Studying Muslims and constructing Islamic identity

For the study of Muslim identity in Europe, including organized as well as non-organized Muslims, the following positions have, in my opinion, a particular relevance: the correlation between researchers' Islam and Muslims' Islam, the relationship between organized and non-organized Muslims, and the consideration of ‘official’ Islam as a form of institutional expression of Islam. The main objective of this contribution is to understand the process of identity formation among Muslim migrants, taking into account their ideological backgrounds and their motivations to organize (or not to organize) themselves as Muslim. My contribution aims at problematizing two main issues: on the one hand, Muslims' own use of Islam and, on the other hand, the role of researchers regarding the interpretation of Muslim identity.