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There is limited research examining the mental and emotional challenges, social support systems, and coping strategies of Muslim Rohingya refugee adolescents in the United States. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group from Myanmar are considered one of the world's largest stateless populations. This in-depth qualitative study among Muslim Rohingya adolescents aged 12–17 who reside in Chicago, IL (N = 15) builds understanding of their lived experiences of mental and emotional health. Employing a thematic analysis approach and adopting elements of youth Participatory Action Research (yPAR), our findings illuminate: (1) how the US school environment impacts the mental and emotional health of Rohingya adolescents; (2) Rohingya adolescents' self-reliance as a coping mechanism showcasing their resilience and self-empowerment, and finally (3) the critical role played by their family and their Islamic faith as social support. We argue for the need to develop culturally grounded interventions that center Rohingya adolescents' collectivist culture, Islamic faith, and their own unique strategies of self-reliance. As such, it is imperative to engage with Rohingya adolescents, their parents and caregivers, as well as refugee community leadership in the creation of mental health programs and interventions. Implications for research, practice, and education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation aimed to explore a theoretical model that examines the relationship between patterns of insecure attachment to God (i.e., anxious, avoidant), God-focused religious coping (i.e., divine struggles, positive religious coping), and mental health and well-being (i.e., happiness, depressive symptoms). The study's participants were 340 Israeli Jewish and Muslim individuals who completed electronic self-report questionnaires to assess the main variables of the study. The theoretical model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The analysis' findings indicated that there were no direct links between both patterns of insecure attachment to God and both happiness and depressive symptoms. Additionally, both anxious and avoidant attachment to God were found to be positively associated with divine struggles, and the latter mediated the relationship between both anxious and avoidant attachment to God and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, there were no significant associations between positive religious coping and any of the other variables in the study. Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that the pattern of associations between the variables in the study was not dependent on gender or religious affiliation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health of breast cancer survivors is a global concern. It is crucial to adopt a holistic approach when understanding their journey from illness to wellness in order to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. This study focused on the experiences of Muslim women who had overcome breast cancer and were adapting to life post-treatment. Snowball sampling was used to select the participants for this qualitative study. Fifteen women who had successfully completed breast cancer treatment and been declared cancer-free were interviewed. These interviews were semi-structured, using open-ended questions to explore their experiences in-depth. The interviews were conducted by phone, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study identified four main themes, nine subthemes, and 41 codes. The main themes were as follows: (a) a life changed by cancer and the difficulties encountered; (b) transition from active treatment to treatment-free living; (c) coping mechanisms; and (d) future hopes and expectations. The findings highlighted the survivors' desire to move past their experience of cancer and normalize their lives, as well as emphasizing their need for support. The participants shared detailed accounts of their journey, the obstacles they encountered during this transition, and the critical role of religion and spirituality in overcoming these challenges. Understanding and effectively managing the experiences of women after breast cancer treatment is vital not only for improving survival rates but also for facilitating their healing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that greater religiosity is associated with higher levels of overall life satisfaction. However, previous research has focused primarily on Christian populations, and few have specifically analyzed Muslim populations. We examine the association between religiosity and overall life satisfaction in a Muslim population, controlling for demographic variables, socio-economic characteristics and self-rated health. Unlike most previous studies, we use a relatively large random sample of more than 17,000 individuals, which was obtained from the Israel Social Survey in the years 2002–2020. Our results show that greater religiosity is associated with higher levels of overall life satisfaction among Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper investigates the effect of a religious holiday (Eid-ul-Fitr in Pakistan) on compliance behaviour instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longstanding religion-based norms of behaviour during the Eid holidays (traveling to meet family members, praying in large gatherings, hugging) may counteract newly established (and weaker) norms of health-preserving behaviours. Method: We study the impact of Eid-ul-Fitr on compliance with COVID guidelines for a sample of university students. Our effects are identified by unprompted delays in fielding a survey measuring compliance with prescribed behaviours. Results: We find that compliance with guidelines declines immediately after the religious holiday in our sample of students, with no observable decline in other well documented predictors of compliance behaviour (risk perceptions, trust in the authorities). We find that this decline in compliance is largely attributable to male participants, with one important exception. We further confirm our results by conducting robustness checks incorporating matching techniques and a smaller follow-up study where we randomize invitations to the survey. Conclusion: We conclude that amid the pandemic, newly formed norms pertaining to healthcare guidelines (focusing on social-distancing) emerged, and were subsequently undercut by longstanding norms of behaviour following a religious celebration: Eid-ul-Fitr. This paper underscores the fragility of these newly emerged norms, especially when challenged by a more well-entrenched, traditional norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India houses the third biggest Muslim population in the world but over the years it has experienced massive segregation of people based on their religious identities. This large-scale forced and systemic 'ghettoization' of Muslims is a recent trend largely ascribed to the frequent communal' violence and state's negligence towards minorities. In this backdrop, the paper discusses the communal ghettoization of Muslims and uses the Juhapura area of Ahmedabad as illustration to explain the same. This study is essentially based on field observations and literature to comprehend communal tone of ghettoization process. Muslims in India are a minority (15 percent of total population) and suffer most in case riots occur. In the last few decades, following the 1985, 1992 and 2002 riots, Gujarat emerged as a hotbed of communal tension, forcing the Muslim population to migrate from their original locations and seek refuge in other parts of the state. Residents of these newly populated ghettos such as Juhapura are forced to endure these conditions due to fear, lack of choice and state apathy. These localities are largely ignored and lack all forms of socio-economic and physical infrastructure for a decent living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is indicative of the sharpening tensions surrounding citizenship, belonging and integration in India. Officially aimed at demarcating the "legitimate citizens", its implementation is believed to have resulted in the partial exclusion of the so-called "Doubtful Voters" and denationalisation of the "illegitimate residents". These frictions associated with citizenship identity and rights are nowhere as