Shiʿa Smartphone Communities: Trends of Continuity and Change

Abstract

Abstract This article investigates trends of continuity and differentiability between primarily Italian Shiʿa communities online and offline. Here, “online community” is adopted for groups formed on WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zoom, both before and after the outbreak of covid-19. The similarity and differences between Shiʿa activities in the online and offline spheres are investigated in three main areas: interreligious relations, gender roles, and relations with religious authorities. These fields have been selected because they are where Shiʿas face significant life challenges in a non-Islamic context. Online ethnography and interviews with members of Shiʿa communities were employed to gather data. The results confirm that women’s issues remain resistant to change, even in the online sphere, whereas relations with out-groups, as well as relations with Shiʿa religious authorities, reveal elements of novelty.