The Muslim Trap: Negotiating Being and Belonging in Turbulent Times
Special Issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies
Volume 49, Issue 14 — 2026

The Muslim Trap: Negotiating Being and Belonging in Turbulent Times is a 2026 special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies, edited by Ajmal Hussain and Alexandra Poli. Bringing together ethnographic research from France, Norway, Spain and the UK, the issue examines how Muslims navigate identity, belonging and everyday life amid growing political polarization and anti-Muslim discourse.
The editors use the idea of the “Muslim trap” to describe the ways Muslims can become reduced to fixed representations of threat, difference or resistance. These representations can make Muslims appear as exceptional or problematic citizens, while overlooking the diversity of their experiences and aspirations. The issue therefore asks what becomes invisible when Muslim life is viewed primarily through the lens of conflict and polarization.
Rather than focusing only on Islamophobia, the contributors examine the ordinary experiences of Muslims in different European cities. Their research explores aspirations, relationships, civic participation and everyday negotiations of belonging. This approach highlights that Muslim lives are not defined solely by encounters with discrimination or state restrictions, but also by creativity, adaptation and the pursuit of ordinary futures.
The special issue looks at Muslim experiences across cities including Birmingham, Boulogne-Billancourt, Ceuta, Madrid, Nice, Oslo and Paris. Cities are treated not simply as settings, but as places where identities and relationships of belonging are actively formed. The contributors examine how Muslims engage with institutions, neighborhoods and civic life while navigating the boundaries between majority and minority identities.
A central argument of the collection is that Muslim agency should not be understood only as resistance to discrimination or state policies. The contributors examine how Muslims create new forms of civic participation, negotiate relationships with institutions and sometimes accept, challenge or reshape existing structures. In doing so, the issue presents Muslim belonging as an active and evolving process rather than a fixed identity.
Taken together, the special issue challenges simplified portrayals of Muslims in contemporary Europe. Its contributors argue for a broader understanding of Muslim agency that recognises both the pressures created by polarization and the diverse ways Muslims build lives, relationships and futures within European societies. The result is a more complex picture of being Muslim and belonging in turbulent times.
What happens when Muslims are continually viewed through the lens of threat, difference or resistance?
This 2026 special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies explores Muslim identity, belonging and everyday life across cities in France, Norway, Spain and the UK, highlighting the diversity of Muslim experiences and forms of agency.

About Editors:

Alexandra Poli is a researcher at the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) and a member of the Centre d’Étude des Mouvements Sociaux (CEMS) at EHESS in Paris. Her research focuses on Muslims in France, Islam, migration, identity, belonging and the social construction of Muslimness. She has conducted research on Muslim communities and urban change, including work on Boulogne-Billancourt.

Dr Ajmal Hussain is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. His research focuses on urban and cultural sociology, particularly Muslim culture, migration, multiculturalism, racism, and belonging in contemporary Europe. He previously worked as a Research Fellow in Sociology at the University of Manchester and holds a PhD from the university.

Journal of Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings

Vol. 1, Issue 3, Winter 2024

Editor in Chief: Dr. Mohammad Reza Aram

Publisher: Imam Mobin Research Center

Frequency: Semi-annual

ISSN: 2981-1309

Imam Mobin International Research Center has launched the Journal of Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings in English, suitable for the international audience, and in order to spread the teachings, culture and lifestyle of the Ahl al-Bayt (as), deepen the teachings of the infallible imams (as), and develop the sciences of the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt (as). This journal follows the COPE guidelines in terms of ethics.

Third issue of the Journal has been released. The titles of the articles published in this issue are as follows:

1. Various Forms of Specific Designation (Tanṣīṣ) of Amīr al-Muʾminīn Imam ʿAlī (as) in the Words of the Prophet (pbuh)

2. Allah’s Days from a Religious Perspective of Qur’ān and Ḥadīth (Indicators and Examples) and its Role in Giving Meaning of Human Life

3. Qur’an on Mahdiism

4. Principles and Methods of Education From the Perspective of Qur’an and Ahl al-Bayt (as)

5. Analytical Study of the Concept of Imamate in Verse 124 of Surah Bagharah

6. Role of Prayer in Establishing Family Foundations and Dealing with Social Disasters, Based on the Teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

Download the journal for free HERE.