acute as in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, where measures of retroactive revocation, administrative erasure and withdrawal of citizenship rights have been systematically deployed against religious and linguistic minorities. Using new research with some NRC rejected applicants in western Assam and other materials, this article identifies the central aspects of the implementation gap in the crucial, albeit problematic task of locating the rightful "Assamese-Indian" citizens. Linking our work to the idea of the 'process is the punishment', we conceptualise these conspicuous inconsistencies in the NRC citizenship determination processes and their results as the "punitive gap". We have identified the distinctive contours of this gap in terms of the massive economic costs, intensification of social (including gender and religion-based) inequalities, increased control through social suspicion and unpredictable outcomes for the marginal Miya Muslim community. The article highlights how this punitive gap has constantly eroded key components of due process, of procedural and substantive protections of the rights of individuals, during the NRC determination exercise and after the release of the final draft list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I show how a group of Iranian Muslims in Trump-era rural Kentucky conceptualize their Islamic practices in relation to the dominant American social, political, racial, and economic norms to compromise Americanness with Muslimness in order to claim cultural citizenship. Drawing on 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork involving participant observation and in-depth interviews conducted with Iranian-American Muslims in rural Kentucky, I develop an argument regarding how these individuals conceive of Islam differently from the monolithic Islam promoted by both Islamic clerics and the post-9/11 dominant discourse that has racialized Muslims. By examining a theoretical and analytical category that can conceptualize the unauthorized practices of Islam, I explore how Iranian Americans in rural Kentucky negotiate some of the most established Shi'i practices independent from clerics and reconcile their Islamic practices with the sociocultural and religious norms and values of the South rather than pursuing orthodox or heterodox Islam. Iranian Muslims in Kentucky are surrounded by multiple transnational Muslim communities that have created a diasporic condition, empowering them to foster a collective identity not by conforming to homogeneity, but rather by developing a nuanced web of intersecting bonds that unifies them through differentiation while confronting Islamophobia and the Muslim experiences of racialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a contemporary Muslim sacred placemaking in a predominantly Balinese Hindu society in the largest Muslim country Indonesia. Through a series of ethnographic fieldworks, it specifically addresses the practice of the sacred placemaking in a remote Muslim village Pegayaman in North Bali. The article argues that a recently invented narrative about the seventeenth century founder of Buleleng Kingdom, King Panji Sakti, is essential in the practice of Muslim sacred placemaking. Miraculous stories and place-centred religious rituals are important elements in the making of the sacred place. It further argues that Muslim sacred placemaking in contemporary Bali reverberates the minority's struggle for claiming the indigeneity of Islam on the island and serves as a symbolic solution for the Muslim minority group in the predominantly Balinese Hindu society and culture in the largest Muslim country Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family law has been a fundamental issue in the negotiation of the relationship between the state and religion at the national level. For more than 50 years, the everyday functioning of the administration of Muslim marriage has depended on intermediating roles played by informal religious leaders. During the last decade, the central government perceived the practice of receiving informal fee for bedolan (marriage outside the office) as illegal gratification. The central government, therefore, launched reform in some ways. It made marriage ceremony free of charge and abolished bedolan fee. It removed informal religious leaders from marriage functionaries. In practice, Muslims do value the religious aspect of a marriage ceremony and regard the administrative one as a complement. It is informal religious leaders who can meet this perception. This article investigates how intermediaries play roles in marriage administration and delves into local relations between state-promoted officials and informal religious leaders to understand why the reform did not affect the latter's position. In day-to-day practice of Muslim marriage, the co-existence of different authorities handling marriage is continuously negotiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article thoroughly investigates Boko Haram's (BH) evolving stance towards Muslims, particularly in northern Nigeria, unveiling distinct phases of engagement. It asserts that BH's transformation into a covert entity, driven by state repression, triggered the adoption of exclusive membership methods, culminating in a trajectory of expansive violence that encompassed both systemic targets and eventually Muslims. These shifts materialised through three distinct periods: pre-2009, marked by BH's competition with fellow Muslim groups through sermons and public outreach to gain adherents; the 2009–2013 span, witnessing BH's covert shift with a selective membership approach and a recalibrated Muslim strategy, exploiting interfaith tensions for sympathy and mobilisation; and post-2013, witnessing an abrupt shift in BH's Muslim stance towards denunciation, open enmity, and heightened violent actions. This transformation resulted from BH's recognition of its soft mobilisation's failure, its estrangement from rival Muslim factions, and the participation of ordinary Muslims alongside government forces against the movement, collectively reshaping BH's dynamics and its interactions within the Muslim community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-known that exposure to education is related to egalitarian gender attitudes. Yet, previous studies did not sufficiently take the temporal variation of this relationship into account, especially regarding ethno-religious minority and majority adolescents in Europe. Adolescence represents crucial years for attitude development. We analyze the association between secondary education and gender attitudes of female and male youth belonging to the majority, Muslim, and non-Muslim minority in Germany by employing the CILS4EU-DE panel data with more than 3200 adolescents. Obtaining a secondary school degree is associated with more egalitarian gender attitudes in general. However, different patterns emerge for the various ethno-religious groups and for females and males. Particularly, the effect of secondary education in general is stronger for boys than girls, and upper secondary education is stronger for Muslim minorities than for majority youth. Thus, attitudes develop during adolescence, and education can lead to more egalitarian gender attitudes among some groups but not all equally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in the United States, women from ethnic minorities still underutilize mammogram screenings. Immigrant Muslim women (IMW) demonstrated low mammogram screening rates compared to the national target of 77.1% determined by Healthy People 2030. Although IMW comprise an understudied population in the health field, a limited number of studies have proposed that Islamic religious beliefs have an impact on their behaviors and practices in regard to mammogram use. This study aimed to understand the meanings IMW ascribe to their religious beliefs in relation to mammogram utilization. A qualitative thematic analysis study was conducted on a purposive sample. A total of 28 IMW were recruited for one-on-one interviews in either Arabic or English, and inductive thematic analysis as per Braun and Clarke (2008) informed data analysis, guided by symbolic interactionism. A total of 28 interviews (10 in English and 18 in Arabic) were conducted with IMW whose mean age was 54.7. During these interviews, three major themes emerged regarding the