The Power of Elective Affinities in Contemporary Salafism
In the minds of the general public, Salafism is a radical reactionary movement comprised of fundamentalists motivated by a nitpicking religious zeal. Bearing this in mind, one cannot help but wonder why some young Muslims are attracted to the supposed religio-anarchism and chaos that makes up its wo...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2016
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| In: |
The Muslim world
Year: 2016, Volume: 106, Issue: 3, Pages: 474-500 |
| Further subjects: | B
Salafism
B Utopian visions B Religious mobilization B elective affinities B Saved sect |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In the minds of the general public, Salafism is a radical reactionary movement comprised of fundamentalists motivated by a nitpicking religious zeal. Bearing this in mind, one cannot help but wonder why some young Muslims are attracted to the supposed religio-anarchism and chaos that makes up its worldview. Despite the current mass-production of analyses and descriptions, little serious attention has been given to the affinities that some adolescent Muslims have for this kind of religious life. This article explores these affinities through a critical analysis of the discursive nexus between a regimented religious lifestyle and utopian visions of “the perfect community.” It further suggests that this nexus represents one of the central motivational forces behind much of its adherents’ current activism. This interconnection between the social agents’ desire for a specific lifestyle (manhaj) and their utopian visions of it is revealed in the elective affinities between these two “forces.” The article offers a deeper insight into the motivational dynamics and Salafi subjectivities of this global movement's emotional capital, one of its trademarks. |
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| ISSN: | 1478-1913 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Muslim world
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/muwo.12159 |
