Muslim Women in America: Challenges and Politics of Diversity Within American Muslim Community

This paper will examine the complexities of the struggles faced by young Muslim women within the American Muslim community. Data are part of a study aimed at understanding the ways in which the gendered religious identities of Muslim women are constructed in the United States. This work seeks to address the dearth of research on the lives of Muslim women, and to identify and enhance an understanding of the issues and challenges they face during the process. Participants include 15 women, 18–22 years old, who graduated from an Islamic school in the mid-Atlantic region of America (ISA). Two phenomenological interviews were conducted with each participant. Data were analyzed using critical discourse and content analysis techniques. Findings point towards conflicts within, including those related to the rich racial and ethnic diversity in the community, and to the patriarchal norms that still prevail. Some of these norms along with the perceptions and experiences of American Muslim women guiding their lives will be shared, and will be located within a larger discussion on how the obstacles towards their contribution to this diverse social setting can be dealt with.     

Muslim Minority of New Zealand in Global Context: Demographic Perspective

This article focuses specifically on the population of Muslims in New Zealand, and highlights their demographic and socio-economic characteristics in a worldwide comparison. Globally, Islam is the fastest-growing religion and Muslims are the second largest religious group. In particular, the population of Muslim migrants in the multicultural and westerns societies is also remarkably growing fast. This also applies to the multicultural setting of New Zealand where have witnessed a substantially increasing growth of Muslim population during the recent decades. Holding a wide range of ethnic and religious groups from throughout the world as well as a variety of Muslims from different parts of the Islamic world, the multicultural field of this study serve as a unique human and cultural laboratory to approach properly the key research objectives of this analysis. The discussion is mainly based on the customized data of population census. This article specifically addresses the main demographic and socio-economic patterns and differentials associated with the population of Muslims in this multicultural context in a global comparison.     

The Muslim Question in Australia: Islamophobia and Muslim Alienation

Islamophobia has become a significant problem across the Western world. Australia is no exception. The emergence of far right groups and a political environment that allows anti-Islamic discourse has created an increasingly unwelcome environment for Muslims, even though multiculturalism has long been a fundamental marker of Australian daily life. The rise of Islamophobia has been damaging to Australia. This paper explores the rise of anti-Islamic sentiments in Australia and the increasing marginalization of Muslim youth, showing that Islamophobia not only breaks the bond between Muslim youth and Australian society, it also polarizes relations within Australian Muslim communities.     

Rohingya Ethnic Muslim Minority and the 1982 Citizenship Law in Burma

The Rohingyas have experienced difficulties in obtaining citizenship since the enactment of the 1982 Citizenship Law in Burma. From the beginning of Burmese independence, their separate identity was recognized by the then democratic government of Premier U Nu (1948–1962). Their situation worsened after the military takeover in 1962 leaving then subject to humiliating restrictions and harsh treatment by the State. However, the Burmese 1982 Citizenship Law institutionalized the Rohingyas statelessness.This paper argues that despite all evidence as indigenous people of Arakan, the ethnic Muslim minority Rohingya are arbitrarily deprived of their citizenship. The Burmese are adamant that the Rohingyas are Bengalis regardless of their residency history, and therefore belong in Bangladesh. Their Islamic religion and Indo-Aryan appearance do not conform with the “Burmese citizenship standard”. In this context, Burma/Myanmar citizenship law fails to meet the international standard. Rohingya ancestry related documents prove that the government enacted the new law simply to deny the Rohingya identity.     

The Individual and the Ummah: The Use of Social Media by Muslim Minority Communities in Australia and the United States

How are perceptions of self and ummah (community) reflected in social media use by members of Muslim minorities in two Western countries, Australia and the United States? This paper explores the use of social media by members of minority communities for the purposes of self-representation and community-building, and perceptions of social media use among members of Muslim minority communities, as a means for them to challenge the narrative of Islam found in mainstream media associated with homogeneity, violence and militancy. The paper is based on analysis of responses of a targeted sample of members of representative Muslim student organizations at two tertiary institutions in Australia and the United States. Asian countries of origin are strongly represented in the migrant and international student communities of these two countries. The survey respondents were asked about their use of social media in relation to how they engage in public discourse about Islam, and how it is used in the negotiation of their religious and secular identities.     

