영국 이주 무슬림들의 정체성 형성에 관한 연구

Abstract

A Study on the Formation of Identity among Muslim Immigrants in the United Kingdom

Kim, Hwa Sun Advisor : Prof. Hwang, Bung-Ha, Ph.D. Department of Regional Culture Graduate School of Chosun University

The migration of muslims to England became active in the 19th century, and they formed a concrete community through religious, social, organizational, and educational development from the mid 20th century and also formed their identity. This study intended to examine the current status of Islam and muslims in England by focusing on how muslims migrated to England in the early period and the history of the migration, how muslim community was formed, and how muslim identity was formed based on the assumption that the objective understanding of Islam and muslims in England must precede the elimination of the negative view on Islam in English society of the 21st century. The scope of this study was limited to Islam in England up to 2000 as it was deemed impossible to have an objective view of Islam in England in the 21st century by including the unreasonable, unfair discrimination and misunderstanding about Islam and muslims in England based on the Islam phobia which emerged in English society after the 9·11 Attacks in 2001. This study is composed of 6 chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction and it described the purpose of study, advance research, contents of study, and research methods. Chapter 2 examined how muslims migrated to England and the history of the migration in five steps. Step 1 covered English people’s first contact of the Islam in the 7th century, the contact and exchange during the Crusades between the 11th century and the 13th century, migration of muslims to Europe after the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the alliance concluded between Osman Turk Empire and Elizabeth I in 1588, and the entry of muslims into English society from 1725. Step 2 focused on the period starting from when almost all Arab Islam countries began to come under the influence of Europe after European colonialism conquered Arab Islam territories in the 18th century up to the First World War. Step 3 is the history of muslim migration from the First World War to the Second World War. Step 4 is the history of muslim migration from the Second World War to the 4th Middle East War in 1973. Step 5 is the history of muslim migration from the 4th Middle East War to 2000. Chapter 3 examined how migrant muslims in England formed their community. The conflict, opposition, and reconciliation repeated between English society and migrant muslims while they formed the community. Muslims who settled in England in the beginning of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century had diversity in terms of race and status, and they took various approaches depending on the attitude and actions of English society and English people. This chapter focused on the realization of economic goals, expansion of personal freedom, educational opportunity, and development of various human network considering British muslims’ motive for their migration to England. Chapter 4 examined how the identity of migrant muslims in England formed their enculturation with English society based on how muslims participated in English society, culture, political system, and educational institution and the result of their participation for they participated in English society and politics more broadly than their previous generations and understood English culture through the process of enculturation instead of the assimilation or the integration of Islamic culture and English culture. In fact, they have exchanged with English society in various ways while accepting the political values of England such as democracy and the freedom of expression and also maintaining the religious values of Islam. This chapter put an emphasis on muslim women for they played an important role in the formation of muslim identity. Chapter 5 analyzed the identity establishing factors of migrant muslims in England in the aspects of religion, society, organization, politics, and education. The religious aspect was examined through its key contents such as the intensification of religious activities centering on mosques and the activation of muslim network through mosques, the social aspect was examined through how to build a network with English society and the activation of social activities, the organizational aspect through the establishment of various social groups and organizations, the political aspect through the establishment of political organization and active communication or negotiation with English society or government, and the educational aspect through the establishment of muslim schools, Islam education, and activation of multi-cultural education. Finally, Chapter 6 summarized the key elements that constitute muslims’ identity that has evolved in English society up until the 21st century while they have been regarded as the ‘alien’ or the ‘Infidel Within’ in English society. I hope this study helps English society to achieve religious equality based on the principle of reciprocity and have objective understanding of Islam in order to overcome misunderstandings and bias about Islam and realize religious, social, and cultural harmony and reconciliation.