Halaqa in the Czech Republic: Experiences and Sense of Belonging of Muslim Migrant Women

Authors

  • Shreya Bhardwaj Charles University Autor

Keywords:

Muslim, women, migrant, religion, belonging

Abstract

This study is based on qualitative research fieldwork - participant observation - carried out at Al-Firdaus Mosque in Prague, Czech Republic. The primary focus of the research was the weekly activities of Muslim migrant women. My aim was to understand their experiences and activities and how they enact a sense of belonging through weekly halaqa sessions and interaction with their fellow community members. Through observing and partaking in halaqa activities I have found that such gatherings served a dual purpose- a) to share knowledge from Islamic texts to enhance the lives of the halaqa participants in both practical and spiritual ways, b) create avenues for Muslim migrant women to socialize in a new place after migration. Using the framework on belonging provided by Yuval-Davis, I have shown how women create a community of belonging through shared narratives and stories about civic responsibilities of Muslims because of which the community members - especially the young adults - are persuaded to enter respectable career domains. By urging their young community members to pursue a noble profession like medicine, the women inadvertently strived to affect the social and material well-being of all the stakeholders involved - the individuals and the Muslim community at large. Furthermore, the study has explored how the women discuss certain religious narratives that intersect with their gender identities and re-signify the narratives through both the mere act of practicing them across different time-space continuum and actively deliberating on them as in the case of wearing the hijab and private ownership of wealth. Subsequently, I have explored how the act of belonging unknowingly turns into a political project with the members of the halaqa creating a fluid space for anyone even from outside the community to participate, contesting the boundaries of a community of belonging.

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Published

2022-11-01

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How to Cite

Halaqa in the Czech Republic: Experiences and Sense of Belonging of Muslim Migrant Women. (2022). Cargo Journal, 20(1-2), 80-96. http://cargojournal.org/index.php/cargo/article/view/25