More information on: Journal of Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings

Founder and Editor: Kamal Salhi, University of Leeds

First published in 2012

Publisher: Intellect Books

Publication Frequency: 2 issues per volume

Performing Islam is the first peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal about Islam and performance and their related aesthetics. The journal covers dance, ritual, theatre, performing arts, visual arts and cultures, and popular entertainment in Islam-influenced societies and their diasporas.

Emerging from an international network project funded by the British Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economics and Social Research Council, and research collaboration between academics and practitioners, Performing Islam is the first double-blind peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal about Islam and performance and their related aesthetics. It focuses on socio-cultural as well as the historical and political contexts of artistic practices in the Muslim world. The journal covers dance, ritual, theatre, performing arts, visual arts and cultures, and popular entertainment in Islam-influenced societies and their diasporas. It promotes insightful research of performative expressions of Islam by performers and publics, and encompasses theoretical debates, empirical studies, postgraduate research, interviews with performers, research notes and queries, and reviews of books, conferences, festivals, events and performances.

Source: Intellect Books

Morteza Karimi presents in details the academic structure of the prestigious University of Religions and Denominations (URD), in Qom, Iran; Assem Hefni describes the history and gradual transformation of Al-Azhar, the great and prestigious Sunni university in Egypt; Albertus Bagus Laksana focuses on Islamic institutions of higher education in Indonesia; Felix Körner examines the complex situation of Islamic theological orientations in Turkey and their relationship with “Western” theology.

In the section dedicated to Islamic-Christian Dialogue throughout history, Hisham Mostein asks whether Patriarch Timothy I, in his famous dialogue with al-Mahdi, the third Abbasid caliph, truly affirmed Muḥammad as a prophet; Antonio Cuciniello examines a fatwā by al-Suyūṭī concerning the return of Jesus before the final judgement and the rules (aḥkām) he will follow; Christopher Clohessy places the biblical account of the finger writing upon a wall the divine judgement of Belshazzar in dialogue with Shiite and Sunni ḥadīṯ texts. For the section on Contemporary Dialogue, Cardinal Michael L. Fitzgerald returns to the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Coexistence to present further developments and possible applications; Ignazio De Francesco, moving from the Italian publication of a text by a noted Israeli scholar, presents the historical and contemporary approach of Jewish culture towards Islam; Mariangela Laviano analyses the thought of the Moroccan thinker Muḥammad ‘Ābid al-Ǧābirī regarding “official” Christianity; finally, Almudena Soler Sánchez dedicates her study to the contribution of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

The long Notes and Documents section, completed by a special Dossier on Pope Francis’ voyage to Iraq, gathers a rich harvest of meetings, statements and documents that recount the progress in the dialogue between Christians and Muslims in the world. The issue closes with a fine collection of Reviews and some short presentations of Books received from the PISAI library.

Source: The Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies

Journal of Muslims in Europe, Vol 10, Issue 2

Editor-in-Chief: Thijl Sunier

Publisher: Brill (May 2021)

The Journal of Muslims in Europe is devoted to publishing articles dealing with contemporary issues on Islam and Muslims in Europe from all disciplines and across the whole region, as well as historical studies of relevance to the present. The focus is on articles offering cross-country comparisons or with significant theoretical or methodological relevance to the field. Case studies with innovative approaches or on under-explored issues, and studies of policy and policy development in the various European institutions, including the European courts, and transnational movements and social and cultural processes are also welcome. The journal also welcomes book reviews.

All contributions to the journal must display a substantial use of primary-source material and must be original. The editors also encourage younger scholars to submit contributions. The Journal of Muslims in Europe has a double-blind peer review system and publishes articles in both English and French.

