Globalization of Religion: How Things are Changing
It is said that religion has contributed to shaping globalization and when it comes to the need for good or positive global ethics, religion may provide negative results. Like culture, religion can also be influenced by other countries. For “Globalization of religion” essay the aim is to examine the role of globalization processes in the case of religion.
To go on, religious pluralism was mentioned because religion can be changed, can affect the religions of other countries, and can interact with religions in other countries this is also brought about by globalization. The globalization of religion has its pros and cons. One of the advantages of doing so is that people from different countries can be open to religion, we can learn about other religions, we can accept our own religion, and so on. In particular, we can respect the religion of others, but the disadvantage is that it can break people traditional beliefs, because there are many religions emerging, and people may adapt to other people's religions, which will lead to apostasy of their own religion.
Religious diaspora as a form of religious globalization can be defined in four ways through homeland dispersion, collective memory, maintenances and ties, and experience of difference within the new places of belonging. Bielo highlights different examples of religious globalization through religious diaspora, but here we will focus on French Islam as a diasporic religion. For the remainder of this paper, we will examine the October 2005 rioting that took place in Clichy-sous-Bois as a result of civil unrest over marginalization of North African migrants who inhabited the banlieues of the area. This example of French Muslims expressed religious globalization through diaspora as many adherents in the French banlieues are migrants from Morocco/Algeria/Tunisian, show collective memory of their homeland through the sharing of stories, maintain ties to the homeland through ritual practice and dress, and experience differences or Otherness in their new places of belonging.
October 27th, 2005 the banlieues erupted in civil conflict and riots followed the death of two teenagers who were chased into a suburban power plant where they would later die from electrocution. When reviewing the different national media coverages over the conflict you can find many portrayals. Most are sympathetic and critical, indicating the riots were a direct cause of the countries inability to recognize the marginalization of those in banlieues and that France is partly to blame for the failure of integration efforts of the French Muslims. Others portray a viewpoint of “us versus them” mentality, portraying the community as criminals and religious fanatics because these communities fail to respect the secularist culture of France (laïcité) and French laws. The issues of laïcité persist in France to this day with media coverage sensationalizing conflicts over religiously modest bathing suit attire, the Charlie Hebdo attack in 2015 which were identified to be the perpetrators, and continual riot outbreaks in banlieues throughout France.
When discussing agency, most coverages of the riots found that agency is attributed to the community in which the teenagers came from. The rioting was in response to the community’s belief that negligence on the police officers part led to the death of the boys that would have been otherwise saved. Here conflict grew because the government response to the riots was poorly handled, with the political response being that of zero tolerance rather than empathy for the community. Most of the agency attributed was through criticism of France’s inability to address the civil concerns of poverty, low-employment, and police brutality in the banlieues. If the government agencies would accept accountability and work on actually ending the marginalization and prejudice against the community then it might ease tensions that are on the precipice of an explosion.
In the BBC documentary “Islam in France” migrants and migration is represented in two ways. On one hand, conflict in the country of Algeria is discussed and that France welcomed those immigrating from the areas openly. On the other hand, Frenchmen and politicians can be seen and heard discussing that migrants have overrun areas outnumbering the French and that extremist Islam has taken over the suburbs and that integration is impossible. An example of this can be seen in the discussion between the deputy director of a school who barred two young girls from attending classes because they refuse to remove their veils. The deputy director comments that if the girls wanted to integrate, they would take off their veil.
Continuing the discussion and portrayal of Islam in the BBC Documentary, Islam within the communities is represented as a marginalized but at risk. Algerian Islamic terrorism places pressure on Muslims living in France as a belief that France’s approval of French military action in Algeria may result in conflict on French soil by those who identify as Muslim. Youths are presented as easy targets for terrorist rhetoric and sympathy while the elderly are portrayed as “trapped” and unable to stop the ensuing violence. Many of the interviews showcase aggressive rhetoric’s with regards to disparities in the community and is backed up by interviews with white youth who indicate that the banlieues are dangerous. Additionally, the documentary highlights that a “policy of exclusion” seems to exist in France based purely on the identity of Islamic faith, that is to say, that individuals are neither French or Moroccan/Algerian/Tunisian, they are just Muslim. Individuals of the Islam community are portrayed as only wanting acceptance and Freedom to express their religious identity as an expression in an important part of their identity.
When considering the information portrayed and insight into the globalization of religion by Bielo, the media analysis allows for a clearer understanding of diasporic religion. Following Bielo’s definition, the French Islam community experienced dispersion from their homeland, the collective memory of the homeland, maintain ties to the homeland through ritual practice and the express very apparently otherness in their place of belonging. And yet, French Islam is still prominent despite the adversities they have faced. The French Islam diaspora seeks a connectedness to the homeland while looking for acceptance in their new world regardless of cultural clashes they face. They attempt to remain religiously authentic, fighting for their rights to religious freedoms by maintaining their religious identity. Additionally, this example also demonstrates how diasporic religion may act as its own religious culture as laïcité policy requests that their religious expression be private, rather than public. Though French Islam has not fully accepted this culture, some are attempting to integrate and adapt to changes in religious culture.
Works Cited
- Bielo, James S. Anthropology of Religion: the Basics. London: Routledge, 2015.
- Grimm, E. (2017, February 17). Retrieved October 7, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwa_FHGAIXs.
