The study examines the recent transformations of integration policies and citizenship laws in Germany with a special focus on the experience of the children of Turkish immigrants in Goslar, a small town. By following

À travers l’étude du cas de Salwa, féministe musulmane engagée au Québec, ce mémoire a pour objectif de relever divers facteurs qui contraignent et orientent l’engagement politique d’une féministe musulmane en contexte occidental. Si nous avions au départ postulé que l’intersection de ses identités de « femme » et de « musulman(e) », deux catégories hiérarchiques1 qui nous semblaient alors centrales dans l’élaboration de notre problématique, entraînerait chez Salwa divers paradoxes politiques en raison des tensions existant entre le féminisme et le multiculturalisme dans les démocraties occidentales, l’analyse de la gestion identitaire de ces paradoxes politiques chez Salwa, par notre approche interdisciplinaire et intersectionnelle, a révélé l’existence d’une multitude d’identités non hiérarchiques revendiquées - mais occultées au niveau politique par ce même contexte – qui remet en question la centralité de ces catégories de « femme » et de « musulman(e) ». Ainsi, si nous croyions que le contexte énoncé pouvait orienter l’engagement politique des féministes musulmanes dans un sens réducteur en exigeant d’elles qu’elle priorisent, malgré leur identité de femme et de musulmane, un axe de lutte, entre le sexisme et le racisme, nous voyons qu’une prise en compte, même intersectionnelle, des seuls axes d’oppression interagissant dans la construction de l’identité politique d’un individu peut être tout aussi réductrice. Si l’approche intersectionnelle veut arriver à 1 Nous qualifions ces catégories de « hiérarchiques » en ce qu’elles sont présentées dans notre problématique comme des catégories relationnelles co-construites au sein de rapports sociaux inégalitaires dans un ordre social hiérarchique, en opposition à des catégories « non hiérarchiques » que la théorie et/ou l’empirie ne problématise(nt) pas comme hiérarchiques pour le cas spécifique qui nous intéresse. ii prendre en compte l’imbrication des axes d’oppression agissant simultanément chez un même individu, elle doit aussi prendre en compte la façon dont le contexte occulte l’interaction des identités hiérarchiques et non hiérarchiques en réduisant l’individu à son ou ses axe(s) d’oppression présumé(s). / Through the case study of Salwa, active muslim feminist in Québec, this master’s thesis has for objective to identify diverse factors orienting the political commitment of a muslim feminist in western context. Our basic premise anticipated her exposition to political paradoxes due to the existing tensions between feminism and multiculturalism in western democracies and the intersection of her identities as “muslim” but also as “woman”; two hierarchical categories which, at first, appeared fundamental in our problematic. Only, our interdisciplinary and intersectional approach analysis of Salwa’s identity process of the aforementioned paradoxes revealed the existence of several non-hierarchical claimed identities which, in this context, were eclipsed by the political level. This revelation questions the centrality of the “muslim” and “woman” categories. So, if we believed that the western context could orient the political commitment of muslim feminists in a reducing direction by requiring from them that they prioritize, in spite of their “woman” and “muslim” identities, a political stake between sexism and racism, we see that a consideration, even intersectional, of axis of oppression alone in the construction of one’s political identity can also be reducing. If the intersectional approach wants to take into account the interaction of axis of oppression acting simultaneously for the same individual's, it also has to take into account the way the context hides the interplay between hierarchical and not hierarchical identities by reducing the individual to it(s) presumed axis of oppression.

