"You Follow the Path of the Shaitan; We Try to Follow the Righteous Path": Negotiating Evil in the Identity Construction of Young Moroccan-Dutch Muslims

Martijn de Koning

Jump to Content

"You Follow the Path of the Shaitan; We Try to Follow the Righteous Path": Negotiating Evil in the Identity Construction of Young Moroccan-Dutch Muslims

In: Coping with Evil in Religion and Culture

Author:

Martijn de Koning

Martijn de Koning
Search for other papers by Martijn de Koning in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 135–148

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789401205375_010

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

€42.00€35.00 excl. VAT

Add to Cart

Redeem Access Token

This article analyzes how images of evil are used by Muslim young people to categorize the other and to define themselves. The concept of evil plays a role in the construction of a Muslim identity and therefore widens the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims. This contribution will also show how young Muslims change this concept in order to close the gap between themselves and non-Muslims. This article sees Islam as a complete repertoire of activities, a type of toolbox containing practices (such as prayer and fasting, the wearing of a headscarf) and beliefs (such as in Shaitan [the devil], taghut [tyrant or false god], kafir (unbeliever), dajjal [liar, anti-Christ] and evil) and experiences. Most Muslims see evil as coming from outside. Every Muslim is born neither good nor evil and has the possibility of reaching perfection. At the same time, "evil" is not a clearly defined element of the Muslim repertoire but something that has to be negotiated. This means that "evil" is part of the identity politics of young Muslims: the negotiations about the definition and interpretation of ideas, practices and experiences that constitute a certain identity. Distinctive for Muslim identities or Muslim politics is the reference to experiences, beliefs, practices, symbols, and traditions that constitute "Islam."

Citation Info

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share link with colleague or librarian

You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789401205375/B9789401205375-s010.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

Coping with Evil in Religion and Culture

Case Studies

Series: Currents of Encounter, Volume: 35 and Currents of Encounter Online, Volume: 35

Cover Coping with Evil in Religion and Culture

E-Book ISBN:: 9789401205375

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 01 Jan 2008

Subjects

Metrics

	All Time	Past 365 days	Past 30 Days
Abstract Views	429	233	17
Full Text Views	6	0	0
PDF Views & Downloads	2	0	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

Authors

Open Access

Product Information

Company

Contact

"You Follow the Path of the Shaitan; We Try to Follow the Righteous Path": Negotiating Evil in the Identity Construction of Young Moroccan-Dutch Muslims

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

Coping with Evil in Religion and Culture

Case Studies

Table of Contents

Metrics

Metrics