collection is one of the few sociological and anthropological studies of Halal markets. The chapters inquire into the legal and religious aspects of Halal markets in non-Muslim contexts or the countries where the label 'Halal' matters, and is not taken for granted as it is the case in most of the Muslim world where it is an accepted norm. In many countries, 'Halal' has become a type of brand used to market food and cosmetic products. This is an effective marketing strategy because it appeals directly to Muslims, but also increasingly to non-Muslims who seek pure, fresh products. In this case 'Halal' implies attributes similar to other brands where quality and purity is guaranteed, such as Fair Trade, Bio or organic in the US and Europe, but with the additional appeal to prospective Muslim consumers that it satisfies Islamic norms.The book consists of contributions on Halal economies in non-Muslim societies dealing with such dilemmas as rational thinking and halal philosophywithin various fields of halal economy such as regulation, production, marketing, service delivery and consumption.

This edited collection is one of the few sociological and anthropological studies of Halal markets. The chapters inquire into the legal and religious aspects of Halal markets in non-Muslim contexts or the countries where the label 'Halal' matters, and is not taken for granted as it is the case in most of the Muslim world where it is an accepted norm. In many countries, 'Halal' has become a type of brand used to market food and cosmetic products. This is an effective marketing strategy because it appeals directly to Muslims, but also increasingly to non-Muslims who seek pure, fresh products. In this case 'Halal' implies attributes similar to other brands where quality and purity is guaranteed, such as Fair Trade, Bio or organic in the US and Europe, but with the additional appeal to prospective Muslim consumers that it satisfies Islamic norms.The book consists of contributions on Halal economies in non-Muslim societies dealing with such dilemmas as rational thinking and halal philosophywithin various fields of halal economy such as regulation, production, marketing, service delivery and consumption.

This book delves into the complexities of masculinity, mental health, and cultural identity among young Bangladeshi-Canadian men. Employing an anthropological, intersectional approach, it scrutinizes the interplay of neoliberal ideologies, Islamic values, and diasporic experiences in shaping their masculine trajectories. The study unravels the intergenerational trauma, parental pressures, and societal expectations that contribute to their deteriorating mental well-being. With a unique insider perspective and rich empirical data, this book fills a crucial gap in the literature by offering invaluable insights for scholars exploring the nuances of migration, ethnicity, gender, and psychological resilience. Strikingly, the author proposes evidence-based interventions and policy recommendations to address the mental health struggles of this underserved population, making it a must-read for academics and students in diaspora studies, migration studies, sociology of race and ethnicity, gender studies, anthropology, political science and development studies, as well as NGOs and policymakers alike.

This book analyzes the development of Islam and Muslim communities in the West, including influences from abroad, relations with the state and society, and internal community dynamics. The project examines the emergence of Islam in the West in relation to the place of Muslim communities as part of the social fabric of Western societies.

This book focuses on the Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria, and provides information on the origin and growth of the sect, antecedent and historical factors behind the insurgence, assessing a variety of socio-political drivers.

This book unpacks the distinctive dynamics of public diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and the United States in the post‑9/11 period by examining the "King Abdullah Scholarship Programme (KASP)", launched in 2005, which has largely escaped academic scrutiny. The September 11 attacks underscored the importance of public diplomacy as a key instrument for repairing lost trust between Saudi Arabia and the United States (US). A central challenge for the Kingdom is pursuing an approach to public diplomacy beyond the Muslim world without undermining core national interests. Unlike the US, Saudi Arabia has historically had limited soft power and lacks robust public diplomacy tools or experience beyond Arab and Muslim societies.Departing from the classic understanding of public diplomacy as a one‑way flow dispensed by great powers, this book offers theoretical insights into the particularities of public diplomacy between two states with unequal power resources. KASP was conceived with a public diplomacy mandate; its key innovation lies in establishing a two‑way platform that delivers image‑repair benefits for both sides. In doing so, the author argues, Saudi Arabia was able to mitigate the power asymmetry to some extent. This book advances understanding of how to conduct public diplomacy in asymmetrical power contexts—specifically from the perspective of a non‑Western middle power—and will be of interest to scholars, students, and policymakers in political sociology, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern politics, and International Relations.