participants' experience with mammograms, within the context of their religious beliefs: (a) 'Your body is a trust,' (b) the notions of al-tawakkul and al-tawaakoul, and (c) religious methods for coping with mammogram use. Results from this study suggests some religious means that can be integrated into an educational program designed for IMW to enhance their mammogram screening rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional survey investigates the influence of youths' religiosity on their attitude towards people with disabilities. The Muslim religiosity questionnaire and multidimensional attitudes scale towards persons with disabilities were used to survey 733 youths from the federal university in the United Arab Emirates. The results indicated that the youths were religious and had positive attitudes towards people with disabilities. An increase in religiosity is associated with a positive attitude towards disability, and both religiosity and total family income positively impacted the attitude towards people with disabilities. Reducing inequalities by including persons with disabilities is one of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development objectives. Policies should aim to enhance curriculum, improvise public guidelines and partner with associated faith-based leaders to build an inclusive society for people with disabilities, thus helping to achieve sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this integrative review included examining the intervention characteristics, religious tailoring, and behavioural outcomes of health and social care interventions with Muslim-minorities in Australia, Canada, UK, and the USA. Nineteen articles were included, and each showed some level of improved health and social care outcomes associated with interventions that were religiously tailored to Islamic teachings, and when notions of health were extended to physical, psychological, spiritual and social domains. Future studies should measure levels of religiosity to understand whether religiously tailored interventions produce a significant intervention effect when compared to non-religiously tailored interventions with Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional gender binary constitutes an integral aspect of Islamic social ethics, which has a pivotal role in shaping religious obligations, legal proceedings, and interpersonal judgments within Muslim communities. Within the familial sphere, this gender binary underscores fundamental responsibilities encompassing parenthood, filial duties, and inheritance rights. Recent years have witnessed a growing challenge to the traditional concept of the gender binary within Islamic societies. This shift is driven by increasing social libertarianism that emphasizes gender fluidity and individual choice. Hence, this article aims to critically scrutinize evolving discussions and controversies about the rights of intersex and transgender individuals, particularly issues relating to sex reassignment or gender-affirming surgery, marriage, and reproduction, from the perspective of the Sunni tradition of Islam. To support the various interpretations and insights presented here, a comprehensive and rigorous analysis is carried out on various religious texts and scholarly sources to elucidate the theological and jurisprudential positions on gender issues. It is thus concluded that Shariah offers greater flexibility in the treatment of intersex individuals compared to those with gender dysphoria because the intersex condition is viewed as a physical impairment that is not the choice of the afflicted individual. By contrast, in the case of individuals with gender dysphoria, they are willfully attempting to change their recognized biological sex, that God had naturally given to them at birth. Therefore, it is recommended that such transgender individuals deserve respectful psychological and social rehabilitation with help and guidance from religious authorities, their families, and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the subject matter of nativism and cultural trauma of Muslim migrants after 9/11 in Western countries in the novel Exit West (2017) by Mohsin Hamid through the lens of cultural trauma theory (Alexander, Jeffrey et al., 2004). The researchers focus on how nativists treat Muslim migrants as 'the other'. This "othering" is based on emotionally loaded beliefs that are based on socio-cultural differences between Western and Muslim cultures. Correspondingly, the response of Muslims to such treatment is a traumatic one—leading to anxiety, depression, nightmares, and existential crises—that is based on similarly-shaped beliefs: highly emotional and culturally based. The consequences of disrupting migrants' cultural or religious identity include becoming more radically religious or giving up their Muslim religious identity. The current study will lend insight into the pain suffered by Muslim minorities in Western countries and contribute positively to refugee literature. It may also assist in reducing an 'us-versus-them' belief system between those of the Global South and those of the Global North. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular mammogram screenings are effective for early breast cancer (BC) detection and decreased mortality rate. However, immigrant Muslim Arab women (IMAW) are less likely to adhere to these screenings although the rate of BC among IMAW is high. Recent studies have explored low mammogram screening rates among immigrant Muslim and/or Arab women from a limited perspective, overlooking the fact that husbands have an influence in IMAW's health behaviors toward cancer screenings. Thus, this mixed-method approaches were employed to (a) explore the association between spousal support and IMAW's health beliefs toward mammograms and their utilization, (b) to understand IMAW's experiences of spousal influence related to their mammogram use and health beliefs. The quantitative portion of the study, recruitment and data collection were conducted via online surveys in Arabic and English. Logistic regressions were used to explore relationships between perceived spousal support and IMAW's mammogram utilization and health beliefs. The qualitative portion of the study was conducted on a purposive sample of IMAW. A semi-structured interview guide in Arabic and English was used during one-on-one interviews. Arabic interviews were translated into English and transcribed by professionals. Interviews were analyzed by thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke (2008). A total of 184 IMAW completed the survey with mean age of 50.4 (SD = 5.58, range = 45–60). Results revealed low mammogram screening rate among IMAW. Only 32.6% adhered to mammograms. Spousal support was positively associated with ever having obtained a mammogram and IMAW's adherence to mammogram. The 20 qualitative interviews, 16 in Arabic and four in English, produced rich description supporting results from the survey which includes, (a) types of spousal support, (b) impact of spousal support on participants' mammogram utilization and experience, and (3) impact of spousal support on participants' health beliefs toward mammograms. Findings from surveys and interviews show that a husband's support is positively associated with IMAW's mammogram utilization and health beliefs. Suggesting a new approach to integrate husbands in culturally appropriate interventions to increase mammogram screening rates among IMAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apeiroanxiety is a fear of infinity. Some people may experience anxiety or discomfort when contemplating the vastness or endless nature of certain concepts, such as time or space. Addressing any form of anxiety is important as it can impact an individual's daily functioning, wellbeing, and quality of life. The current study is aimed at developing a reliable and valid measure of apeiroanxiety in the context of the afterlife for the Pakistani Muslim population. The research had three studies: Query Study I generated an item pool of 18 items based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and expert opinion. This item pool was administered to a convenient sample of Pakistani Muslim participants (n = 1277). As a result of exploratory factor analysis, a uni-dimensional factor solution with five items was yielded (α = 0.90). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the obtained uni-dimensional factor solution in study II of the research with an excellent model fit. In study III, the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale was established on a separate independent sample (n = 485). Results yielded evidence of convergent validity as negative afterlife belief and rumination had a positive correlation with apeiroanxiety. The discriminant validity was established by a non-significant relationship between positive afterlife belief and apeiroanxiety. Moreover, the limitations, suggestions, and implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is a critical public health issue in the United States, recognized as the tenth leading cause of death across all age groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Despite the Islamic prohibition on suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide mortality persist among Muslim populations. Recent data suggest that U.S. Muslim adults are particularly vulnerable, with a higher attempt history compared to respondents from other faith traditions. While the underlying reasons for this vulnerability are unclear, it is evident that culturally and religiously congruent mental health services can be utilized to steer suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention in Muslim communities across the United States. However, the development of Suicide Response toolkits specific to Muslim populations is currently limited. As a result, Muslim communities lack a detailed framework to appropriately respond in the event of a suicide tragedy. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by providing structured guidelines for the formation of a Crisis Response Team (CRT) through an Islamic lens. The CRT comprises of a group of individuals who are strategically positioned to respond to a suicide tragedy. Ideally, the team will include religious leaders, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, social workers, and community leaders. The proposed guidelines are designed to be culturally and religiously congruent and take into account the unique cultural and religious factors that influence Muslim communities' responses to suicide. By equipping key personnel in Muslim communities with the resources to intervene in an emergent situation, provide support to those affected, and mobilize community members to assist in prevention efforts, this model can help save lives and prevent future suicide tragedies in Muslim communities across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 70 years, studies have reported lower rates of completed suicide in Muslim-majority countries and individuals who identify as Muslim. To this point, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Islam and lower risk of suicide remain understudied. In an effort to advance our understanding, we convened a bilingual international interdisciplinary panel of experts for a discussion of the current state and future directions of the field. In this paper, we present an exploratory qualitative analysis of the core themes that emerged from the group interviews. We also derive a general theoretical model of the association between Islam and suicide risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide among American Muslims is understudied, despite recent research highlighting increased suicide attempts among this population. While suicide is forbidden in Islam, formal guidelines for addressing and responding to suicide within Muslim communities did not exist until recently. The Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab has responded to a number of suicides in Muslim communities across North America and implemented an original model for suicide response and community healing. This approach incorporates Islamic principles and values to create a culturally and religiously congruent response to suicide that can support loss survivors and steer impacted communities toward healing. The Muslim Postvention Community Healing session described in this paper aims to provide a safe space for individuals impacted by suicide to come together and process their emotions, while also using Islamic teachings to guide the healing process. This unique model has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for Muslim communities across North America, and beyond, in addressing and responding to suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faith healing is a traditional healing method involving spiritual and faith-based practices performed by a religious medicine man referred to here as a faith healer. The practice of faith healing is widespread in the Arab World for treating a range of mental disorders. This research aims to review the literature concerned with faith healing practice in the Muslim Arab population. Based on the results of the review, there are seven distinct aspects of faith healing. These include the characteristics of persons who visit faith healers, the rate of visits, the symptoms for which visits are made, the treatment methods, the general stigma and prevalent attitudes toward mental disorders in the Arab world, and the perceived effectiveness of faith healing as applied to mental disorders. The results of the review show that many patients with mental disorders, as a first resort, prefer to seek the help of faith healers (or other non-professional trusted counselors) rather than approach mental health services. This is due to several factors: the misconceptions around causes of mental illness in Arab traditions and culture and the stigma associated with mental illness. As an overall determination derived from the literature, Arabs remain highly reliant on faith healers as helpful resources for dealing with mental health problems. In conclusion, the recommendation to public health authorities is to consider including faith healers in the support system for mental health and cease viewing them as barriers to optimal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the views of contemporary Muslim jurists about withdrawing treatment of the terminally ill. Its aim is threefold. Firstly, it analyses jurists' views concerning core themes within the process of withdrawing treatment. Secondly, it provides insight into fatwas about withdrawing treatment. Thirdly, it compares these views with current medical standards in Europe and the Atlantic world on withdrawing treatment. The data consisted of six papers by Muslim jurists presented at the conference of the Islamic Fiqh Council in 2015. We conducted a directed content analysis (DCA) through a predetermined framework and compiled an overview of all previous fatwas referred to in the papers, which are also analysed. The results show that the general consensus is that if health cannot be restored, treatment may be withdrawn at the request of the patient and/or his family or on the initiative of the doctor. The accompanying fatwa emphasizes the importance of life-prolonging treatment if this does not harm the patient. It becomes apparent in the fatwa that the doctor has the monopoly in decision-making, which is inconsistent with current medical standards in Europe. Managing disclosure in view of the importance of maintaining the hope of Muslim patients may challenge the doctor's obligation to share a diagnosis with them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All religions should develop convincing responses to emerging bioethical problems stemming from medical and technological advancements. Additionally, believers need to know their faiths' interpretations of bioethical issues to be able to make medical decisions in line with their religious values. Therefore, Islamic bioethics should provide Muslims with conclusive and credible answers regarding newly rising problems in health care by revisiting the religious norms and decrees. However, the diversity in the Islamic denominations, the traditionalist aspect of the Sunni jurisprudence demanding strict compliance with the scriptural texts, the lack of unanimously accepted authority, and the limited number of academic works in Islamic bioethics (at least in English) complicate exploring new standards or rules for new ethical matters. In this view, the present paper aims to delineate two primary Islamic theological schools and propose al-Ghazali's maslaha as a general framework to analyze bioethical issues in the Sunni tradition. Maslaha allows exercising discretion in light