Bremmer, Deborah
(2021)
What is it like to be a Muslim in the Netherlands?
Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.
Abstract
For this thesis, I conducted qualitative research, using the narrative approach, to get
insight into the lived experiences of Muslims in the Netherlands. The motivation for this
topic was the increase in Islamophobia that we have witnessed in the West over the past
few decades, to which I dedicated the first part of my thesis. Here, I elaborately discuss
the topic Islamophobia, first in general and then specific to the Netherlands.
The second part of my thesis revolves around the lived experiences of Muslims in the
Netherlands. I wanted to explore what it is like to be a Muslim in the Netherlands and to
what extent Muslims have to deal with prejudices and discrimination. This is something
that was still lacking in existing literature. I did come across a book discussing
Islamophobia in the Netherlands, but without sharing experiences, and I came across
papers discussing the lived experiences of Muslims in other countries, such as the United
Kingdom and Canada. However, the lived experiences of Muslims in the Netherlands
remained untouched.
I find this topic highly relevant, because my personal conviction –supported by the
Intergroup Contact Theory– is that once people get to know a Muslim personally, they
will be less negative about them. Therefore, I shaped my thesis in such a way that it is as
if you get to meet my six participants. I gave them the space to share what Islam is like in
their eyes. Hopefully this will contribute to more understanding of the religion.
In my study it becomes clear that when asking them directly, many Muslims indicate not
suffering from Islamophobia at all. However, when the conversation continues, more and
more incidents come up: critical questions, jokes about terrorism, and troubles when
applying for a job. In my eyes, these are clear examples of Islamophobia, but somehow
my participants don’t identify them as such. I relate this observation to what is known
about the way people narrate their lives, namely in such a way that it makes sense and
feels good. My study shows how Muslims filter out negative incidents from their
personal story so that it feels coherent and fitting. Also, when they do describe negative
incidents, it often comes with “of course.” It could be that Muslims are so used to
negativity that they therefore barely notice it, or at least have accepted it as a fact of life.
More research is needed to investigate which mechanisms exactly are at play in this
blindness that Muslims seem to have for expressions of Islamophobia.
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Martinez-Arino, J. | | Faculteit GGW, Vergelijkende Religiewetenschap | J.Martinez.Arino@rug.nl | | Tarusarira, J. | | Faculteit GGW, Vergelijkende Religiewetenschap | J.Tarusarira@rug.nl |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation |
| Academic year: |
2020-2021 |
| Date of delivery: |
03 Sep 2021 13:36 |
| Last modified: |
03 Sep 2021 13:36 |
| URI: |
https://ggw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/616 |
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