The highly contested policy of Prevent has dominated headlines recently, particularly its enforce... more The highly contested policy of Prevent has dominated headlines recently, particularly its enforcement in education, which has precipitated campaigns like ‘Students Not Suspects‘ to highlight its detriment to civil liberties. Although there have been a number incarnations of British counter-terrorism since 9/11, all consistently feature an emphasis on the ideology of Islam as a key factor in the causes of radicalisation and terrorism. This kind of logic was echoed in statements such as Tony Blair’s declaration after the Lee Rigby murder in May 2013 that, while there is no problem ‘with’ Islam, ‘there is a problem within Islam’. Even though this kind of argument is usually tempered with the qualification that the majority of ‘moderate’ Muslims are fine, while the errant ‘extreme’ ones distort the faith, this does not mitigate the harms the follow from associating Islam with terrorism.....
This thesis presents findings from an ESRC-funded doctoral study on the cultural politics of youn... more This thesis presents findings from an ESRC-funded doctoral study on the cultural politics of young adult Muslims who participate in political and civic activism within British civil society. Based on ethnographic research in the Midlands area, it offers an empirically informed understanding of how these forms of activism relate to themes of political participation, citizenship, security and governance in Britain today. The thesis argues that the diverse mobilisations examined by the research collectively constitute a social movement to resist the marginalisation and stigmatisation of Muslim identities in a post 9/11 context. The war on terror, in response to the international crisis of militant Islam, has placed Muslim citizenship in many Western liberal democracies under fierce scrutiny, prompting uneasy and hard to resolve questions around issues of security, diversity, cohesion and national identity. In Britain, as in Europe, political and public responses to these questions have precipitated a climate of fear and suspicion around Muslims, rendering their citizenship contingent and precarious and undermining their ability to identify with the nation and participate in its political processes. This thesis reveals how young Muslim activists negotiate these challenges by engaging in a range of activities typical of social movements, not only in terms of distinctive modes of action but also with respect to their transformative social and political visions and imaginaries. Muslim activists engage in cultural politics to demand a more inclusive and post-national notion of citizenship, by seeking to turn negative Muslim differences into positive ones. Participants’ engagement in democratic processes through political repertoires commonly adopted by other progressive social movements challenges the moral panic engendered by the exceptionalism ascribed to Muslim identity politics. This thesis argues that these cultural politics constitute a British Muslim social movement to contest Islamophobia through resistance to two dominant forms of power in contemporary Western societies. Firstly, this movement is a response to the multiple technologies of power articulated by Foucault’s concept of ‘governmentality’, which are difficult to distinguish and confront due to their imperceptible and socially dispersed nature. Secondly, cultural politics is necessitated by direct threats of force that Foucault described as a ‘relationship of violence’ and which are discernible in the rise of the securitisation of citizenship in the wake of 9/11. The nature of resistance from Muslim activists suggests that their cultural politics are not only a strategic but also a less risky political response to both these prevailing forms of power. Foucault’s argument that the nature of power can be deciphered from the forms of resistance it provokes suggests responsive rather than reactive political strategies by young Muslims. The thesis concludes that these cultural politics represent forms of active citizenship premised on a more equal, participatory and radically democratic social contract than nationalist and neoliberal forms of governance presently concede.
British Muslims have confronted numerous challenges since 9/11 which have rendered their citizens... more British Muslims have confronted numerous challenges since 9/11 which have rendered their citizenship ‘precarious’ and ‘contingent’, including rampant Islamophobia and a disproportionate impact from tighter security and immigration measures. Additionally, they are also disadvantaged by new forms of governance which promote ‘active citizenship’ based on both neoliberal and resurgent nationalist demands for citizens to be more self-reliant as welfare provision shrinks. This article explores how young British Muslim civil society activists negotiate some of these challenges by analysing their discourses on citizenship and belonging. Based on an ethnographic study, it is suggested that despite experiencing exclusion and marginalisation, young Muslim activists incarnate active citizenship but with reference to a very different set of values and priorities in contrast to nationalist and neoliberal normative ideas. Demonstrating a strong commitment to civic responsibility and participation, these young Muslims defy fears that negative associations with Britishness weaken the value and relevance of citizenship.
