Collective identity, Muslim identity politics and the paradox of essentialism (original) (raw)

Interest in Muslim identities and citizenship has intensified with every renewed moral crisis precipitated by events such as the Rushdie affair, 9/11 and 7/7, generating questions about the dangers of too much diversity. Identity has also been at the centre of Muslim political struggles for equal citizenship in Britain, attracting critical evaluation from both progressive and conservative interlocutors who contest the reification of group boundaries that are inevitable with identity politics. In this paper I present a case study of identity politics by young adult British Muslims which I argue is based on a distinctly post 9/11 social movement aimed at turning negative difference into positive difference. Drawing on insights from both social movement theory (Della Porta and Diani, 2006; Melucci, 1995; 1996) and theories of multicultural citizenship (Modood, 2007, 2010; Phillips, 2007; Young, 1990, 2000) I will reveal how participants in my doctoral study recognised themselves as a collective group whilst highlighting the complexities of producing such a unifying entity. This paper also intends to demystify the salience of faith identities among British Muslims, highlighted in existing literature, by drawing attention to the political dimensions of such identity constructions and challenging some of the essentialist and damaging conclusions drawn from loyalty to Islam. Understanding the political positioning of Muslim faith identities underlines the continued importance and relevance of the politics of recognition based on group identities.