Abstract
The following article discusses the establishment of centers of Islamic Studies (Islamische Theologie) in Germany. While many authors have discussed different theories which shape the accommodation of Islam in Western European nation states, I suggest that the security dispositif (Foucault) has a strong impact on the way the state and religious communities interact with each other. I argue that against the backdrop of a hegemonic Islamophobic discourse and a securitization of Islam, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz) as the main actor in charge of domestic security issues within the Ministry of Interior, shapes the construction of the German ‘Muslim subject’ to discipline and govern Germany's Muslims. The Verfassungsschutz becomes a defining power in the attempt to locate Islam in the German religio-political landscape by influencing the politics of several state agencies. This is due to broadening the notion of security which affects the ‘integration policy’ of several state agencies and makes the integration issue a priority in other policy areas. A hegemonic Islamophobic discourse, in which Islam has become a security threat, seems to foster such a policy. I will elaborate the securitization of Islam through the Verfassungsschutz by tracing its role in the institutionalization of Islamic Studies at state universities.
Highlights
The following article discusses the establishment of centers of Islamic Studies (Islamische Theologie) in Germany
The very politicized term Parallelgesellschaft, which means the creation of a ‘ghetto’, is used to combat empowerment and building up own structures to fit into the wider picture of an assimilated ‘Muslim subject’, who is more law-abiding, and dedicated in his loyalty to the constitution
The WR tries to direct the development of Islamic theology in a particular way instead of ensuring it has freedom and independence in research and teaching, turning centers of Islamic Studies into disciplining institutions
Summary
ISLAMOPHOBIA STUDIES JOURNAL VOLUME 2, NO. 2, FALL 2014, PP. 43-57. Published by: Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project, Center for Race and Gender, University of California, Berkeley. In the Islamophobia Studies Journal are those of the respective authors and contributors. They are not the expression of the editorial or advisory board and staff. Either expressed or implied, is made of the accuracy of the material in this journal and ISJ cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. The reader must make his or her own evaluation of the accuracy and appropriateness of those materials. Disciplining the ‘Muslim Subject’: The Role of Security Agencies in Establishing Islamic
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