Respectable Muslims
Morals and Manners of Minority Citizens in France

This book tells the story of Muslim citizens in France and their struggle for respect using politeness and social upliftment.

Margot Dazey (Author)

9781009535724, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 December 2024

276 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 2.1 cm, 0.55 kg

How do Muslims deal with the ever-increasing pressure to assimilate into European societies? Respectable Muslims tells the story of pious citizens who struggle for fair treatment and dignity through good manners and social upliftment. Based on an ethnographic inquiry into France's most prominent Muslim organization, the Union des organisations islamiques de France, the book shows how a non-confrontational approach underpins the fast-expanding Islamic revival movement in Europe. This method is mapped into Islamic notions of proper conduct, such as ihsān (excellence) or ṣabr (patience). These practices of exemplariness also reflect the often-overlooked class divisions separating Muslim communities, with middle-class leaders seeking to curb the so-called 'conspicuous' practices of lower-class worshippers. Chapters demonstrate that the insistence on good behavior comes with costs, both individually and collectively. Respectable Muslims expands on the concept of respectability politics to engage in a trans-Atlantic conversation on the role of class and morals in minority politics.

1. The (Un)making of respectability
2. Proving Frenchness: Loyal Muslims in a globalized world
3. Allaying suspicions: Reliable Muslims in an age of terror
4. Keeping order: responsible Muslims against urban unrest
5. Practicing discreetly: Enlightened Muslims under the secular gaze
6. Uplifting the community: Deserving Muslims in liberal times
7. Facing hostility graciously: Self-contained Muslims in a colorblind society
8. Respectable citizens in uncertain environments.

Subject Areas: Religious groups: social & cultural aspects [JFSR]