of the protection of five fundamental values: religion, life, reason, lineage, and property. Maslaha has the potential to enable Sunni Muslims to appraise contemporary ethical questions, concerns, and dilemmas through an Islamic view and make more autonomous decisions by having religious guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global halal cosmetics industry is a lucrative market worth US$ 27.31 billion in 2021, and its value is expected to grow to US$ 54 billion by 2027. However, the overall cosmetics industry is monopolized by multinational companies, and many products have no halal certification, an assurance system for certifying a particular product as permissible and good for Muslims to use. Among Muslim consumers, the level of awareness about halal cosmetics is low in comparison to their awareness of halal food. These low levels of uptake by cosmetics manufacturers and consumer awareness must be addressed, especially since cosmetics are utilized in everyday Muslim life. In addressing these issues, a comprehensive understanding is needed of the halal ecosystem for cosmetics. An initial step in this direction would be to study the system of halal certification for cosmetics. Utilizing the Viable System Model (VSM) as the framework, this study diagnosed the halal certification system for cosmetics in Malaysia. This study gathered data from interviews with representatives from institutions and departments directly involved in the halal certification system. The halal certification system for cosmetics in Malaysia was found to already have established some elements of viability. However, there is neither a dedicated policy for the development of halal cosmetics nor a comprehensive legal framework governing the development of halal cosmetics and its usage. There are also some missing links related to the monitoring function and among the operating units. This understanding paves the way for developing a viable certification system for halal cosmetics in Malaysia and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qur'an prohibits the use of intoxicants such as alcohol. However, the use of psychedelics falls somewhere in between social acceptance and outright prohibition among Muslim communities. Due to the cultural and religious stigma associated with the use of psychedelics among Muslims, it is difficult to encourage Muslim participation in psychedelic research and therapy, despite the increasing need to include diverse ethnic and religious groups in such endeavours. To pave the way in this regard, the present study explores the historical as well as the current perspective on the use of plant medicine in Muslim communities and cultures, specifically focusing on Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, to shed light on the cultural considerations involved in employing psychedelic-assisted therapy with this population. Included are some history of plant medicine in Sufi rituals and cultural perceptions of the psychedelic plant Peganum harmala. Finally, the relevance of psychedelic-assisted therapy for Muslim women, in particular, to alleviate trauma resulting from a history of mistreatment, neglect, and discrimination in Western countries is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a special issue of the journal Contemporary Islam that explores the topics of Islam, critique, and the canon. The authors discuss the importance of understanding how concepts related to power, authority, critique, and resistance have been understood by classical Muslim scholars. They argue against de-historicizing and decontextualizing Islamic ideas and emphasize the need for nuanced understandings of Islamic practices and movements. The collection of articles in this issue aims to complicate assumptions about the Islamic canon and engage with diverse perspectives and critiques within Islam and Islamic thought. [Extracted from the article]

This paper analyzes the role of Sufi edep/adab (spiritual manners) in the ethical self-cultivation among a Naqshbandi Sufi Muslim group in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. It considers how an ethnographic focus on edeb/adab can help us understand Sufi spirituality as a form of everyday sociality on one hand and as a form of religious virtue and piety on the other. The ethnography highlights the importance of inculcating self-reflexivity in the pious and ethical self-cultivation as a way of attaining adab and thus piety as an everyday social. Instead of focusing on the exclusion of other Muslim selfhoods, the Naqshbandi Muslims analyzed in this paper turn to self-critique and self-improvement, a key method for spiritual refinement and a deeper relation to divine authority. Self-critique is a method which opens a path toward the proper internalization of the Prophet's sunna, and it therefore constitutes a degree of hermeneutic practice. The essay argues for a greater ethnographic focus on how self-critique can be oriented toward the social and contribute toward formulations of ideas of tolerance and local forms of sociality. This makes adab 'good to think with' both in tracing the intra-Muslim power dynamics, in exploring broader Sufi engagements as religious subjects who perform ethics in a secular world, and tensions between the subject and the social, together with the practices of dervishes (initiates) to individual and collective ends. Thus, the paper proposes that a religious agency in the present via the cultivation of adab can be used to interrogate the canon, in an ongoing process of ethical cultivation which places the accent of being Islamic on the ethical as a relational category (Zigon, The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 27(2), 384–401, 2021). Edep is an abstract noun in Turkish, drawn from the original Arabic adab. Though the preferred vocabulary of my interlocutors was edep as most scholarly literature uses adab, in this text, I use adab. The interchange between edep and adab is used only when I am quoting directly from my interlocutors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tulak breuh, or a ritual of payment of fidyah, refers to a ritual in which the deceased's family pays the fine for the dead by a specific procession of giving and receiving rice. It is a ritual carried out by some Acehnese with complete confidence that it is closely related to the teachings of Islam, as the primary purpose is to pay fidyah, a fine for the ṣalāt left by the deceased. This study aimed to discover the views of madhhab 'ulamā's (school), dayah 'ulamā, modernists, academicians, and commoners toward the tulak breuh ritual. The study implemented ethnographic research in which observation and interviews were used in collecting the data. Qualitative data analysis was done by data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The result showed that the tulak breuh ritual was carried out upon someone's death. The ritual constitutes a payment method of fidyah (indemnity) by distributing rice, gold, or money to pay off the ṣalāt left by the deceased. 'Ulamās of the Shāfi'ī school do not allow the payment of fidyah for ṣalāt nor do they allow others to perform ṣalāt on behalf of the deceased. However, the 'ulamā of the Ḥanafī School make an exception for the fidyah paid off with the agreement of the dead, while the 'ulamā of other Schools do not agree with the ritual practice. Yet, in Aceh, there are several views in this regard. The dayah 'ulamā endorse the practice relying upon a fiqh robust basis laid by former 'ulamā, while the modernists choose not to side with it. Academicians believe that tulak breuh is a ritual to show respect for the deceased's family members and enhance community development. Similarly, commoners believe that the ritual represents devotion and is a sacred habit through which Allāh will grant forgiveness to the dead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I will examine the influence of nationalism and colonial racial theories on modern Islamic thought in Muslim South Asia and the Middle East. I argue that modern Islamic thought —a new way of conceiving Islam that began in the late nineteenth century—has some basic features that reveal the influence of Western colonial discourse, racial theories, and nationalism. I will provide many examples that show how contemporary Islamic thought has internalized the colonial discourse on religion, nation, and state. In particular, I