The aim of the thesis is to examine how children as social beings and actors form themselves within the framework of a school institution that adults have set up in order to shape them in deliberate ways through nurturing education. The study is based on long-term fieldwork in a Muslim faith school in Sweden. Muslim schools have aroused a great deal of debate in Swedish society. Opponents have argued that Muslim schools lead to segregation and social exclusion, that these schools risk not promoting the fundamental values of society and that children in these schools are met by religious propaganda. Advocates of these schools have maintained that in public schools the Muslim identity is eroded by ignorance, lack of understanding and racism. Muslim schools instead offer children knowledge of their culture and religion in a way that enhances their identity and makes them secure and whole human beings who can be integrated into society. The debate reflects that school institutions function as loci for contested forms of socialisation in society; national, ethnic, religious, or the struggle of other groups for cultural production and social reproduction in which they are united in the role and importance attached to the school institution in the shaping of young people. In the debate children appear as passive receivers and products of adults’ upbringing and education, which represents both threat and opportunity. The debate around Muslim schools reflects adult-centred ideas of socialisation, where the adults’ upbringing and education is placed at the centre of the process in which children are formed into social persons. What emerged from this study is that children are social actors who shape themselves and that this shaping is more of an informal social process than a formal education process. The study raises the profile of how the school constitutes an environment in which children are in the majority and adults in the minority; a social environment in which children have significantly more social contact and a greater number of social relations with each other than with adults. The school as a child-centred social environment is reflected in the fact that it is principally children who shape each other rather than adults shaping children. / Hur formas barn i en muslimsk skola? Muslimska skolor har väckt stor debatt i Sverige. Motståndare har uttryckt att dessa skolor leder till segregation, att de riskerar att inte förmedla samhällets värdegrund och att barn där möts av religiös propaganda. Förespråkare har hävdat att i den kommunala skolan bryts barns muslimska identitet sönder av okunskap, oförståelse och rasism mot muslimer. Genom muslimska skolor erbjuds barn istället kunskap om sin kultur och religion vilket stärker deras identitet och gör dem till trygga och hela människor som kan integreras i samhället. Debatten reflekterar hur skolinstitutionen fungerar som lokus för nationella, etniska, religiösa eller andra gruppers ”kamp” om kulturell produktion och social reproduktion i samhället. Den gemensamma nämnaren för förespråkare och motståndare till muslimska skolor är den roll och betydelse som skolinstitutionen tillmäts för att avsiktligt forma den uppväxande generationen. De delar en vuxencentrerad syn på socialisation. Barn framstår som sociala produkter av de normer och värderingar som lärare förmedlar i skolan, vilket utgör både hot och möjlighet. Den här studien problematiserar den vuxencentrerade synen på barns socialisation som kommer till uttryck i debatten kring muslimska skolor. Studien visar att barn är sociala aktörer som formar sig själva och att formning snarare är en informell social process än en lärarstyrd utbildningsprocess. Studien belyser skolan som en vardaglig miljö där barn är i majoritet och vuxna i minoritet; en social miljö där barn har betydligt fler relationer och intensivare umgänge med varandra än med vuxna. Att skolan i social bemärkelse är barncentrerad innebär att det där framförallt är barn som formar varandra än att vuxna formar barn. Studien bygger på ett längre fältarbete bland barn i en mellanstadieklass i en muslimsk friskola.

This study examined the context of the Medieval Islamic qadi Ibn Taymiyyah in 14th century Bahri Mamluk Syria and Egypt and his incarcerations and death in prison by order of Sultan Nasser al-Muhammad Qalawun for ijtihad. This study demonstrated Ibn Taymiyyah practiced ijtihad, held the rank of mujtahid, and incurred the wrath of the Sultan. The evidence indicates that Taymiyyah’s independent reasoning held specific social, legal, and political threats to Qalawun, the Bahri Mamluk Sultan, during his third reign. The significant role Taymiyyah’s ijtihad played in the Sultan’s imprisonment calls for a review of previous scholarship emphasizing the role of jealousy by the religious elite and affection for Taymiyyah by the Sultan as significant factors in his conflicts. / Department of History

The non-interest and profit-loss sharing schemes of Islamic finance (IF) are attracting increasing global attention. Despite exposure to the similar opportunities as other Western countries that have adopted the financial business model there is little evidence of Islamic finance windows operating in the conventional institutions in Canada. This thesis takes a qualitative approach to bring the issue forward in Canadian social science literature by exploring the perceived challenges to, and the potential of, the development of IF offerings with a focus on factors affecting the supply and management decisions in the industry. The study used an inductive approach with archival data and critical survey of literature to arrive at the hypotheses surrounding the challenges. These were tested deductively by semi-structured interviews and panel discussions both in Canada and the US on a sample of senior officials involved in both IF and conventional financial institutions. Using a thematic analysis the study arrived at findings supporting the hypotheses related to awareness, regulation, management intent and internal resources. In the external environment, factors affecting strategic decision on offering IF services are mainly due to regulation, lack of awareness, even among Muslim communities, or misgivings about Sha’riah authenticity. Internally, highly customized IT infrastructures, lack of funds and foreign investment make it unfeasible. Management interest when proposed with the concept is high but not in a top-down manner and there is an overall uncertainty avoidance culture and little proactivity with market research. Access to specific Sha’riah knowledge is not considered a hurdle anymore. It is apparent that investments in Sha’riah compliant stocks would be easiest to set up. Mortgage structures can be affected by the capital market structure, even if not tax structures. Knowledge on this can have implications for banks seeking to expand their investment portfolios and aid government policies.

