Theories of Muslim Identity in Liberal Democratic States: Recognizing Muslim Self-Agency through "Self-Conscious Reflexivity"

This article examines contemporary conceptions of Muslim identity in studies of Muslims living in the West. It is contended that the various conceptions of western Muslim identity can be broken down into two main perspectives: (a) the essentialist perspective, which views Islam and Muslims as uniform and unchanging; (b) the reflexive approach, which overemphasizes aspects of Muslim identity as grounded in normative ideals, and includes liberal and conservative variants. Each approach seeks to define Islamic identity and practice according to the dominant ideology of the nation-state. As an alternative to these conceptions, it is suggested that self-conscious reflexivity – which takes into consideration both empirical realities and the non-inevitability of reform within Islam – is needed to fully grasp the plurality of Muslim identity. This article examines two divergent models of liberal democracy, France and Canada, and shows how the essentialist and reflexive narratives are utilized in the distortion of Muslim identity