Hybrid Muslim identities in digital space: The Italian blog Yalla

Abstract

Islam is often regarded as being incompatible with European values. In Italy, for example, anti-Islamic points of view reiterate the religion's alleged inconsistency with Catholicism and secularism. This article argues that narrative practices can challenge this idea by articulating Muslim hybrid identities that are compatible with Italian culture and society. The second-generation blog Yalla Italia represents a 'third space' where young Italian Muslims contrast dominant media stereotypes, thereby creating 'disruptive flows of dissent'. A textual analysis of the blog and interviews with some of the bloggers reveal that three main topics are employed to overcome marginalization: (1) critiques of mainstream media (2) narratives about family lives and the practice of Islam, and (3) advocacy of a quicker procedure for gaining Italian citizenship. The bloggers adopt a storytelling style to press for social and institutional change and explain how they succeed in adapting Islam to Italian society. Their religious diversity is thus perceived as providing a potential for Italy, rather than being a mark of marginalization. Article Evolvi: Hybrid Muslim identities in digital space 221 avec la culture et la société italienne. Le blog de deuxième génération Yalla Italia représente un « espace tiers » où les jeunes musulmans d'Italie peuvent contester les stéréotypes médiatiques et créer des « courants dissidents ». L'analyse textuelle du blog, ainsi que des entrevues avec des blogueurs révèlent que trois sujets sont principalement utilisés pour aider à surmonter la marginalisation des musulmans dans la société italienne: (1) la critique de médias traditionnels ; (2) les récits de la vie de famille et de la pratique de l'islam ; (3) la promotion d'une procédure plus rapide pour obtenir la citoyenneté italienne. En employant la narration, les blogueurs plaident pour le changement social et institutionnel et présentent leur diversité religieuse comme un atout pour la société italienne, plutôt qu'une marque de marginalisation. Keywords

Coronavirus-Driven Digitalization of In-Person Communities. Analysis of the Catholic Church Online Response in Spain during the Pandemic

“…Furthermore, the online space can reinforce religious identity and beliefs in the same way that the offline space does, or conversely, it can generate doubts about them (Kołodziejska 2020;Abdel-Fadil 2017). For Evolvi (2017), "the Internet differs somewhat from other media in its ability to provide a space for more nuanced identity negotiations and discourse formations". Hoover (2006) highlights the legitimizing power of communication platforms.…”

“…The internet is, thus, a space in which believers can freely interact on their own beliefs outside of the dynamics and conditions of offline communities; in a way, this might seem individualized, fragmented and to break the institutional authority dynamics of face-toface communities (Hoover 2016;Evolvi 2017;Lundmark 2019). However, Kołodziejska (2015) affirms that coherence between identity and messages in the virtual space is to be expected, as it is in the offline space.…”

Rituals in Discourses of Digital Orthodox Christianity: Methodology and Research Trends

“…Научный анализ цифровой религии развиваются вокруг трёх основных темидентичность, общность и аутентичность эпистемического авторитета. В онлайн реальности религиозных коммуникаций вебсайты, влоги и блоги становятся средой для конструирования новых религиозных идентичностей и трансформации границ и компонентов традиционных идентичностей [Campbell, 2010;Lövheim, 2013;Evolvi, 2017]. Исследования онлайн религиозных сообществ позволили установить, каким образом изменяются представления о религиозной вовлечённости, как офлайн религиозные общины становятся неразрывно связанными с сетевыми онлайн практиками.…”

“…участвуют в онлайн-форумах; -создают блоги, привлекая к себе новых сторонников и укрепляя свой авторитет у паствы; -принимают позицию экспертов; -используют популярные социальные сети и мобильные приложения для расширения миссионерского поля [Campbell, 2010[Campbell, , 2016Cheong, Huang, Poon, 2011;Evolvi, 2017;Kołodziejska, 2018].…”

Global Perspectives on Religion, Media and Public Scholarship

“…Muslim youth born in Europe may be frustrated by media representations of Islam as "other" to European culture or inevitably connected with terrorism. Digital media may offer European Muslims a venue to engage with public audiences (Evolvi, 2017). In the case of young Italian Muslims, a way to interact with society is the storytelling of their everyday experiences to normalize the public presence of Islam (Frisina, 2010).…”