will discuss the influence of nationalism on Islamism and how Islamists believe that a "true" Islamic life requires the creation of an Islamic state. But modern states are essentially limited, and national interests determine their relations with the outside world. An Islamic state cannot be an exception to the latter rule. Therefore, Islamic principles cannot determine an Islamic state's domestic and foreign policies; ultimately, it would have to function like a nation-state. Through a brief discussion of the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and Turkey, I will also show how the discourse of these states is nationalist in practice and that the national interest of these states determines their foreign and domestic policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1922, the Indonesian socio-religious organization 'Aisyiyah has supported mushollas exclusively for women's use. In Islam, male attendance at masjids, especially for Friday prayer, is considered obligatory, which has resulted in interpretations of the masjid as a male space and Friday prayer as a male activity. Consequently, in some Muslim communities, this acts as a deterrent for women's attendance of Friday prayer or masjids altogether. Masjids and mushollas exclusive to men or women are examples of gendered spaces in religion, a geographical term that often implies unequal power dynamics and restrictions to power and knowledge. The widely accepted solution to gendered space is a degendering process, where space becomes equally accessible to all. However, in certain cultural and religious contexts, degendering may not be desirable. This article takes into account the concept of gendered space while examining the activities and experiences of the regular attendees of two mushollas exclusively for women in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to understand the extent to which the mushollas meaningfully differ from their masjid counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on political Islam has often addressed settings where Islamist movements and political parties operate as anti-colonial and oppositional entities. On the other hand, this article focuses on a less explored aspect of Islamist governmentalities in a case when Islamism becomes a part of the governing canon and rules over its Muslim others. I investigate situations where Islamist politics incorporates neo-imperial, nationalist, and colonial practices in creating a desired Muslim ummah at home and abroad. I explore marginalized critical discourses and praxes within this imagined Muslim ummah in Turkey and examine its transnational reverberations among the Kurdish and Turkish communities and mosques in Europe. In other words, I examine the dialectical relation between the formation of the Turkish Islamist canon and its non-Western critiques that comes from within and the margins through protests and critiques of Anti-capitalist Muslims in Turkey; examples of Civil Friday prayers (Sivil Cuma namazları) of the Kurdish imams; and the reconfiguration of Kurdish mosques of liberation in Europe. In doing so, I present how religious practices and discourses are instrumentalized for Islamist colonial governmentalities on the one hand but also serve as a decolonial critique to deconstruct contemporary Muslimness and open room for a plurality of Muslim perspectives excluded from the overly militarized and nationalist rhetoric espoused in Turkish Islamist discourses and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hindus and Muslims represent the two largest religions in India, and also differ in nutritional status, health-related habits and standard of living associated with economic disparities. In this context, the present study considered estimated secular changes in body size, proportions, and weight status among Hindu and Muslim Indian men. The data are from anthropological surveys in the 1970s which included measurements of height, weight and sitting height of 43,950 males 18–84 years (birth years 1891–1957). Leg length was estimated; the BMI and sitting height/height ratio were calculated. Heights of men 35 + years were adjusted for estimated height loss with age. Weight status was also classified relative to WHO criteria for the BMI. Anthropometric characteristics of the two groups were compared with MANCOVA with age and geographic region as covariates. Linear regression of height on year of birth was also used to estimate secular change in each group. Heights, weights, and BMIs tended to be, on average, greater among Muslim than Hindu men at most ages, while distributions by weight status between groups were negligible. Sitting height was greater among Muslim men but estimated leg length did not differ between groups; the sitting height/height ratio thus suggested proportionally shorter legs among Muslim men. Results of the regression analyses indicated negligible differences in secular change between groups across the total span of birth years but indicated a decline in adjusted heights of men in both groups born between 1891 through 1930s and little secular change among those born in the 1930s through 1957. The variation in heights, weights and BMIs between Muslim and Hindu men at most ages suggested variation in socio-economic status and dietary habits between the groups, whereas the negligible estimated secular changes in height between groups likely reflected economic, social, and nutritional conditions during the interval of British rule and the transition to independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beliefs about supernatural phenomena that have no scientific basis are called paranormal beliefs (Lyons, 2005). Religions may have a significant influence on the development of paranormal beliefs; therefore, the current study compared and contrasted paranormal beliefs among Muslims and Buddhists. Both Islam and Buddhism believe in the existence of jinn or ghosts; however, the beliefs about ghosts are different in the two religions. Buddhists believe that some humans are transformed into any of seven different types of ghosts and that one may safeguard oneself against ghosts by using ghost traps. They also believe in ghost marriage, i.e., a marriage between deceased people. Islam proposes three types of jinn, and these jinn can be categorized as either believers (Muslims) or nonbelievers (Kafirs). Muslims believe that jinn can cause mental and/or physical harm to human beings through possession, causing misfortune, or inflicting sickness. Islamic teachings testify to the harmful effects of the evil eye. Islam allows verses of the Holy Qur'an to be worn as charms or amulets to safeguard against the evil eye and jinn. However, the true teachings of Buddha prohibit all types of charms and amulets; Buddhism does not believe in the evil eye or possession by supernatural forces. We observe that cultural influences play an important role in shaping superstitious behaviors as both Muslims and Buddhists of the South Asian region wear specific kinds of amulets and charms to treat different physical and mental diseases. Similarly, going to living saints and touching their feet and other practices are performed by people of both religions in the subcontinent. Moreover, certain phenomena such as a black cat crossing one's path or the shattering of a mirror are considered signs of misfortune and curses by people of both religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tawakkul in Islam is defined as the belief in the sufficiency of Allah (God) that invokes patience and efforts to achieve goals while accepting the outcomes unconditionally. The present research intended to investigate the mediating role of tawakkul between personality traits and mental health (anxiety and depression) in a purposive sample of (N = 350) Muslim adults. Urdu versions of three instruments, namely the Tawakkul Scale (Gondal, et al., 2021), Depression, Anxiety Stress Scale of (DASS 21; Aslam, 2018), and Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI; Chishti & Kamal, 2002), were used to measure the variables. Path analysis revealed that extraversion had no association with tawakkul and anxiety, but it was inversely related to depression. Neuroticism was inversely related to tawakkul and positively related to both depression and anxiety, and these relationships were partially mediated by a low degree of tawakkul. Implications