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Spreading Whose Word? Transnational Imams, Religion and Politics in Turkey’s Mosques Abroad (France, UK, USA)

Objective

Since the early 2000s, Muslim Diasporas in Europe and the USA have raised a growing interest in the public and academic spheres. While building upon this interest, the proposed research aims to bring an original contribution to the field by adopting a transnational perspective that focuses on the religious policy of Turkey towards its diaspora. The study will concentrate on the imams sent to Europe and the USA to work in the mosques managed by the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). The ethnographic study of these “transnational imams” aims to go beyond a state-centered analysis of Turkish religious policy abroad in terms of “soft power” or “religious diplomacy”. Instead, it proposes to evaluate the modalities and limits of this policy by concentrating on the training, motivations, mobility and achievements of these imams, as well as the ways they are perceived by different components of the Turkish diaspora, with special focus on France, the UK and the USA. The interdisciplinary approach at the crossroad of political science, sociology and anthropology will address the political and religious dimensions of the ideology conveyed by the Diyanet imams and question their impact on the Turkish communities settled abroad, in terms of religious practices, political affiliation, integration and possible radicalisation. The comparative perspective will take into account the history and social characteristics of these distinct Turkish diasporas and the different traditions of state/religion relationship in the three countries under study to analyse the strategies of the Diyanet and evaluate its results. Thus, by focusing on Turkey’s religious policy abroad, the proposed study aims to bring an original contribution on political Islam as a transnational ideology that mobilises state resources, religious establishments and local communities to spread a polymorphous political and religious discourse.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

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Coordinator

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 269 857,80
Address
Houghton Street 1
WC2A 2AE London
United Kingdom

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Region
London Inner London — West Westminster
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 269 857,80

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