Perpetrated by the media and policy circles, the language of clash currently dominates interreligious and intercultural relations, overlooking the more common human practices based upon association... Show morePerpetrated by the media and policy circles, the language of clash currently dominates interreligious and intercultural relations, overlooking the more common human practices based upon association and cooperation. It is therefore high time to invoke the notion of “everyday cosmopolitanism” both as a scholarly inquiry and an ethical project. Show less
In the current debate on migration to Europe, a central concern has emerged over the “marginality” of Muslim communities, in other words, their seeming failure to “integrate” into the mainstream... Show moreIn the current debate on migration to Europe, a central concern has emerged over the “marginality” of Muslim communities, in other words, their seeming failure to “integrate” into the mainstream life world. Migrants congregating in mosques or Muslim community centres, attending Islamic schools, wearing headscarves and exotic “traditional” clothes, and turning to non-European television programmes are seen as an anomaly in the social body of European societies. Underlying this anxiety is the implicit assumption that Muslim peoples have an exceptionally primordial attachment to “tradition”—some immutable “Islamic ways of life”—that is incompatible with modern European values and which stands in the way of their integration. Show less
In this article Bayat challenges the widespread assumption that Islam is incompatible with democracy and argues that analysis should focus instead on the conditions in which Muslims can make Islam... Show moreIn this article Bayat challenges the widespread assumption that Islam is incompatible with democracy and argues that analysis should focus instead on the conditions in which Muslims can make Islam embrace democratic ethos. Detailing the different trajectories of Iran and Egypt, the article concludes that the extent to which Muslim citizens gain the skill and spirit to assert collective will, in spite of constraints—that is, master the art of presence—proves crucial in the road towards democratic polity. Show less
Currently, many people seem to be preoccupied with creating or discussing conspiracy theories. At the same time, others discredit unwelcome inquiries into hidden political agendas by labelling the... Show moreCurrently, many people seem to be preoccupied with creating or discussing conspiracy theories. At the same time, others discredit unwelcome inquiries into hidden political agendas by labelling the resulting ideas “conspiracy theories.” In such an environment, the distinction between fantasy and critical thought tends to become blurred. Only by acknowledging that real conspiracies exist, and by refuting ideas that cannot be empirically staved, will we be able to analyse political situations in a manner that is neither politically naïve nor the product of a conspiracist mindset. Show less
The ISIM, in collaboration with the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), organized a workshop, “The making of Muslim Youths: Youth Cultures & Politics in Muslim Societies and... Show moreThe ISIM, in collaboration with the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), organized a workshop, “The making of Muslim Youths: Youth Cultures & Politics in Muslim Societies and Communities.” The workshop took place 18 to 19 February at Leiden University and was convened by Asef Bayat. Show less
On 26 April 2005 Asef Bayat presented his inaugural lecture at Leiden University entitled, “Islam and Democracy: Perverse Charm of an Irrelevant Question,” presented here in extracted form. He... Show moreOn 26 April 2005 Asef Bayat presented his inaugural lecture at Leiden University entitled, “Islam and Democracy: Perverse Charm of an Irrelevant Question,” presented here in extracted form. He posits that Islamist movements in Muslim societies are undergoing a post-Islamist turn characterized by rights instead of duties, plurality in place of a singular authoritative voice, historicity rather than fixed scriptures, and the future instead of the past. The full text of the lecture will be available through ISIM and Leiden University. Show less
