Muslim Participation in the Public Sphere in Sweden

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate Muslims’ participation in the various public spheres in Sweden. Using case study and discourse analysis as methods, textual and visual material from Swedish mass media has been analysed to explore certain questions. The results show that there are three types of Islamic public sphere: the distinctive Sunni, the distinctive Shi’ite and the open type. In addition, there is Muslim participation in the central Swedish public sphere. The results also show that there are three different perceptions of Swedish society, and its dominant norms and values. The first perception is of Swedish society as completely different, in its dominant liberal norms and values, from Islamic communities. The second perception is that Swedish society is fragmented in terms of its dominant norms and values; most of the values are acceptable but the norms should be refused. Muslims with the third perception see Swedish society as diverse and multicultural, comprising numerous groups including the Muslim community; they regard most dominant Swedish norms and values as supplementing those of Islam, and combine them in a single Swedish Islamic identity.