Young Belgian Muslims: between religious reactivity and individualization

ABSTRACT

In Belgium, since the first instances of girls wearing headscarves in schools in 1989, the public discussion on the place of Islam and Muslims in Belgian society has been almost constant. That debate has become more polarized in the wake of the attacks of 22 March 2016. The results presented in this paper are drawn from sixteen group discussions and twenty individual semi-structured interviews. We investigate the weight of discrimination processes on identity formation in the light of both reactive religiosity and individualization and secularization theoretical frameworks. Our data show that strongly identifying as Muslim is not experienced as being exclusive of other types of identifications claimed simultaneously. Then, we illustrate the processes of reflexivity, appropriation, and individualization of belief, as well as the negotiation or even circumvention of certain religious norms that are ongoing among Brussels’ Muslim youth.

KEYWORDS:

• Islam
• Muslims
• youth
• secularization
• individualization
• religious practices

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Noir Jaune Blues: constat d'échec pour le vivre-ensemble en Belgique, RTBF.Be, 09 January 2017. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_noir-jaune-blues-constat-d-echec-pourle-vivre-ensemble-en-belgique?id=9497247.

2 Young People and Media: A Good Practice Guide and Barometer, Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel, 12 January 2015. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://www.csa.be/document/young-people-and-media-good-practices-and-barometer/.

3 Baromètre diversité & égalité 2013, Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel, 04 novembre 2014. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://www.csa.be/document/barometre-diversite-egalite-2013-la-synthese/.

4 Observations of the population of the Belgian statistical office, Statbel, 2021. Accessed September 20, 2021. https://bestat.statbel.fgov.be/bestat/crosstable.xhtml?view=fc14c1ce-7361-4d42-a892-fce8e81a1b79.

5 Population selon la nationalité actuelle et la nationalité à la naissance, Institut bruxellois de statistique et d’analyse. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://ibsa.brussels/themes/population/nationalites.

6 Le taux d’emploi des personnes d’origine étrangère s’améliore mais reste à la traîne. Centre interfédéral pour l’égalité des chances, 11 mars 2020. Accessed February 23, 2021. https://www.unia.be/fr/articles/le-taux-demploi-des-personnes-dorigine-etrangere-sameliore-mais-reste-a-la-traine.

7 Baromètre de la diversité Logement, Centre interfédéral pour l’égalité des chances, 2014. Accessed February 23, 2021. https://www.unia.be/files/Documenten/Publicaties_docs/barometre_de_la_diversite_logement.pdf.

8 « Bruxelles: La discrimination en boîte de nuit dans le viseur », DH.net, 26 novembre 2016. Accessed February 23, 2021. https://www.dhnet.be/regions/bruxelles/bruxelles-la-discrimination-en-boite-de-nuit-dans-le-viseur-5838c210cd70a4454c05681f.

9 In the aftermath of the last federal elections of 2019, the far-right party Vlaams Belang (which translates as 'Flemish Interest') became the second-largest party in Belgium's most populous region: 18.5% of the vote (+12.6) and an almost fourfold increase in representation (23 seats in the Flemish Parliament, +17). In particular, the party seems to have attracted voters disappointed by the then ruling Flemish nationalist party.

10 For example, in its 34th fatwa available on its website, the European Council For Fatwa and Research considers that “a woman, in front of strangers, must cover her entire body with the exception of her face and hands according to the majority of the ulamas”, our translation, https://www.e-cfr.org/les-fatwas-conseil-francais/ (Accessed September 7, 2021). The same organization, which pretends to be the highest religious authority for European Muslims, published a press release after the general ban of the veil in French public schools stating that “wearing a veil is an act of adoration and a divine prescription, it is not a simple religious or political symbol”, our translation, https://www.saphirnews.com/Conseil-europeen-de-la-fatwa-et-de-la-recherche-sur-la-question-du-foulard-islamique-en-France_a669.html (Accessed September 7, 2021).

11 In 2017, two of the three regions of Belgium, namely Flanders and Wallonia, revoked the previous exemptions for ritual slaughter without prior stunning.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the program “Anticipate” of Innoviris, the Brussels public regional institute for research and innovation https://innoviris.brussels/mission-vision