Islamic Jurisprudence of Minorities (Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat): The Case of the Palestinian Muslim Minority in Israel

This article examines the doctrine of Jurisprudence of Muslim Minorities (Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat) in the context of the Palestinian Muslim community in Israel. The first part discusses the origins and goals of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat. After outlining the particular historical and political context of the Palestinian minority in Israel, the article focuses on the ethno-religious political mobilization developed by the Muslim community vis-à-vis the state’s strategies of control and domination, and points out the difficulties involved in the application of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat, as used in “Western” states, for the reality that Muslims face in Israel. The article suggests a vigilant approach toward the Jurisprudence of Minorities, as we argue that, when applying it in this context of the Muslim community in Israel, this doctrine has two substantial limitations. The first is theoretical and it concerns the doctrine’s current incapability to distinguish between different types of minorities, as well as failing to recognize a difference between various political regimes and societal lives that might be inherently less or more accommodating or even hostile to minorities, and Muslim minority communities in particular. The second limitation relates to the political dimension and the lack of consideration for the status of the Palestinian minority as an indigenous and national minority and not an immigrant minority. Their status as national minorities, at times also as indigenous peoples, who are perceived as entitled to group-based “self-government rights”, poses a serious challenge to this doctrine’s scope and viability.     

回族语言与波斯语的关系探析

本文对回族语言和波斯语的关系进行了研究。回族是中国56个民族之一,回族目前普遍使用汉语,但是在日常生活中还使用一些波斯语词汇。我们从研究回族先民语言到现代回族汉语代演变历程,来探讨回族语言和波斯语的关系。     

论回族文化的源与流

"源远流长"一词可以套用在回族文化上,回族文化的"源"可以上溯到"犹太教—基督教—伊斯兰教"构建的一神教(monotheism)系统的古老源头,回族文化的"流"又可以其文化内涵上的"多元构成"来表现。回族文化以伊斯兰文化为"体",以中国传统文化为"用",形成了完整而特色独具的文化体系。本文将就回族文化的"源"与"流"作一系统论述。     

甘肃少数民族的角色模式和认知模式的关系

本文分析了贝尔宾(Belbin)的“角色模式”和卡尔通(Kirton)的“认知模式”与甘肃少数民族在组织中扮演的角色的关系,发现甘肃少数民族在适应型角色的扮演方面是成功的,在创造型角色的扮演方面则存在明显不足。本文的调查资料来自400位甘肃的少数民族人士。     

Institutional Governance of Minority Religious Practices: Insights from a Study of Muslim Practices in Danish Schools

An increasing number of studies are concerned with the ways in which the religious practices of Europe's minority populations are accommodated on the political, national and local levels. In this article, I present a case study of Muslim practices in Danish schools. The study is an investigation of how and why six selected practices are governed in Danish schools: halal food, fasting, prayer, head scarves, holidays and mosques. The results underline the importance of the specific practice in question for the way in which it is governed: some practices are easily accommodated, while others are rejected outright by the schools. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how governance of Muslim practices is developed in the absence of national regulation and against the prevailing ideals in the Danish public debate. In fact, the governance developed seems to be a direct response to the number of Muslim children in school and in line with general school ideals of inclusion. However, the results also indicate that more direct involvement by local or national authorities might push schools to be more exclusive with regard to Muslim practices.     

西北回族"复合型经济"与宏观地缘构造的理论分析

本文以历史与现实、微观与宏观、区域与整体贯通一致的系统视角,尝试构建西北回族的整体性理论,提出"复合型经济"模式,并从"三块高原-两种经济类型"与"茶马互市"地理布点相吻合的关系,以及从"弱商业联系"到"强商业联系"的演进过程,解释了回族经济的特点与原因,揭示现象背后复杂深刻的规律,并对回族生存过程中与外部发生的重要关系问题提出新的解说.     

