Muslim minorities in Europe are often portrayed in Western discourses as either secularized and "integrated" or religiously devout and "segregated". The article challenges this common dichotomization. It argues that some Muslim minorities manifest their Islamic identity by concurrently promoting certain aspects of European integration agendas while rejecting others. These individuals endorse active and constructive Muslim participation in majority non-Muslim societies, yet justify any such interactions using ideological or physical constructs that both reaffirm Islam as a binding religious-legal system regulating all aspects of life and fortify identities that are distinct from Western ones. The article examines various models for this duality in the field of sports and focuses on the case of Germany's first Islamic fitness center for women, Al-Hayat in Cologne, which opened in April 2007. Through a field study, the article explores how the gym, which the German media depicts as an example of Muslim segregation but which its owner and members believe to be a force for integration, simultaneously advances aspects of both integration and segregation.
Professional and amateur sports have become the focus of much attention in contemporary Islamic law. In recent years, jurists have issued fatwās (religious opinions) in response to hundreds of queries about the legitimacy of sporting activities. ese queries cover a wide field of subjects: karate, mixed-gender swimming and the high salaries of soccer players. e mushrooming of fatwās is a sign of the importance of sports amongst Muslims. It also indicates that some sporting activities challenge traditional Islamic values and practices. By presenting an overview of contemporary fatwās dealing with sports, we analyze some of the dilemmas faced by Muslims who wish to practice or enjoy modern sports, and the jurists' attempts to resolve these dilemmas. Using sports as a mirror, we highlight some major lines of friction between two movements: e socially liberal Wasaṭiyya school and the socially conservative Salafiyya school.Professional and amateur sports are the focus of much attention in contemporary Islamic law. In recent years, jurists have issued fatwās in response to hundreds of queries about the legality of sporting activities. These queries cover a wide range of subjects-from karate to mixedgender swimming to the salaries of soccer players. The mushrooming
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