Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus
While Shi’a Muslims remain in the minority in Europe, including within universities, the past decade has witnessed the growing profile of Shi’ism on university campuses, especially in Britain. In particular, there has been an emphasis on campaigns that prioritise notions of justi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/3/189 |
| _version_ | 1818199901185507328 |
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| author | Emanuelle Degli Esposti Alison Scott-Baumann |
| author_facet | Emanuelle Degli Esposti Alison Scott-Baumann |
| author_sort | Emanuelle Degli Esposti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While Shi’a Muslims remain in the minority in Europe, including within universities, the past decade has witnessed the growing profile of Shi’ism on university campuses, especially in Britain. In particular, there has been an emphasis on campaigns that prioritise notions of justice, equality, and human rights. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork conducted amongst Twelver Shi’a students in Britain between 2013–2018, this paper examines the forms of Shi’a activism currently being articulated on university campuses, especially those that explicitly seek to engage non-Muslims and spread awareness about Shi’a Islam. On the one hand, such practices constitute a form of self-representation for Shi’a students who would otherwise feel marginalised within the university space; while on the other, they promote a particular version of Shi’a Islam that both frames it within the European context and that also contributes to the sectarianisation of the contemporary Shi’a subject. While the forms and resonance of Shi’a student activism arguably only have meaning within the context of contemporary Europe, we argue that the discursive contours underpinning such activism ultimately transcend such national and cultural boundaries and contribute to a reinterpretation and reimagining of Shi’a sectarian identity for the modern age. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:29:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae54046407a64bb696889576ecd1258e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:29:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae54046407a64bb696889576ecd1258e2022-12-22T00:41:28ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442019-03-0110318910.3390/rel10030189rel10030189Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University CampusEmanuelle Degli Esposti0Alison Scott-Baumann1Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9DA, UKDepartment of Religions and Philosophies, SOAS, University of London, London WC1H 0XG, UKWhile Shi’a Muslims remain in the minority in Europe, including within universities, the past decade has witnessed the growing profile of Shi’ism on university campuses, especially in Britain. In particular, there has been an emphasis on campaigns that prioritise notions of justice, equality, and human rights. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork conducted amongst Twelver Shi’a students in Britain between 2013–2018, this paper examines the forms of Shi’a activism currently being articulated on university campuses, especially those that explicitly seek to engage non-Muslims and spread awareness about Shi’a Islam. On the one hand, such practices constitute a form of self-representation for Shi’a students who would otherwise feel marginalised within the university space; while on the other, they promote a particular version of Shi’a Islam that both frames it within the European context and that also contributes to the sectarianisation of the contemporary Shi’a subject. While the forms and resonance of Shi’a student activism arguably only have meaning within the context of contemporary Europe, we argue that the discursive contours underpinning such activism ultimately transcend such national and cultural boundaries and contribute to a reinterpretation and reimagining of Shi’a sectarian identity for the modern age.http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/3/189Shi’ismIslamidentitysectarianismactivismBritainuniversity |
| spellingShingle | Emanuelle Degli Esposti Alison Scott-Baumann Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus Religions Shi’ism Islam identity sectarianism activism Britain university |
| title | Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus |
| title_full | Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus |
| title_fullStr | Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus |
| title_short | Fighting for “Justice”, Engaging the Other: Shi’a Muslim Activism on the British University Campus |
| title_sort | fighting for justice engaging the other shi a muslim activism on the british university campus |
| topic | Shi’ism Islam identity sectarianism activism Britain university |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/3/189 |
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