Interest in Muslim identities and citizenship has intensified with every renewed moral crisis pre... more Interest in Muslim identities and citizenship has intensified with every renewed moral crisis precipitated by events such as the Rushdie affair, 9/11 and 7/7, generating questions about the dangers of too much diversity. Identity has also been at the centre of Muslim political struggles for equal citizenship in Britain, attracting critical evaluation from both progressive and conservative interlocutors who contest the reification of group boundaries that are inevitable with identity politics. In this paper I present a case study of identity politics by young adult British Muslims which I argue is based on a distinctly post 9/11 social movement aimed at turning negative difference into positive difference. Drawing on insights from both social movement theory (Della Porta and Diani, 2006; Melucci, 1995; 1996) and theories of multicultural citizenship (Modood, 2007, 2010; Phillips, 2007; Young, 1990, 2000) I will reveal how participants in my doctoral study recognised themselves as a collective group whilst highlighting the complexities of producing such a unifying entity. This paper also intends to demystify the salience of faith identities among British Muslims, highlighted in existing literature, by drawing attention to the political dimensions of such identity constructions and challenging some of the essentialist and damaging conclusions drawn from loyalty to Islam. Understanding the political positioning of Muslim faith identities underlines the continued importance and relevance of the politics of recognition based on group identities.
The highly contested policy of Prevent has dominated headlines recently, particularly its enforce... more The highly contested policy of Prevent has dominated headlines recently, particularly its enforcement in education, which has precipitated campaigns like ‘Students Not Suspects‘ to highlight its detriment to civil liberties. Although there have been a number incarnations of British counter-terrorism since 9/11, all consistently feature an emphasis on the ideology of Islam as a key factor in the causes of radicalisation and terrorism. This kind of logic was echoed in statements such as Tony Blair’s declaration after the Lee Rigby murder in May 2013 that, while there is no problem ‘with’ Islam, ‘there is a problem within Islam’. Even though this kind of argument is usually tempered with the qualification that the majority of ‘moderate’ Muslims are fine, while the errant ‘extreme’ ones distort the faith, this does not mitigate the harms the follow from associating Islam with terrorism.....
This thesis presents findings from an ESRC-funded doctoral study on the cultural politics of youn... more This thesis presents findings from an ESRC-funded doctoral study on the cultural politics of young adult Muslims who participate in political and civic activism within British civil society. Based on ethnographic research in the Midlands area, it offers an empirically informed understanding of how these forms of activism relate to themes of political participation, citizenship, security and governance in Britain today. The thesis argues that the diverse mobilisations examined by the research collectively constitute a social movement to resist the marginalisation and stigmatisation of Muslim identities in a post 9/11 context. The war on terror, in response to the international crisis of militant Islam, has placed Muslim citizenship in many Western liberal democracies under fierce scrutiny, prompting uneasy and hard to resolve questions around issues of security, diversity, cohesion and national identity. In Britain, as in Europe, political and public responses to these questions have precipitated a climate of fear and suspicion around Muslims, rendering their citizenship contingent and precarious and undermining their ability to identify with the nation and participate in its political processes. This thesis reveals how young Muslim activists negotiate these challenges by engaging in a range of activities typical of social movements, not only in terms of distinctive modes of action but also with respect to their transformative social and political visions and imaginaries. Muslim activists engage in cultural politics to demand a more inclusive and post-national notion of citizenship, by seeking to turn negative Muslim differences into positive ones. Participants’ engagement in democratic processes through political repertoires commonly adopted by other progressive social movements challenges the moral panic engendered by the exceptionalism ascribed to Muslim identity politics. This thesis argues that these cultural politics constitute a British Muslim social movement to contest Islamophobia through resistance to two dominant forms of power in contemporary Western societies. Firstly, this movement is a response to the multiple technologies of power articulated by Foucault’s concept of ‘governmentality’, which are difficult to distinguish and confront due to their imperceptible and socially dispersed nature. Secondly, cultural politics is necessitated by direct threats of force that Foucault described as a ‘relationship of violence’ and which are discernible in the rise of the securitisation of citizenship in the wake of 9/11. The nature of resistance from Muslim activists suggests that their cultural politics are not only a strategic but also a less risky political response to both these prevailing forms of power. Foucault’s argument that the nature of power can be deciphered from the forms of resistance it provokes suggests responsive rather than reactive political strategies by young Muslims. The thesis concludes that these cultural politics represent forms of active citizenship premised on a more equal, participatory and radically democratic social contract than nationalist and neoliberal forms of governance presently concede.
