CFP: Special Issue “Constructing the ‘European Muslim Crisis’: Discourse, Policy, and Everyday Realities”

A special issue of Religions
Call for Papers
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Tahir Abbas, Dr. Richard McNeil-Willson, and Dr. Lianne Vostermans
Publisher: MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Manuscript Submission Deadline: December 31, 2024

Religions is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on religions and theology, published monthly online by MDPI. It has invited researchers and scholars to submit their papers in a special issue of the Journal on the topic of ‘Constructing the ‘European Muslim Crisis’: Discourse, Policy, and Everyday Realities’.

The discourse surrounding religious governance and the formation of European-Muslim identity has garnered significant attention in academic circles. This theme explores the various perspectives and viewpoints related to the intersection of religion and governance, particularly within the context of European societies and the Muslim populations residing within them.

The present call for papers seeks contributions that investigate various perspectives on the governance of religion and the formation of identity within Muslim communities in Europe. Editors of this special issue are currently in search of scholarly articles that explore the ways in which Muslims residing in Europe navigate their religious identities and engage in religious practices within the context of varying national models of secularism, church–state relations, and multiculturalism.

Subjects for discussion encompass a wide range of options without being restricted to any set, including:

• The framing of the ‘Muslim question’ as a ‘crisis’ within European discourse and its consequences for Muslim communities.
• The Muslim community’s reactions to the implementation of secular governance of Islam in Europe.
• The influence of Muslim organizations and leaders in shaping religious authority and identity.
• The examination of gender dynamics within the context of debates surrounding Islam and multiculturalism in Europe is a topic of academic interest.
• The convergence of Muslim identity with factors such as race, ethnicity, and migration experiences.
• The convergence of Muslim identity with factors such as Islamophobia and securitization.
• The contention surrounding the issues of halal practices, hijab attire, and mosque construction as markers of identity, space, and place.
• The dynamic interaction between transnational and local influences in the process of identity formation among European Muslims.

This discourse aims to foster a scholarly examination of the prevalent portrayal of Muslim communities in Europe as being in a state of ‘crisis’. It also seeks to explore the ways in which Muslims actively and innovatively address the oversimplified and generalised representations of their identities and religious practices. Editors extend a warm invitation for contributions from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and methodological approaches.

Interested authors should submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarising their intended contribution to the guest editors (t.abbas@fgga.leidenuniv.nl) or to the Religions editorial office (religions@mdpi.com). Manuscript submission deadline is December 31, 2024. Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review. No charge will be made for publications.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Further information on MDPI’s Special Issue polices can be found HERE.

More information on: MDPI