Literature Review: Identity Construction in the Context of Being a Minority Immigrant Religion: The Case of Western-born Muslims

Abstract

A wealth of literature on Muslims residing in western liberal democracies has been written over the last two decades or so, in particular after the events of 9/11.1 This article reviews the relevant literature on the broader dynamics which shape the identities of western Muslims, and western-born generations of Muslims in particular, in the context of being an immigrant minority religion. The initial point of reference of the study is the larger context of shifting identity constructions that take place in new minority immigrant communities in the West in general. The article's main focus is on presenting a review of literature which discusses the (inter-generational) changes in which identity among immigrant Muslim communities in the West is constructed. The literature notes the growing saliency of religious-based identity2 and the formation of new forms of religiosity among members of these communities, especially among western born/raised generation(s) of Muslim youth. The article acknowledges the heterogeneous nature of religious-based identity construction among contemporary western generation(s) of Muslims and briefly describes two groups, referred to here as Progressive Muslims (PM) and Neo-Traditional Salafis (NTS).3