White Islam: A New Religion for Europeans

The project investigates how Islam provides a new framework of ethical norms and religious practices for a number of Europeans who are dissatisfied with the social role occupied by the Christian Churches and who express their concerns about the continuous secularisation and cultural liberalisation of their societies.

Contrary to prominent Islamic thinkers in Europe who aim to reconcile the Islamic doctrine with liberal values, these Europeans embrace Islam precisely for its supposed opposition to the current norms of modern Western societies.

The study seeks to understand how certain groups among European converts to Islam refer to this religion for expressing critique of economic and cultural liberalism.The project will focus on the ideas developed by members of the Murabitun World Movement (MWM) in the period between the 1970s-2000s.

Specifically, the project will investigate works produced by MWM branches in Germany and Russia, for there had been different readings of what this conservative European Islam was supposed to entail. WP1 encompasses a collection of data related to the activities and publications of the MWM members. WP2 includes fieldwork in Europe that centres around interviews with MWM affiliates.

The outcomes of these two phases include a database suitable for future research inquiries, as well as a visualised network that enables understanding the scope of the MWM activities.

WP4-5 centres around disseminating research results across the scientific community, as well as outreach activities that target policymakers and the broader public. WP6 deliverables place emphasis on deepening PIs research skills and extending the collaboration networks.