都市回族社会结构的范式问题探讨--以北京回族社区的结构变迁为例

回族是中国城市化程度最高的少数民族.关于都市回族的研究成果已经很多,但多数都是零散的个案描述和具体问题分析,缺乏理论范式的建构和探索.本文将以北京回族社区的结构变迁为个案,探讨具有更为普遍性的中国都市回族社会结构的范式问题,即传统都市回族社区是以怎样的社会结构得以存在和延续的?这种社会结构已经和正在发生怎样的变迁?     

The Diffusion and Innovation of Muslim Organizations in Denmark

Since 1965, the latest immigration to Denmark has not only brought new groups to the country but also resulted in new organizations, associations and movements established by people with Muslim background. In order to understand this extension and renewal of Danish civil society I distinguish between forms of organizations and forms of diffusion. The outcome of the analysis reveals four distinct clusters of Muslim organizations in Denmark: The first generation of Muslim associations was characterized by centralized state sponsored organizations, governed and financed by Arab countries and Turkey. The second generation of Muslim organizations took the form of transnational social movements and were often set up as a counterpart to the state sponsored organizations. The third wave of organization building, the so-called homegrown organizations, tried to unite Muslims in Denmark and worked for a dialog with the Danish majority. Most of the Muslim youth organizations belong to this category. However, some political Islamic youth organizations and networks have chosen an alternative strategy that challenges mainstream Danish institutions and values. The reaction of the government has been to tone down cooperation with representatives from the immigrant population and especially representatives from the Muslim minority.     

Religiosity,Citizenship and Belonging: The Everyday Experiences of Young Australian Muslims

Abstract

Since 11 September 2001 Muslim Diasporas have emerged as objects of anxiety in Western societies. Underlying this (in)security-driven problematisation is the question of whether Muslims living in the West have the capacity to become fully active citizens while maintaining their religious beliefs, rituals and practices. This apprehension has prompted reactionary government programmes, particularly targeting young Muslims. Such responses fail to recognise the societal capacities that practising Muslims possess, including those informed by the ethical precepts of Islamic faith. This paper argues that it is timely to explore expressions of Islamic religiosity as they are grounded in everyday multicultural environments. The paper draws on survey data and interviews conducted with Muslims living in Melbourne, Australia. We take into consideration key variables of age and generation to highlight how young, practising Muslims enact citizenship through Islamic rituals and faith-based practices and traditions. The paper will draw from key findings to argue that these performances provide a foundation for exploring ways of ‘living’ together in a manner that privileges ethics central to Islamic faith traditions.     

西北民族省区城镇化战略模式选择与制度创新

本文在分析西北民族省区城镇化现状和归纳相关理论研究进展的基础上 ,从加快市场化进程的视角 ,讨论了市场主导型多元城镇化战略 ,并从具体区情出发 ,进一步阐述了市场主导型多元城镇化路径依赖。文中强调城镇化进程中政府规制与市场机制的正确定位 ,对创新户籍制度、城乡土地流转制度、社会保障制度、人口政策和设市体制的法律安排进行了探讨。     

泰国北部的云南穆斯林——一份初步的田野报告

在中南半岛的泰国北部清迈、清莱等府 (省 ) ,生活着来自中国云南近万人口的回族穆斯林侨胞 ,当地泰族用北部泰语将他们称之为“秦霍人”。作为中国回族在东南亚地区的一个派生族群 ,他们是明末清初以后 ,云南回族长期从事跨国长途马邦商贸活动、清末杜文秀领导的回民反清起义失败后的逃难、抗日战争和 1 949年新中国成立、土地改革等历史过程中形成的一个特殊群体。该族群至少已存在了 2 0 0年以上 ,至今仍保持着鲜明的云南回族穆斯林传统的宗教属性、风俗习惯、文化传统和汉语方言。笔者根据今夏亲临其地的田野调查资料 ,对该族群的移民简史、路线、原因、现状作了扼要介绍 ,是国内对该族群的一篇报告 ,是中国回族学研究的一个新领域