British Muslims have confronted numerous challenges since 9/11 which have rendered their citizens... more British Muslims have confronted numerous challenges since 9/11 which have rendered their citizenship ‘precarious’ and ‘contingent’, including rampant Islamophobia and a disproportionate impact from tighter security and immigration measures. Additionally, they are also disadvantaged by new forms of governance which promote ‘active citizenship’ based on both neoliberal and resurgent nationalist demands for citizens to be more self-reliant as welfare provision shrinks. This article explores how young British Muslim civil society activists negotiate some of these challenges by analysing their discourses on citizenship and belonging. Based on an ethnographic study, it is suggested that despite experiencing exclusion and marginalisation, young Muslim activists incarnate active citizenship but with reference to a very different set of values and priorities in contrast to nationalist and neoliberal normative ideas. Demonstrating a strong commitment to civic responsibility and participation, these young Muslims defy fears that negative associations with Britishness weaken the value and relevance of citizenship.
Interest in Muslim identities and citizenship has intensified with every renewed moral crisis pre... more Interest in Muslim identities and citizenship has intensified with every renewed moral crisis precipitated by events such as the Rushdie affair, 9/11 and 7/7, generating questions about the dangers of too much diversity. Identity has also been at the centre of Muslim political struggles for equal citizenship in Britain, attracting critical evaluation from both progressive and conservative interlocutors who contest the reification of group boundaries that are inevitable with identity politics. In this paper I present a case study of identity politics by young adult British Muslims which I argue is based on a distinctly post 9/11 social movement aimed at turning negative difference into positive difference. Drawing on insights from both social movement theory (Della Porta and Diani, 2006; Melucci, 1995; 1996) and theories of multicultural citizenship (Modood, 2007, 2010; Phillips, 2007; Young, 1990, 2000) I will reveal how participants in my doctoral study recognised themselves as a collective group whilst highlighting the complexities of producing such a unifying entity. This paper also intends to demystify the salience of faith identities among British Muslims, highlighted in existing literature, by drawing attention to the political dimensions of such identity constructions and challenging some of the essentialist and damaging conclusions drawn from loyalty to Islam. Understanding the political positioning of Muslim faith identities underlines the continued importance and relevance of the politics of recognition based on group identities.
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Papers by Anisa Mustafa
This thesis argues that these cultural politics constitute a British Muslim social movement to contest Islamophobia through resistance to two dominant forms of power in contemporary Western societies. Firstly, this movement is a response to the multiple technologies of power articulated by Foucault’s concept of ‘governmentality’, which are difficult to distinguish and confront due to their imperceptible and socially dispersed nature. Secondly, cultural politics is necessitated by direct threats of force that Foucault described as a ‘relationship of violence’ and which are discernible in the rise of the securitisation of citizenship in the wake of 9/11. The nature of resistance from Muslim activists suggests that their cultural politics are not only a strategic but also a less risky political response to both these prevailing forms of power. Foucault’s argument that the nature of power can be deciphered from the forms of resistance it provokes suggests responsive rather than reactive political strategies by young Muslims. The thesis concludes that these cultural politics represent forms of active citizenship premised on a more equal, participatory and radically democratic social contract than nationalist and neoliberal forms of governance presently concede.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1070289X.2015.1024127#.VWI5oXnbKUk
Blog posts by Anisa Mustafa
This thesis argues that these cultural politics constitute a British Muslim social movement to contest Islamophobia through resistance to two dominant forms of power in contemporary Western societies. Firstly, this movement is a response to the multiple technologies of power articulated by Foucault’s concept of ‘governmentality’, which are difficult to distinguish and confront due to their imperceptible and socially dispersed nature. Secondly, cultural politics is necessitated by direct threats of force that Foucault described as a ‘relationship of violence’ and which are discernible in the rise of the securitisation of citizenship in the wake of 9/11. The nature of resistance from Muslim activists suggests that their cultural politics are not only a strategic but also a less risky political response to both these prevailing forms of power. Foucault’s argument that the nature of power can be deciphered from the forms of resistance it provokes suggests responsive rather than reactive political strategies by young Muslims. The thesis concludes that these cultural politics represent forms of active citizenship premised on a more equal, participatory and radically democratic social contract than nationalist and neoliberal forms of governance presently concede.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1070289X.2015.1024127#.VWI5oXnbKUk