A longing just to be: British Muslim negotiations of belonging and identity in the multicultural 'Real'

Abstract

© 2015 Dr. Camille La BrooyThis thesis explores how young Muslims in Britain are negotiating belonging and difference in light of the so-called ‘failure’ of multiculturalism in Europe, a fate that has been linked to their supposed failed integration. It has been suggested that the continued existence of radically different practices by Muslims highlights an ‘illiberality’ about multiculturalism, since the latter is alleged to license these practices. The thesis presents findings of content and critical discourse analyses of 503 articles from national newspapers in Britain examining the media’s representations of Muslims around the period of the London bombings, together with interviews undertaken with 40 British Muslim youths – 30 in 2008 and 10 in 2015. It is argued that while Muslim ‘differences’ are recognised, their negative representation signifies that there exist limits to what can be tolerated in multicultural states. It is argued that the alleged failure of multiculturalism is a reflection of multiculturalism’s inherent liberality rather than illiberality. The fact that (perceived) radical difference beyond the spaces allotted by liberalism cannot be tolerated represents the failure of multiculturalism