of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses two distinct but interwoven questions on the link between spirituality and religion in the lives of Syrian Muslim refugee parents. (1) How do religious and spiritual convictions impact these refugees and their families? (2) How do these convictions shape Syrian Muslim refugee parents' own positionality as caregivers and as individuals? We distinguish religious convictions as ones entrenched in the practice of organized religion (e.g., prayer and fasting), and spiritual convictions as ones associated with the frame of reference inspired by religion (e.g., embedded references to God and/or the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessing be upon him). This paper is focused on qualitative findings from 16 Syrian refugee parents (15 mothers and 1 father) and their individual families. While the study began as a pilot for an intervention program focused on early childhood education among refugee children in Jordan, it became overwhelmingly clear that the refugee parents' individual senses of parenthood, responsibility, and aspiration for their children's futures are inextricably linked to their spiritual and religious convictions. Highlights: Explores the importance of faith and spirituality in the context of refugee parenting and early childhood development. Provides insight into how refugee parents speak about their faith and spirituality in the context of their migration experiences, aspirations for their children, and as an extension of their own development. Based on a qualitative study with 16 Syrian caregivers in Jordan. Argues for the need to include awareness of and sensitivity to Islamic religious and spiritual practices in the design of interventions and programs concerning Muslim refugee children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of canons within the Islamic tradition and how they are subject to change and critique. The author discusses the juridical canon and the canon of Islamic philosophy as distinct from each other, highlighting the need to engage with different canons to gain a comprehensive understanding of Islam. The article also examines the populist Islamist canon and the importance of self-reflection and critique in promoting social transformation. Additionally, the author emphasizes the significance of adab and akhlaq literature in addressing contemporary concerns regarding intolerance. The article concludes by discussing the context-dependent nature of critique and the ways in which Islamic ideas and practices are contested, rejected, reshaped, and embraced in various contexts. [Extracted from the article]

Tin-glaze technology was introduced early in the Iberian Peninsula and developed further in the Valencian region. Manises lusterware on tin-glazed wares became, from the 14th century onward, a widely exported and socially recognized prestige product, although it declined in later centuries and was replaced by other productions, such as polychrome earthenwares from Alcora or Valencian tilework, that enjoyed a worldwide distribution. The aim of this article is to review the long evolution of this Eastern technology, introduced almost simultaneously with its development in the Middle East, analyzing how the technique and the ceramics produced with it were adapted to changing societies and to the aesthetic keys of each historical moment through to the 18th century. This first occurred because of the admiration it generated in European feudal society when the technique was transferred by the integration of the Muslim population in the expanding kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula, and then by crossing oceans and reaching America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates how the July 2005 London terrorist attacks affected Muslim teenagers' education plans and decisions. The attacks triggered a violent backslash against the Muslim community, which could have affected their incentives to continue in full-time education. I examine panel data on educational attitudes from the "Next Steps" Survey in England and use the month the survey was administered to divide individuals into treatment and control groups. I find that the attacks negatively affected the education plans of Muslims, but not those of any other major religious group. The probability of planning to continue in non-compulsory full-time education decreased by around 4.4% points for Muslims after the attacks. This corresponds to a 69% increase in individuals who were not sure whether to continue or drop out of full-time education. However, this change in plans appears to be a temporary reaction, since it did not affect students' actual decisions two years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Muslims experience the lowest recovery rate from mental health difficulties across all religious groups. The aim of this research is to understand the barriers that prevent Muslims from accessing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the extent to which these may vary across country of residence. Methods: Systematic review and thematic synthesis for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies published in English and Arabic informed by the SPIDER search tool. Methodological quality and risk of bias of included papers were critically appraised independently according to the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: A search of seven databases in the Arabic and English language yielded 3836 studies with 210 studies assessed for eligibility. Employing the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool resulted in 14 studies included in the thematic synthesis. Seven studies adopted a qualitative methodology employing semi-structured interviews and seven were quantitative descriptive studies. Conclusions: Muslim communities experience barriers accessing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the level of the individual, culture, provider and management. The main barriers were experienced at the individual level which was dominated by the influence of Islam regarding the cause of mental health difficulties, which also influenced the way in which difficulties were managed. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO and registration number: CRD42020192854. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a paucity of research on the true prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Muslim Americans. This research aims to explore the prevalence, correlates and impact of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in Muslims as compared with a non-Muslim sample. We used propensity scores to match 372 individuals who self-identified as Muslims from The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III with a control group (n = 744) from the same dataset. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was similar in Muslim Americans and non-Muslims. Help-seeking was generally low, but Muslims with a lifetime history of PTSD were less likely than non-Muslims with PTSD to seek help through self-help groups (2.2% vs. 21.1%, p < 0.05). Moreover, Muslims with mood disorders experienced lower mental health scores compared to non-Muslims with mood disorders. Efforts need to be made to identify psychiatric disorders in this faith group and engage in treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public resurgence of religious adherence in the West remains one of the defining qualities of this century. If secularisation theory can be understood to articulate the inevitable secularisation of post-enlightenment European societies, religious converts may be understood to epitomise some of the theory's failings. Through a narrative-ethnographic investigation into the identity configurations and educational experiences of fifteen millennial (born between 1981 and 1996) Muslim converts, my doctoral research indicates that these converts tend to construct deeply religious identities, characterised by scriptural literalism. Set within the backdrop of an educational context that some perceive as increasingly censorious, these convert Muslims provide a heuristic device with which to examine the contested public spaces in which religious subjectivity can be expressed. This paper will bring literature challenging the securitisation agenda in education, into conversation with theories resistant to the impulse to seek consensus in social and