Mapping constructions of Islamic space in North America: A frame-work for further inquiry

Abstract

This study seeks to begin the process of articulating a new understanding of conceptualizing Islam in North America. Unlike previous studies that examine North American Islam from the perspectives of sociology or history, what follows attempts to use certain questions formulated by the anthropology of religion. This calls for examining the complexity and messiness of Islams, especially as they relate to equally unstable factors such as culture and society. From there, this study focusses on the relationship of various Islams to multivalent North American urban spaces, showing how such spaces affect Muslim understandings of gender, sexuality and religion.