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Absence and Presence of Religious Identity in Rebellions

Reitsma, Daniëlle Absence and Presence of Religious Identity in Rebellions. Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.

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Abstract

Since the Malian independency of 1960, four Tuareg Rebellions erupted against the Malian Government. In order to find out the relation between conflict, religion and identity and find out how much the rebellions relate to the Tuareg community, the following research question is posed: How did the Tuareg rebels legitimize the Tuareg Rebellions against the background of the changing religious identity of the Tuareg people? Using an interpretative document analysis based on ethnographies and audiovisual data, this thesis examines and applies the integrated approach of identity theory to the Tuareg case. This approach combines primordialism, instrumentalism and constructivism. The thesis is divided in two analytical parts. Chapter 4 focuses on the nature of identity and examines the development of the Tuareg (religious) identity. From this chapter is concluded that Muslim identity has become increasingly important for the Tuareg people, as caused by the processes of sedentarization and Islamization. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 focus on the path from identity to conflict and provides analyses the rebels’ definitions of the four Tuareg Rebellions. It becomes clear that static motivations for the rebels were autonomy and mistreatment. Islam was an important reason for the First Tuareg Rebellion and played a role in the Second Tuareg Rebellion. However, most Tuareg rebels distanced themselves from Islam in the Third and Fourth Tuareg Rebellions, due to the impact of religious terrorism, while other Tuareg rebels made Islam more explicit in their goals. Nevertheless, this thesis argues that although Islam has become increasingly important to Tuareg, it did not affect the support for or opposition of the rebellions, as other identity components and the circumstances of religious terrorism were more important. Keywords: Mali; Tuareg Rebellion; Islam; identity theory; primordialism; instrumentalism; constructivism; integrated approach Daniëlle

Type: Thesis (Master)
Supervisors (RUG):
SupervisorE-mailTutor organizationTutor email
Tarusarira, J.Faculteit GGW, ReligiewetenschapJ.Tarusarira@rug.nl
Bartelink, B.E.Faculteit GGW, Vergelijkende ReligiewetenschapB.E.Bartelink@rug.nl
Degree programme: Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation
Academic year: 2020-2021
Date of delivery: 01 Dec 2022 12:49
Last modified: 01 Dec 2022 12:49
URI: https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/713
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