educational debate. Advocating for more agonistic approaches to education, I will present examples from my data that warn of the ways in which 'hardened' secular and liberal biases may contribute towards an unmooring of the pluralistic endeavour. Located within contemporary debates about the importance of religion as a discursive aspect of modernity, the chilling of free speech and the place of transgressive thought, the paper encourages an expansion of opportunities to disagree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on qualitative interviews with 278 self-identified Muslims from across Canada, this article examines how Muslim Canadians engage with sources of religious authority online. We focus on how participants assess the authoritativeness of websites, which figures they follow, and whether the Canadian context factors into how they interpret Islam-related material online. We both agree and disagree with scholarship that characterizes the Internet as democratizing the traditions of Islam (Bunt, 2018; Eickelman & Anderson, 2003; Mandaville in Theory, Culture & Society, 24:101–115, 2007; Robinson in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 19:339–354, 2009; Sands in Contemporary Islam 4:139–155, 2010), and with who see it as unchanging (Berkey, 2016). Our interlocutors suggest that the online context fosters a notable and visible bi-directionality of authority; moreover, content remains shaped by view counts and algorithms. Lastly, despite the online nature of the World Wide Web, the materiality, textuality, and visual markers of the Qur'an remain vital for our interlocutors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harun Nasution has been known as a Muslim thinker influencing several Muslim intellectuals who have educational backgrounds of IAIN (State College for Islamic Studies) or UIN (State Islamic University) in Indonesia. This research is done to know the extent of Harun Nasution's influence in Indonesian Islamic universities. This article uses qualitative methods. This article finds that Harun Nasution reformed the curriculum of Indonesian Islamic universities and built his intellectual network from his position as rector, director of post-graduates, lecturer, and author. His thought is then developed and spread by his students who are lecturers at IAIN or UIN. Some of them studied in foreign universities, and others studied in Indonesia. Harun Nasution's intellectual network is built through classrooms at these Islamic universities. By providing UIN Suska Riau as a case study, this article finds that Muslim intellectuals as agents have negotiated Harun Nasution's thought as a structure. Harun Nasution's thoughts influenced some Muslim intellectuals, but others were not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors discuss the contribution of the target article (Sulaeman et al., Contemporary Islam, 16(2), 225–257, 2022) and further studies on the communication patterns of Muslim communities after involvement in the pela gandong ritual. The target article qualitatively explores identity transformation, employing the theories of ritual processes and civic pluralism. The authors found differences in the meaning and treatment of communication acceptance after involvement with the surrounding environment. After involvement, the authors are interested in conducting a study of the communication patterns of the Muslim community and with other involved and uninvolved individuals, such as family, friends in the village and outside the village, and fellow members of the pela gandong ritual. Detailed exploration is needed to clarify the after-effects of involvement. The authors found that communication patterns related to forms of communication through verbal and nonverbal communication were classified into six categories: (1) spiritual communication, (2) family communication, (3) community communication, (4) cross-religious communication, (5) religious organization communication, and (6) government communication. The authors argue that the Muslim community faces psychological disorders of intrapersonal and interpersonal communication after involvement. This study contributes to the acceptance of different religious contexts, and there is no difference in the social context daily with the application of religious values and local traditions. Strengthening acceptance of treatment is very important for overcoming disharmony that reflects human values such as self-identity. This contribution is very important in the digital era to influence cross-religion by building kinship bonds of social identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The southernmost Thailand insurgency has increased violence since the early 2000s. It is a cause of learning loss and psychological stress among students, primarily Muslims. Having been exposed to unrest for a long time, students lack confidence and lose interest in learning many subjects, including physics. Culturally responsive teaching can provide a solution by searching for and using funds of knowledge embodied in physics concepts to facilitate meaningful learning and to build pride in their cultural identity. The present study aims to search for funds of knowledge that embody physics concepts to exemplify culturally responsive physics education. The study employs ethnography in which provincial culturalists and a curator of a local museum were interviewed in-depth, and the researcher immersed in and conducted observations of the creation of Bulan kites with local experts for an extended period of time. Meanings in the qualitative data were discerned using narrative analysis. The results indicate three assertions, as follows: (1) There are cultural artifacts in the southernmost provinces of Thailand that have the potential to be used in physics education. (2) The outsiders' appreciation of cultural artifacts causes the local community and students to begin to value their own funds of knowledge. (3) Unrest has caused misunderstandings among non-Muslim Thais, which can be resolved using cultural artifacts and the stories behind them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Israel's approximately 250,000 Bedouins self-define as indigenous because they are the original inhabitants of the Negev, the country's southern region, and lived there before the establishment of the state in 1948. Their society has undergone substantial changes since the 1960s, following the government's decision to urbanize this population. This process has had many social, economic, and political ramifications. The Bedouin population is young, and its percentage of young people is higher than that of Israel's overall population. One of the ramifications of urbanization is that young Bedouin men have entered the labor market and institutions of higher education. How do these young men experience the changes and life in an urban village? For them, what is the meaning of belonging? Is their sense of belonging to the village, the tribe, the family, or the nation? This qualitative study of 20 educated Bedouin young men found that there is no sense of belonging to the geophysical space of the village; the urban space is alienated. There is, however, a feeling of respect and belonging to the tribe, to the Arab and Muslim people, and to Arab Islamic thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates competing explanations for the effect of education on native adolescents' Muslim population size perceptions. Drawing on theories about heuristic reasoning, we analyze to what extent the effect of education on size perceptions may be explained by differences in contact with and prejudice towards Muslims. The hypotheses are tested using longitudinal data on adolescents in the Netherlands (N = 1218). Overall, there is a tendency to overestimate the size of the national Muslim population. Furthermore, we find that higher educated adolescents tend to provide lower estimates of the Muslim population size. This relationship is partially mediated by earlier differences in school composition, as Muslims are concentrated to a greater extent in lower education. The relation between education and size perceptions cannot be attributed to differences in prejudice. Hence, we conclude that the effect of education on size perceptions is likely due to greater numeracy rather than negative evaluations of the outgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]