Does the European Council for Fatwa and Research Matter? The Case of Muslims in Dortmund, Germany

Abstract

ABSTRACTSince its establishment 20 years ago, The European Council for Fatwa and Research (al-Majlis al-’ūrūbbī lil-Iftā’ wal-Buḥūth) has attracted considerable scholarly attention as a prominent panel that sought to establish itself as the primary authority on religious law for European Muslims. Based on a quantitative field study conducted in mosques in Dortmund, Germany, the article examines whether the Council's ambitions for hegemony have been realized. Challenging the emphasis in some of the academic literature on the globalization of Islam and the individualization of the processes through which religious knowledge is acquired, the article argues that a polarized religio-juristic discourse, the prominence of ethnic affiliations, distrust of the authority of Islamic-interest websites, and lack of organizational resources have limited the Council's reach and appeal.