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What is it like to be a Muslim in the Netherlands?

Bremmer, Deborah (2021) What is it like to be a Muslim in the Netherlands? Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.

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Abstract

For this thesis, I conducted qualitative research, using the narrative approach, to get insight into the lived experiences of Muslims in the Netherlands. The motivation for this topic was the increase in Islamophobia that we have witnessed in the West over the past few decades, to which I dedicated the first part of my thesis. Here, I elaborately discuss the topic Islamophobia, first in general and then specific to the Netherlands. The second part of my thesis revolves around the lived experiences of Muslims in the Netherlands. I wanted to explore what it is like to be a Muslim in the Netherlands and to what extent Muslims have to deal with prejudices and discrimination. This is something that was still lacking in existing literature. I did come across a book discussing Islamophobia in the Netherlands, but without sharing experiences, and I came across papers discussing the lived experiences of Muslims in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. However, the lived experiences of Muslims in the Netherlands remained untouched. I find this topic highly relevant, because my personal conviction –supported by the Intergroup Contact Theory– is that once people get to know a Muslim personally, they will be less negative about them. Therefore, I shaped my thesis in such a way that it is as if you get to meet my six participants. I gave them the space to share what Islam is like in their eyes. Hopefully this will contribute to more understanding of the religion. In my study it becomes clear that when asking them directly, many Muslims indicate not suffering from Islamophobia at all. However, when the conversation continues, more and more incidents come up: critical questions, jokes about terrorism, and troubles when applying for a job. In my eyes, these are clear examples of Islamophobia, but somehow my participants don’t identify them as such. I relate this observation to what is known about the way people narrate their lives, namely in such a way that it makes sense and feels good. My study shows how Muslims filter out negative incidents from their personal story so that it feels coherent and fitting. Also, when they do describe negative incidents, it often comes with “of course.” It could be that Muslims are so used to negativity that they therefore barely notice it, or at least have accepted it as a fact of life. More research is needed to investigate which mechanisms exactly are at play in this blindness that Muslims seem to have for expressions of Islamophobia.

Type: Thesis (Master)
Supervisors (RUG):
SupervisorE-mailTutor organizationTutor email
Martinez-Arino, J.Faculteit GGW, Vergelijkende ReligiewetenschapJ.Martinez.Arino@rug.nl
Tarusarira, J.Faculteit GGW, Vergelijkende ReligiewetenschapJ.Tarusarira@rug.nl
Degree programme: Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation
Academic year: 2020-2021
Date of delivery: 03 Sep 2021 13:36
Last modified: 03 Sep 2021 13:36
URI: https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/616
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