Table of Contents

• EDITORIAL
by Thijl Sunier

• ARTICLES

– Floating Sophia, Polarizing to Abeyance, Waqf-izing the State
by Murat Akan

– Social Media Representations of the Pilgrimage to Mecca
Challenging Moroccan and Dutch Mainstream Media Frames
by Kholoud Al-Ajarma and Marjo Buitelaar

– Freedom of Religion in the Workplace
The European Court of Human Rights Decisions on Applications Made by Muslim Appellants
by Nedim Begović

– Beyond ‘the Stepford Wives Syndrome’
British Muslim Women Negotiating Secular Spaces
by Saleema Farah Burney

– Pedagogies of Turkish Mosque Education in the Netherlands
An Ethno-case Study of Mosque Classes at Milli Görüş and Diyanet
by Semiha Sözeri, H.K. Altinyelken, and M.L.L. Volman

• BOOK REVIEWS

– Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 10, edited by Oliver Scharbrodt, Samim Akgönül, Ahmet Alibašić, Jørgen S. Nielsen and Egdūnas Račius
Yearbook of Muslims in Europe: Volume 12, edited by Egdūnas Račius, Stephien Müssig, Samim Akgönül, Ahmet Alibašić, Jørgen S. Nielsen and Oliver Scharbrodt
by Tuomas Martikainen

– Moving in and out of Islam, edited by Karin van Nieuwkerk
by Maria Vliek

Source: Brill.com

Editor-in-chief: Muhammad Anas Ma`arif

Frequency: Three times a year (February, June, and October)

Publisher: Program Studi Pendidikan Islam, Institut Pesantren KH Abdul Chalim Mojokerto, Indonesia

This issue has been available online since 3^th February 2021 for the regular issue of February 2021. All articles in this issue (10 original research articles) were authored/co-authored by 24 authors from 7 countries (Indonesia, Germany, Netherland, Australia, Algeria, Bangladesh, and United Kingdom).

Articles

• University Students’ Perception on The Implementation of Online Learning During The Covid-19

• Islamic Primary Schools in The Netherlands: The Founding, The Debate, and The Outcomes

• Critically Explore Perceptions of Human Development in Classical Muslim Educational Thought and Discuss its Implications for Contemporary Islamic Education.

• Rethinking Islamic Pedagogy: The Interface of Theology and Tafsīr

• The Comparison of Boarding School Student’s Capability in Solving HOTS Question of Islamic History Subject

Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam is a journal by Program Studi Pendidikan Islam Institut Pesantren KH Abdul Chalim Mojokerto. Nazhruna is published periodically every four months as a media for scientific communication of academicians in the study of Islamic Education of Indonesia based on Interdisciplinary Research. Nazhruna invites academicians to contribute his thoughts either in the form of research results, in-depth study, and book reviews in accordance with the discipline owned. The script is original, has not been published in other media. The manuscripts are preferably from research results and written in either English or Arabic.

Source: https://e-journal.ikhac.ac.id/index.php/NAZHRUNA

Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations

Edited by University of Birmingham, UK, and WRWC program, University of Notre Dame, USA

4 Issues per year

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Print ISSN: 0959-6410

Online ISSN: 1469-9311

Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations promotes the scholarly study of Islam as a religious and intellectual tradition, and its relations with Christianity and other religions. Islam as a religious and intellectual tradition includes:

• Islam as a historical tradition of faith and a current lived reality throughout the world;
• the development of religious teachings and debates about orthodox beliefs;
• major Muslim movements and thinkers;
• religious teachings and principles as motivation for individuals and societies;
• Islamic beliefs in new social contexts past and present; and,
• the future of Islam.

Islam in its relations with Christianity and other religions includes:

• Muslim attitudes towards other religions;
• Christian and other religious attitudes towards Islam;
• mutual influences between Islam and other religions;
• historical and contemporary interfaith collaborations and rivalries;
• religious factors in encounters and confrontations; and,
• Muslim minorities in non-Muslim societies and non-Muslims in Muslim-majority societies.

Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations is edited by the Department of Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and the World Religions and World Church (WRWC) program, University of Notre Dame, USA.

Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations is abstracted and indexed in:

– American Theological Library Association
– Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts (ASSIA)
– ATLA Religion Database
– British Humanities Index
– European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH)
– IBR (International Bibliography of Book Reviews)
– IBZ (International Bibliography of Periodical Literature)
– SCOPUS
– Sociological Abstracts
– Theological and Religious Abstracts
-Thomson Reuters Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI)

Source: tandfonline.com

Australian Journal of Islamic Studies (AJIS)

Volume 5, No 2 (2020)

Editor-in-Chief: Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University

Publisher: Islamic Sciences and Research Academy of Australia

The Australian Journal of Islamic Studies is an open access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the scholarly study of Islam. The journal publishes original research articles, essays and book reviews related to Islamic sciences to promote the flow of ideas, exchange and discussion of research findings.

AJIS strives to contribute to academic inquiry by positioning Islamic sciences as its main focus and encouraging its contributors to comprehensively consider the different facets of Islam. Contributions are encouraged and welcomed from Australian and international academics in Islamic theology, philosophy, sociology, jurisprudence, contemporary studies, comparative religion, spirituality, Qur’anic and Sunnah studies, history and art.

AJIS aims to provide a forum for the study of Islam and Muslim societies in a global context with added focus on the Australasian region.

AJIS publishes at least two volumes per year. Special issues of the journal are also published and are overseen by guest editors, accordingly.

Source: ajis.com.au

Editor-in-Chief: Dr Ahmad Ghouri, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law, University of Sussex, UK

Publisher: Electronicpublications.org Ltd

MJTILP is a peer reviewed journal and can be accessed on HeinOnline. The journal welcomes submission of articles that meet its objectives for consideration with a view to publication. The journal comprises of three sections: (1) Articles, (2) Recent Developments, and (3) Book Reviews. The normal word length for articles is between 5000-8000 words (10000 including footnotes). The journal also welcomes shorter contributions (between 2000 to 3000 words) for its ‘Recent Developments’ section.

The MJTILP is not restricted to any specific field of law and aims to cover a wide range of subjects relevant to Islamic law and practice. Topics of particular interest include: transnational forms of Islamic law; constitutional developments, law reform and application of international law in the Muslim world; application of Shariah in Muslim or non-Muslim States; accommodation of Muslims in non-Muslim State; comparative practices of Muslim majority States; and intersections between Islamic law and international law or other religious and secular legal systems.

Continue reading at: ElectronicPublications.org

Publisher: IDEO – Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies

The MIDÉO –  Mixtures of the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies in Cairo – is a journal founded in 1954 by the first members of the Idéo. These Mixtures publish in particular academic contributions from members of the Institute and researchers working in close collaboration with them, in French, English or Arabic.

Responding to the objectives of the Institute, the journal publishes unpublished articles on Islam from its sources; it privileges theological and philosophical questions, and the history of doctrines. It also aims through in-depth studies to overcome mutual misunderstanding between different cultural and religious traditions and pays particular attention to the contemporary development of research on this subject.

By consulting the list of articles published since 1954, one will be able to judge the diversity of the subjects tackled. Since 2004, a series of monographs, the “Cahiers du MIDEO” complete the collection. Since issue 30 (2014), the MIDÉO brings together a set of articles on a specific topic, editions of texts and varia. Since issue 31 (2015), the MIDÉO is accessible free online.

The next themes

• MIDÉO 35 (2020): Interactions between Twodecim Shiʿites and Christians (this number is closed)
• MIDÉO 36 (2021): Iǧtihād and taqlīd in Sunni and šīʿite Islam (deadline: February 1ᵉʳ 2020)
• MIDÉO 37 (2022): Recitation in the first centuries of Islam (deadline: February 1, 2021)

Website: https://journals.openedition.org/mideo/2919