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the reasons for Israeli and Palestinian religious objections to peaceful co-existence in a two-state solution to the conflict over the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. Developing an understanding of the basic religious requirements and precedents, while consistently considering religious impact in politics, may help to open dialogue between Jewish Gush Emunim and Muslim Palestinian Hamas, strong opponents to land compromise. Arguments by Gush Emunim and Hamas from the two major religious works, the Jewish Tanakh and the Muslim Qur’an, and associated commentaries, the Jewish Talmud and Muslim Hadith, are compared and evaluated for religious insights into the disputed areas. Contemporary interpretations of each major writing and political objections based on religious argumentation create a strong context for modern conflict. The requirements and precedents for peace that come from religious texts also promote open dialogue. This thesis suggests ways to open dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian cultures, comparing religious texts, interpretations, and concepts, in an effort to promote peaceful co-existence and build an effective strategic narrative.

Im Blick auf die Lerngruppen im Berufsschulreligionsunterricht steht dieser vor einer dreifachen Herausforderung: (1.) die ökumenische Kooperation, (2.) die didaktische Integration von Schüler(inne)n mit einer nichtchristlichen Religionszugehörigkeit sowie (3.) die Teilnahme von Schüler(innen) ohne Konfession und Religionszugehörigkeit. Während es zur ökumenischen Kooperation schon vielversprechende Versuche und zum interreligiösen Lernen im letzten Jahrzehnt viele Publikationen und Unterrichtsprojekte gibt, ist die Frage nach konfessions- bzw. religionslosen Jugendlichen im Religionsunterricht eine bislang vernachlässigte Forschungsaufgabe. Dies ist umso überraschender angesichts der Tatsache, dass die nichtreligiösen Schüler(innen) nach den christlichen Schüler(inne)n die zweitgrößte Gruppe darstellen. Das Institut für Evangelische Theologie der TU Dresden und das bibor der Universität Bonn haben sich dieser dritten Herausforderung gestellt und versucht, durch Gruppendiskussionen erste Erkenntnisse darüber zu gewinnen, wie am BRU beteiligte Gruppen diesen Religionsunterricht in seinem pluralen Kontext empfinden und bewerten. Die besonders im Blick auf konfessionslose Schüler(innen) unterschiedliche Lage in den alten und den neuen Bundesländern ebnete sinnvoll die Kooperation zwischen der TU Dresden und dem bibor in Bonn. Die vorliegenden Analysen und Dokumentationen des Projektes „Der Berufsschulreligions-unterricht in der Pluralität“ präsentieren nun die Ergebnisse dieses Projektes, dessen zentraler Inhalt Gruppeninterviews zum BRU bei Jugendlichen und ihren Lehrern ist. Von daher sind nicht nur die Analysen von Interesse, sondern vor allem die Möglichkeit für die Leser(innen), sich selbst ein eigenes Bild von der Meinung der Jugendlichen in Ost und West zum BRU zu machen.

Muslims and islam are unquestionably a part of European social life. In recent times, however, different events, such as the enlargement of the EU and the fact that muslims to a higher extent demand their rights, have brought a number of questions to the fore concerning muslims and islam in Europe. Moreover, we can see an increasing level of islamophobia in contemporary Europe, but also that the EU has launched several programs to increase both the diversity and the unity throughout the Union and to combat islamophobia. However, most of these programs focus on islam as religion and muslims in general, and such a narrow viewpoint runs the risk of missing important issues. In this new context it would be interesting to widen the scope and ask what place not only the muslim community and islam, but also sharia (an important element in islam), may have in future Europe – especially when it comes to muslim identity? My main objects are to see how the concept of sharia is constructed in the debates in the European Parliament, how that discourse relates to a social practice – the increasing islamophobic ideas in Europe – and what effect this may have on muslim identity in a European context. The results shows that the Parliament constructs sharia as, for example, something archaic, threatening, inhuman and misogynistic. In that sense, the discourse fits in with the predominant order of discourse regarding islam and muslims (in Europe) – and strengthen it. Though my results are neither absolute nor uniform, they show, persuasively enough, that sharia (as it is seen by the Parliament) is not consistent with and can not be included in or accepted by “European norms and values”. However, this must be said with one reservation: sharia is not always excluded as a whole. Still, it is not difficult to maintain that it is sharia as such that activates the (negative and) excluding connotations. Thus, an “approved” European muslim identity, as it seems, can not have too close connections with sharia, if (any) at all. Moreover, there is a risk that muslims themselves take on a restricting practice concerning their identity. In all, this will to a large extent circumscribe the possible muslim identities in Europe. To form a substantial and really pluralistic diversity in Europe, the EU, and others, must liberate itself from the logic of these discourses. But this is not an easy thing to do. One way that might be profitable, is to challenge the prevailing discourse with new narratives – narratives and voices that for the most part must come from the muslims themselves. Despite the fact that these voices do exist, as has been shown, the question is how and under what circumstances they can be seen – or rather heard. Unfortunately the answer is not to be found in this thesis; the need of further research is obvious.

