Organising Muslims and Integrating Islam: Applying Organisational Sociology to the Study of Islamic Organisations

Abstract

Since 9/11, Islamic organisations have been expected to function as integration facilitators, as 24-hour contact partners for politics and media, and as counterterrorism activists. How does this affect these organisations? And what are their desires for their members in this context? In contrast to existing studies, this research closely examines the perspective of Islamic umbrella organisations vis-à-vis their changing political and institutional environments. It analyses their organisational behaviour from an innovative research perspective based on organisational sociology. Through a comparative analysis of three major Islamic umbrella organisations in Germany, distinct patterns of organisational behaviour emerge. While politicians wish for organisational adaptation to their expectations, the study also reveals a potential for decoupling and protest behaviour due to conflicting member interests and a perceived lack of external resource opportunities. Organisational protest is mainly directed at the securitisation and islamification of integration debates, and the often rather symbolic politics of cooperation and recognition. At the same time, legitimacy and efficiency considerations can explain why Islamic organisations attempt to overcome internal disputes when trying to satisfy political expectations. The paper also outlines open research questions and critically discusses possible future developments within this emerging organisational field.

The Internal and Regulatory Environment of Organic Farming in Laguna Province, Philippines

“…There is a need to establish linkages and networks among organizations engaging in organic agriculture because this will facilitate coordination of organic agricultural programs (National Organic Agriculture Board, 2011). This indicates that organizations have to unite with internal and external expectations while securing legitimacy and efficiency within a constantly changing environment (Rosenow-Williams, 2014). Organizations also exist with external environment necessitating them to have exchanges with other organizations.…”

Staat und Islam

“…7 , 2013b Der ZMD bemühte sich direkt nach dem 11 . Ein solcher Konflikt zwischen Einfluss-und Mitgliederlogik kann schließlich eine strategische Neuausrichtung hervorrufen, die sich stärker an Konfrontation oder Protest orientiert .…”

“…Je größer der Konflikt, je stärker die Abhängigkeit von den eigenen Mitgliedern und je schwächer die Einflusslogik, desto wahrscheinlicher ist ein Protestverhalten der Akteure .Diese Annahmen wurden von, 2013b) erfolgreich zur Erklärung des organisationalen Verhaltens islamischer Dachverbände in den ersten zehn Jahren des 21 . Jahrhundert analysiert .…”

“…hat in Bezug auf die drei Strategien Anpassung, Entkopplung und Protest das Verhalten von drei islamischen Dachverbänden im 21 . Die IGMG kritisiert dementsprechend die sicherheitspolitischen Entwicklungen direkter und offener als andere Verbände, wie etwa die DITIB und der ZMD, die beide darauf angewiesen sind, eine Balance zwischen den Aktionen der Kooperation und des Protests zu finden, 2013b . Als erklärende Variablen definiert sie dabei die faktische und wahrgenommene Abhängigkeit von den Mitgliedern, die Einflusslogik im Sinne von durch Kooperationsverhalten erhältlichen Ressourcen (vgl .…”

Integrating European Muslims Through Discourse? Understanding the Development and Limitations of Euro-Islam in Europe

“…While Euro-Islam might be the answer to the problems Muslims face in Europe, the question raised is to what extent has the Euro-Islam been promoted and implemented? In general, most of the literature on integration of Islam in Europe tends to investigate this question by focusing on the dynamics between Muslim organisations and governments and other actors at a national level (Arkilic 2015;Kroissenbrunner 2003;Rosenow-Williams 2014b;Yukleyen 2009). There is a dearth of studies analysing the development of Euro-Islam from academic discourse to the mobilisation of the idea by Muslim organisations at the European level.…”