Striving for Allah Purification and Resistance Among Fundamentalist Muslims in the Netherlands.

Format:

Book

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islamic fundamentalism--Netherlands.

Islamic fundamentalism.

Netherlands.

Physical Description:

282 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

[Place of publication not identified] : Eleven Intl Pub, 2014.

Summary:

Islamic fundamentalist movements such as Salafism are of great concern lo Western societies like the Netherlands, yet much remains unknown about these phenomena. Striving for Allah aims to fill in the blanks by presenting primary data from in-depth qualitative research in the Netherlands and to a lesser extent, Britain. Firstly, this study compares orthodox, radical and extremist groups regarding attitudes, motives, reasons, and behaviour, within Islamic fundamentalism. Secondly, it presents an innovative theoretical framework that contributes to the understanding of the attraction of Islamic fundamentalism to individuals from Muslim families and to converts, an important group that is often overlooked. The author finds that Dutch Muslim fundamentalists are not as 'other' as is commonly assumed. Instead, this research demonstrates that Islamic fundamentalism among Dutch and other Western Muslims is to a large extent a Western phenomenon. Islamic fundamentalism is hence a truly global phenomenan. Book jacket.

Marc Sageman, author of Understanding Terror Networks and Leaderless Jihad Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Removing the Veil 31

1.1 Islamic Fundamentalism in the West: The Dutch Case and a British Impression 32

1.2 Getting Started: Three Research Methods 32

1.2.1 Conducting Interviews 33

1.2.2 Getting in Place for Observation 36

1.2.3 Exploring Online Interactions 38

1.3 Ethical Issues when Entering the Field 39

1.3.1 Being an 'Unveiled' Non-Muslim Researcher 40

1.3.2 Anonimity and Confidentiality 40

1.3.3 Assuming Informed Consent 40

1.3.4 Acceptance of Closed Inner Doors 41

1.4 In the Field: Countering Obstacles and Limitations to Validity 41

1.4.1 Problems in Gaining Trust 41

1.4.2 Internal Validity: Social Desirability and Hidden Transcripts 44

1.4.3 Validity of Virtual Reality and Personalities 45

1.4.4 External Validity 46

1.5 Human Factors in Fieldwork 46

1.5.1 Reliability: Opening up to the Insider Perspective 47

1.5.2 Dealing with Expectations of Respondents 48

1.6 Registration of Observations and Interviews 48

1.6.1 Observations: Overt Researcher, Covert Note taking 49

1.6.2 Interviews: No Recording Please! 50

1.7 Analysis of Data 51

1.8 Summary 51

2 Islamic Fundamentalism as a Threat to Society? 53

2.1 Conceptualizing Islamic Fundamentalism 54

2.2 Global Sources, Local Manifestations of Islamic Fundamentalism 55

2.2.1 The Rise of Transnational Fundamentalism 56

2.2.2 The Resonance of Islamic Fundamentalism among Dutch Muslims 58

2.3 Anti-Western Beliefs and Behaviour? 61

2.3.1 The Islamic Way of Life: Islam is Everywhere and Everything 62

2.3.2 Contact between Believers and Unbelievers 64

2.3.3 (Western Liberal) Democracy versus Sharia 68

2.3.4 International Issues and Jihad 72

2.4 Moderate Muslims versus Orthodox, Radical, and Extremist Fundamentalists 78

2.4.1 Moderate 80

2.4.2 Orthodox 80

2.4.3 Radical and Extremist 82

2.5 Summary 84

3 Conversion, Radicalization and Identity Strain 87

3.1 Conceptualizing Identity and (Radical) Conversion: Continuous Processes 88

3.2 Understanding Conversion to Orthodox, Radical and Extremist Islam 91

3.2.1 The Desire to Convert 92

3.2.2 The Temptation of Fundamentalist Interpretations 95

3.2.3 Explanatory Models and Links with (Criminological) Theories 96

3.3 Multiple Experiences Contributing to Identity Crisis 97

3.3.1 Being Adrift 99

3.3.2 Experiencing Personal Loss and Suffering 100

3.3.3 Experiencing Social Exclusion and Lack of Recognition 101

3.3.4 A Desire for Transcendence 104

3.3.5 The Common Factor: Identity Crisis and a Quest for Personal. Meaning 107

3.4 Different Directions: A Role of Significant Others and 'Identity Strain'? 108

3.4.1 Significant Others 109

3.4.2 Gradations of Identity Crisis and (Radical) Conversion 113

3.4.3 The Nature of the Crisis: Identity Strain 116

3.5 Summary 119

4 An Orthodox Focus on Positive Self-Identification 121

4.1 Identity, Identification and Difference 121

4.2 Fundamentalist Meaning Systems as a Source of Secure Identities 125

4.2.1 Absolute Truth's Promise of Stability 125

4.2.2 The Security of Relying on a Higher Power 127

4.3 The Security of Fundamentalist Boundaries in Everyday Life 131

4.3.1 Rules as Protection in the Pluralist Chaos of Modern Life 131

4.3.2 A Sense of Belonging 134

4.3.3 Islam as Master Status Determining Trait: Being Somebody Good 138

4.4 Summary 146

5 A Radical And Extremist Focus On Resistance 149

5.1 Discourses of Resistance 150

5.1.1 Distancing from Former Life 150

5.1.2 Resistance to Western/Dutch Culture 152

5.1.3 Superiority to Other Religions 155

5.1.4 Resistance to External Labels 158

5.1.5 Criticism of Other Muslims 160

5.1.6 Criticism of Islamophobia 165

5.2 Resistance as Coping Strategy for Identity Strain? 170

5.2.1 The Orthodox Respondents: An Inward Focus 171

5.2.2 The Radical and Extremist Respondents: Resistance Identities 173

5.3 Summary 177

6 Representing Purification and Resistance 179

6.1 Becoming a Fundamentalist Representative of Islam 179

6.1.1 Presentation of Self through Names 180

6.1.2 Linguistic Expression 181

6.1.3 Physical Appearances 183

6.1.4 Islamic Behaviour and Activities 190

6.2 Keeping the Community Together: Social Control and Impression Management 199

6.2.1 Introducing the Fundamentalist Communities 199

6.2.2 Confirmation and Stimulation 202

6.2.3 Critique 204

6.2.4 Impression Management: Ignoring Disagreement and Incorrect Behaviour 209

6.3 Internalizing Muslim Identities and Dealing with Discrepancies between Attitudes and Behaviour 210

6.4 Merits: Self-Identity, Belonging and Social Status 213

6.5 Summary 217

7 A 'Late Modern' Identity Project Under Strain 219

7.1 'Late modern' Fundamentalists 220

7.2 Bricolaging an Explanatory Model: A Modern Identity Project, Subcultures, and Strain 223

7.2.1 Dutch Fundamentalism and Late Modernity 223

7.2.2 Bricolaging a Theory of Identity Strain 226

7.3 Summary 237.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and glossary.

ISBN:

9789462364936

9462364931

OCLC:

890180606