Amidst Securitization and Stigmatization: The Everyday Challenges for Swedish-Muslim Civil Society Organizations

Research on the securitization and stigmatization of Muslim communities in the Western world has highlighted the effects of the global “War on Terror” on Muslim civil society organizations (MCSOs), particularly in terms of state repression. However, less attention has been paid to how this stigma impacts the daily activities of MCSOs. Drawing on interviews with 14 prominent Muslim civil society leaders in Sweden, this article identifies two central challenges for MCOs due to Islamophobia-driven securitization and stigmatization of Muslim civil society. The findings reveal a pervasive fear among other organizations and institutions about associating with MCSOs, as well as hesitation among Swedish Muslims to engage in a Muslim organization—highlighting associative stigma as a key everyday issue for MCSOs. These dynamics create significant barriers, limiting MCSOs’ access to spheres of influence and their capacity to mobilize for change. By employing stigma theory, this study concludes that Islamophobia restricts the equal participation of MCSOs within Swedish civil society by contributing to a general status loss for Muslim civil society that undermines the democratic legitimacy of MCSOs.