Religiosity and Recognition: Multiculturalism and British Converts to Islam

239 Pages·2021·8.226 MB·English

by  Thomas Sealy

PALGRAVE POLITICS OF
IDENTITY AND CITIZENSHIP
Religiosity and
Recognition
Multiculturalism and
British Converts to Islam
Thomas Sealy
Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series
Series Editors
Varun Uberoi, Brunel University London, London, UK
Nasar Meer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Tariq Modood, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
The politics of identity and citizenship has assumed increasing impor-
tanceasourpolitieshavebecomesignificantlymoreculturally,ethnically
and religiously diverse. Different types of scholars, including philoso-
phers, sociologists, political scientists and historians make contributions
to this field and this series showcases a variety of innovative contribu-
tions to it. Focusing on a range of different countries, and utilizing the
insights of different disciplines, the series helps to illuminate an increas-
ingly controversial area of research and titles in it will be of interest to
a number of audiences including scholars, students and other interested
individuals.
More information about this series at
http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14670
Thomas Sealy
Religiosity
and Recognition
Multiculturalism and British Converts
to Islam
Thomas Sealy
University of Bristol
Bristol, UK
Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series
ISBN 978-3-030-75126-5 ISBN 978-3-030-75127-2 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75127-2
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Acknowledgements
I am first and foremost indebted to the people who shared their stories,
including their joys and struggles, hopes and frustrations. Not only
wouldthisbooknothavehappenedorbeenasrichwithouttheirinterest,
willingness and generosity, these stories have also enriched my own
perspectives and modes of thought and feeling. For this, I am indebted
indeed.
I am extremely grateful to Professor Tariq Modood and Professor
Therese O’Toole for their support, encouragement, probing, prodding
and not least patience as my Ph.D. supervisors when the research that
forms the basis of this book was done. I am especially grateful to Tariq
Modood, who I have continued to learn a great deal from as a Research
AssociateduringthetimeIwasdevelopingtheargumentsforandwriting
this book.
I owe a large debt of gratitude to Rashid Ansari, without whose help
and generosity this would have been a far more difficult project to get
going. I am also indebted to those who let me explain my research
to groups they run, put me in touch with people, and disseminated
my information, and hope I am forgiven for not naming names in
v
vi Acknowledgements
the interest of preserving the confidentiality of those who subsequently
responded and whose words appear throughout.
I am grateful to colleagues who provided a friendly, supportive and
enjoyable working environment. Also to those who have in different
capacities and ways and at different times read, discussed, grilled me on,
or simply listened to the ideas and issues explored in these chapters. In
this, I owe special thanks to Magda Mogilnicka, Kieran Flanagan, Jon
Fox, Kim Knott, Katya Braginskaia, Zoe Sanderson and Rosie Nelson.
Special thanks are also due to Yasmin Soysal and Mike Roper. Without
their encouragement and enthusiasm for my ideas at their earliest stage,
this may never have happened.
Finally, my family, whose support has come in a very different guise,
but one just as important. It is grounding and reassuring to have the
support of those with whom I don’t have discussions about what I read,
write and think and how well the arguments and contents of this book
fitandfollow,butratherarejustinterestedinhowI’mdoing.Inthisvein
Sophie, and in his own way George, deserve a special mention.
Contents
1 Introduction: Multiculturalism and Religion 1
Secular Britain 4
Christian Britain 6
Plural Britain 7
Multiculturalism and Religion 8
Multiculturalism and Secular Sociology 10
Methodology 13
Methodology and Identity 14
The Study 18
Reflexivity 18
References 21
2 Converts in Multicultural Context 27
Converts to Islam in Britain: Historical Overview 28
The Contemporary Picture 31
Born Muslims in Multifaith Britain 36
Born Muslims and Converts in Contemporary Britain 38
References 45
vii
viii Contents
3 Multiculturalism and the Multi-Religious Challenge 49
Multiculturalism’s Challenge: Difference
and Recognition 50
Multiculturalism Challenged 53
‘Everyday’ Multicultural Identities 53
Multiculturalism as aTheological Principle 57
Difference: Substantive and Liberative 58
Hospitality 61
Hospitality in Islam 64
HospitalityandRecognition:CommonandUncommon
Ground 66
References 70
4 Resituating Religiosity 75
Theological Reflections 79
Religiosity and Religion 84
The Heart of the Matter 85
A Fusion Between Horizons of Past and Present 88
Of Eggs and Atheism 90
Religiosity Past and Future: Being and Becoming 94
Ontological Responsibility 96
References 97
5 Religion, Culture and the Stranger 101
The Religion-Culture Divide: Deculturation:
A Problematic 102
Reculturaltion: Assimilation and Exclusion 103
Euro-Islam, European Islam 107
The Stranger 116
The Stranger (Re)considered 117
Simmel’s Stranger 119
References 121
6 Being Made Strange: Dislocated, Functionalised
and Refused 125
On Estrangement 127
A Continuum of Estrangement 130
Contents ix
Estrangement and Islamophobia 132
The ‘Immigrant’ Experience 134
From Stranger Functionalised to Stranger Refused 139
References 144
7 Unusual Multicultural Subjects: On Being British,
on Being Muslim 147
The Religiosity of the Stranger 149
Religiosity and Belonging in Britain 151
Religiosity and Born Muslims 156
Religion: Elastic andTactical 165
References 167
8 Islamophobia and Religiosity: Religion, ‘Race’
and Ethnicity 169
Islamophobia and Convert Identities 174
Decategorisation in Relation to Non-Muslims 178
Decategorisation in Relation to Muslims 181
Five tests for Islamophobia 187
References 190
9 Hospitable Multiculturalism 195
When is Recognition not Recognition? 198
Whither Multiculturalism? 205
Hospitality and Recognition: Judgement 207
Hospitality and Recognition: Dialogue 209
Secularity and Pluralism 211
Dialogue and the Challenges ofTranslation 214
References 217
10 Conclusion 221
References 229
Index 231