The overall aim of this study is to study what experiences young Muslim women have of religious education in Sweden. The study examines how the respondents consider Islam and Muslim women are presented in religious education. The respondents are five young Muslim women between the ages of 19 and 25. The participants have taken part in schooling in a medium-sized town located in Sweden. The participants consider the religious teaching´s portrayal of Islam and Muslim women as provocative, negative and singled out. The respondents believe that the main reason for this is the teachers lack of knowledge about Islam. The participants have experienced elements in the teaching that have affected them negatively as they felt exposed in the classroom. Islam is often presented in relation to conflicts and violence, which the participants claim creates prejudices about the religion. Since the teachers according to the respondents possess too little knowledge about Islam, the consequences according to the participants will be a superficial education. The respondents claim that the teaching of Islam and the representation of Muslim women leads to the formation of stereotypical ideas. Based on the participant´s experiences, there are several shortcomings in the religious education. Since the Swedish school´s teaching should contribute to understanding of religion in order for the students to become respectful and understanding democratic citizens, a change is required, according to the participants.

In this analysis, the aim is to investigate the embodiment and transmission of identity among Swedish female converts to Islam. The examination centers on the position these women occupy in both Swedish society and the Muslim community, and whether they experience a state of “in-betweenness” due to identity conflicts. The focus is also on how Swedish female converts, who are ethnically Swedish, can become perceived as “the Other” within their own society, rooted in concepts of “Swedishness”. Assessing the position of Muslim female converts in Sweden is crucial as they frequently confront prejudiced attitudes and discrimination from both Swedish society and the Muslim community. Simultaneously, they may be considered “traitors” by Swedish society due to their conversion to Islam, resulting in a complex identity conflict where these women find themselves situated between cultures and societies. Hence, finding themselves in a position of “in-betweenness”. This essay endeavors to shed light on the difficulties and opportunities that Swedish Muslim female converts encounter, as well as to examine how they navigate their identity in a Swedish context and how they undergo a transformation from being “part of the majority” to “the Other”.

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Background: Veiled Muslim women are particularly vulnerable to hate crime vic-timization. This is both due to the visibility of the veil and to Islamophobic stereo-types. Islamophobic hate crimes target a central part of these women’s identity and have the potential to affect both actual and potential victims in a multitude of ways. However, research on this particular group is limited, especially in Sweden. Aim: The aim was to explore how Islamophobic hate crimes are experienced by veiled Muslim women in Malmö. Method: Eight veiled Muslim women were re-cruited through Muslim associations in Malmö and interviewed through focus group interviews and individual interviews. Three of the women wrote diaries about their experiences. The interview data was analysed through thematic analy-sis. Results: Four themes were identified in the analysis: a) Islamophobia is a part of veiled Muslim women’s everyday lives and is experienced both in public places and in formal settings, b) experiences of Islamophobia restrict the women’s lives, both through limiting their behaviours and through creating geographical boundaries in the city, c) awareness of Islamophobic hate crime against other Muslim women induces a feeling of “if it can happen to her, it can happen to me too”, finally, d) international and political issues increase Islamophobia toward these women. Discussion: Islamophobia permeates the lives of veiled Muslim women across a multitude of arenas. Due to fear of victimization, Islamophobia and hate crimes threaten Muslim women’s liberty in their day-to-day lives. Thus, there is a need for authorities across a variety of domains to be aware of these women’s vulnerable position in society and work towards providing the support veiled Muslim women need.

In a field such as social work, where anti-oppressive practice is preached, it is expected that educators and the academy alike work to challenge xenophobic and Islamophobic discourse. However, this may not be the case. Using a Critical Social Science frameworks, this study explores the experience of Muslim women in social work education through a qualitative methodology. A focus group was conducted with current social work students and recent graduates to explore their experience in social work education. What emerged from the data are the signs of an academy that does not embody the values and ethics it purports to teach. Through a thematic analysis of the data, three main themes emerged: the tensions and challenges between and within social work education and Islamic knowledge and Muslim identity; the marginalization and erasure of Muslim women’s voices in social work education; and the ways that Muslim women students navigate these issues. The findings bring light to the challenges Muslim women face as a result of an academy that continuously tells them that they do not belong. Implications for theorists, educators, administrators and students are explored and recommendations are given regarding the importance of the inclusion of Muslim voices in the discourse, creating safe and inclusive spaces for Muslim students, and working collectively to address the tensions and challenges that Muslim women face in social work education. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

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Denna uppsats presenterar fyra obeslöjade svensk-muslimska kvinnors uppfattning och erfarenheter rörande slöjan, valet att inte bära slöja och samhällets syn på slöjan. Grundad på dessa kvinnors berättelser syftar uppsatsen till att undersöka vad det är som ligger bakom valet att inte bära slöja. Kvalitativ semistrukturerad intervju har används som metod för insamlingen av det empiriska materialet, och empiristyrd tematisk metod för analysen av det. De teoretiska begrepp som empirin vidare diskuterats utifrån är identitet, klassificering, symboler, normer och social kontroll. Informanterna i denna studie förklarar att de aldrig har känt sig tvingade till att bära slöja. De tycker inte att de behöver bära slöja för att kunna identifiera sig som muslimska kvinnor. Islam ligger inte i slöjan, utan i ens relationen till Gud. Vidare visar resultatet att de informanter som kommer från länder kategoriserade som muslimska länder har påverkats mer av det svenska sekulära samhället och dess normer än de som inte kommer från länder kategoriserade som muslimska länder. Hos alla informanter finns det ändå en rädsla för samhällets bemötande och potentiella hinder som får dem att stå fast vid beslutet att inte bära slöja. / This essay presents four not-/unveiled Swedish Muslim women's perceptions and experiences regarding the headscarf, the choice not to wear a headscarf, and the dominant understanding of the headscarf in Swedish society. Drawing on narratives of these women, this study aims to examine what it is that lies behind the choice not to wear the veil. Qualitative semi-structured interview was used as method for the collection of empirical data, and empirically guided thematic approach to the analysis of it. Moreover, set out from theoretical concepts of identity, classification, symbols, norms and social control, the obtained data is discussed. The participants in this study explains that they have never felt forced to wear the veil. They are of the opinion that one does not have to wear a headscarf in order to identify oneself as Muslim women. Islam, or ones level of religiosity, is not connected with a headscarf, rather, ones relationship as a Muslim is between that person and God. Moreover, the result indicates that the informants born in countries categorized as Muslim countries have been more affected by the Swedish secular society and its norms than those born in countries not categorized as Muslim countries. Nevertheless, they all fear potential rejection, negative sanctions and aggressions of society, causing them to stand by the decision not to wear a veil.