In different cultural contexts, the Islamic discursive traditions are influenced by the historical changes to which they relate through changes and continuities. Public Islam offers patterns of lifestyle, community, political activity, informed by piety. In two different historical contexts (Syria before the 2011 uprisings and war and Tunisia after the 2011 revolution), Islam enters the public space in different ways (it operates in the gray areas between public and private in Syria, clearly in the public space in Tunisia), covers different themes (family life and rituals in Syria, political change in Tunisia) and therefore performs transformative or conservative functions. In both cases, the public discourse of Islam is legitimized by a reference to texts that are examined separately or together in a new way, questioning traditional authoritative interpretations of Scripture
