Governing Islam in French cities: defining acceptable' public religiosity through municipal consultative bodies
In recent years, European states have institutionalised relations with Islamic groups in the form of national Islam councils. Similarly, municipalities have set up more or less comparable bodies to address issues related to urban religious diversity. However, rather than being restricted to Muslim r...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge
2019
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| In: |
Religion, state & society
Year: 2019, Volume: 47, Issue: 4/5, Pages: 423-439 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Rennes
/ Bordeaux
/ Toulouse
/ Islam
/ Governance
/ Laicism
|
| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy BJ Islam KBG France |
| Further subjects: | B
public policy instruments
B Religious Diversity B Islam B France B Governance B municipal consultative bodies |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In recent years, European states have institutionalised relations with Islamic groups in the form of national Islam councils. Similarly, municipalities have set up more or less comparable bodies to address issues related to urban religious diversity. However, rather than being restricted to Muslim representatives, municipal consultative bodies usually incorporate a variety of religious actors. This contribution analyses three such bodies in the French cities of Rennes, Bordeaux, and Toulouse. Adopting a governance perspective and drawing on qualitative fieldwork, I argue that by providing concrete advice on how to address religious issues, these bodies define what are considered acceptable' and unacceptable' public religious expressions, ultimately influencing normative ideas about laïcité. Moreover, I argue that the history of relationships between religious and municipal authorities and the political culture of the cities, among other factors, shape these local processes, thereby emphasising the distinct role of cities and urban actors in governing religion. |
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| ISSN: | 1465-3974 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion, state & society
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/09637494.2019.1652019 |