‘Our Faith Was Also Hijacked by Those People’: Reclaiming Muslim Identity in Canada in a Post-9/11 Era

Although it has been acknowledged in academic literature that many Muslims asserted their Muslim identity after 9/11, this social process has yet to be theorised. Utilising a case study of 30 young well-educated Muslims in Canada, this study theorises Muslim identity formation in the 9/11 era. To do so, I coin the term ‘reactive identity formation’ and extend work done on ‘reactive ethnicity’. I do this by illustrating that the formation of reactive identities is not limited to strengthening ethnic identity and that religious minority groups can experience a similar phenomenon. I then demonstrate that ‘reactive identity formation’ is a complex process which involves both social forces and individual agency.