This is a study of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī’s al-Durr al-manthūr fi-l-tafsīr bi-l-ma’thur (The scattered pearls of tradition-based exegesis), hereinafter al-Durr. In the present study, the distinctiveness of al-Durr becomes evident in comparison with the tafsīrs of al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923) and Ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1373). Al-Suyūṭī surpassed these exegetes by relying entirely on ḥadīth (tradition). Al-Suyūṭī rarely offers a comment of his own. Thus, in terms of its formal features, al-Durr is the culmination of tradition-based exegesis (tafsīr bi-l-ma’thūr). This study also shows that al-Suyūṭī intended in al-Durr to subtly challenge the tradition-based hermeneutics of Ibn Taymīyah (d. 728/1328). According to Ibn Taymīyah, the true, unified, interpretation of the Qurʼān must be sought in the Qurʼān itself, in the traditions of Muḥammad, and in the exegeses of the earliest Muslims. Moreover, Ibn Taymīyah strongly denounced opinion-based exegesis (tafsīr bi-l-ra’y). By means of the traditions in al-Durr, al-Suyūṭī supports several of his views in contradistinction to those of Ibn Taymīyah. Al-Suyūṭī’s traditions support the following views. First, opinion-based exegesis is a valid supplement to tradition-based exegesis. Second, the early Muslim community was not quite unified. Third, the earliest Qur’ānic exegetes did not offer a unified exegesis of the Qur’ān. Fourth, Qur’ānic exegesis is necessarily polyvalent since Muslims accept a number of readings of the Qur’ān, and variant readings give rise to various interpretations. Al-Suyūṭī collected his traditions from a wide variety of sources some of which are now lost. Two major exegetes, al-Shawkānī (d. 1250/1834) and al-Ālūsī (d. 1270/1854), copied some of these traditions from al-Durr into their Qur’ān commentaries. In this way, al-Suyūṭī has succeeded in shedding new light on rare, neglected, and previously scattered traditions.

In this study five individuals who worked in Svenska Israelsmissionen and at the Swedish Theological Institute in Jerusalem are focused. These are Greta Andrén, deaconess in Svenska Israelsmissionen from 1934 and matron at the Swedish Theological Institute from 1946 to 1971, Birger Pernow, director of Svenska Israelsmissionen from 1930 to 1961, Harald Sahlin director of the Swedish Theological Institute in 1947, Hans Kosmala director of the Swedish Theological Institute from 1951 to 1971, and finally H.S. Nyberg, Chair of the Swedish board of the Swedish Theological Institute from 1955 to 1974. The study uses theoretical perspectives from Hannah Arendt, Mahmood Mamdani and Rudolf Bultmann. A common idea among Lutheran Christians in the first half of 20th century Sweden implied that Jews who left Europe for Palestine or Israel were not just seen as refugees or colonialists - but viewed as returnees, to the Promised Land. The idea of peoples’ origins, and original home, is traced in European race thinking. This study is discussing how many of the studied individuals combined superstitious interpretations of history with apocalyptic interpretations of the Bible and a Romantic national ideal. Svenska Israelsmissionen and the Swedish Theological Institute participated in Svenska Israelhjälpen in 1952, which resulted in 75 Swedish houses sent to the State of Israel. These houses were built on land where until July 1948 the Palestinian Arab village Qastina was located. The Jewish state was supported, but, the establishment of an Arab State in Palestine according to the UN decision of Nov 1947 was not essential for these Lutheran Christians in Sweden.  The analysis involves an effort to translate the religious language of the studied objects into a secular language.