Organising Muslims and Integrating Islam: Applying Organisational Sociology to the Study of Islamic Organisations

Abstract

Since 9/11, Islamic organisations have been expected to function as integration facilitators, as 24-hour contact partners for politics and media, and as counter-terrorism activists. How does this affect these organisations? And what are their desires for their members in this context? In contrast to existing studies, this research closely examines the perspective of Islamic umbrella organisations vis-à-vis their changing political and institutional environments. It analyses their organisational behaviour from an innovative research perspective based on organisational sociology. Through a comparative analysis of three major Islamic umbrella organisations in Germany, distinct patterns of organisational behaviour emerge. While politicians wish for organisational adaptation to their expectations, the study also reveals a potential for decoupling and protest behaviour due to conflicting member interests and a perceived lack of external resource opportunities. Organisational protest is mainly directed at the securitisation and islamification of integration debates, and the often rather symbolic politics of cooperation and recognition. At the same time, legitimacy and efficiency considerations can explain why Islamic organisations attempt to overcome internal disputes when trying to satisfy political expectations. The paper also outlines open research questions and critically discusses possible future developments within this emerging organisational field.