Globalized Islam in Europe: The Cartoon Crisis as Transnational Politics

Abstract

The beginning of the 21st century has witnessed distinctive examples of a global politicized Islam: Islamic controversies originating in the actions of non-Muslims. The most important of these has been the 'cartoon crisis', originating in the cartoons of Mohammad published by the Danish Jyllands-Posten. The article describes and analyzes the reactions of Muslims as they developed in the context of the cartoon crisis. The significance of the Islamic public sphere in understanding the crisis is discussed in theoretical terms. It is argued that the crisis demonstrated the significance of a mass effect as a prducer of global Islam, of the struggle for control of public sphere, and of the creation of counter-publics. The analysis deals with the nature of the political activity connected to the crisis. Themes discussed in the article include the politics of recognition, community victimization, the principle of collective responsibility, and processual politics.