Abstract
This chapter examines the extent to which and prospects for the emergence of a Western Islam. This chapter draws on the work of a number of scholars, primarily based in Europe, who have discussed the concept of a Western or more precisely “Euro/European-Islam” and/or American Islam, the theoretical underpinnings of the idea of Western Islam, and the factors that facilitate its indigenisation. The chapter first addresses the question of what is meant by Western Islam and considers such factors as geography, politico-legal and social contexts, intellectual and cultural affinity, identity, values, principles, philosophical assumptions and worldview, and a sense of belonging. It examines the emergence of Western Islam by focusing on such factors, agents, and discourses which could be identified as facilitating the emergence of Western Islam primarily defined in terms of its cultural, religio-philosophical, and socio-political dimensions. This translates into the idea that Western Islam is based on a comprehensive yet reasonable doctrine that embraces values of modernity and legitimises them both theologically and politically.
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Notes
- 1.
Some forms of institutionalisation of Islam such as establishment of Sharia courts/tribunals and possibly some Islamic schools could be interpreted as underpinning the idea of the emergence of a Western Islam. However, this is not necessarily so as these institutions can only operate under the existing laws and regulations of the respective nation-states in which they operate.
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- 3.
Asabiyya is a term coined by Ibn Khaldun (Rosental tr. 2015) to refer to kind of group consciousness based on sense of shared purpose and is marked by high degrees of social cohesion.
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Duderija, A., Rane, H. (2019). An Emerging Western Islam. In: Islam and Muslims in the West. New Directions in Islam. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92510-3_12
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