Call for Paper: Muslims, Sports and Physical Activity

Date posted: September 29, 2015

In the recent years, there have been an increasing number of studies on the physical activity of muslim youth and especially on Muslim schoolgirls in Europe. The researches on physical activity have expanded in new domains such as sports activities during the month of Ramadan, wearing headscarf in olympic games and footbal matches, halal meals in football training camps, mixed-sex swimming lessons and dancing clubs. Sports are also at the centre of the debates on Islamic expressions of identity and diversity. These researches on life experiences of Muslims in different contexts reveal how sports constitute a terrain for identity making, empowerment, and religious plurality particularly with regards to Islam.

The visibility of Muslim and the presence of Islam in sports need specific attention. On the one hand, there is an increase in social mobility, socialisation and participation in the society via sport; on the other hand, research has indicated that this participation in sports reveals some particularities in Islamic codes of living. These particularities and religious expressions in sports are seen as a means of defying secular values and life.

This workshop attempts to provide more insight on the relationship between Muslims who live in Europe and sports-physical activity. We would like to examine how Muslims make sense of religion and their religious identity in sportive activities and how public policies are organized vis-a-vis the needs of the Muslim populations in Europe. The geographical scope is not only limited to Europe. During this workshop we want to adress a range of issues such as space, gender, social inclusion, multiculturalism, citizenship, politics of identity and secularism.

Tuition Fees

There will be no tuition fees.

Outcome

An edited book will be produced and published comprising some or all of the papers presented at the Workshop, at the condition that they pass a peer review organized by the publisher. The papers will be arranged and introduced, and to the extent appropriate, edited, by scholar(s) to be appointed by the Editorial Board.

Selection Criteria

The workshop will accept up to 10 participants, each of whom must meet the following requirements:

– have a professional and/or research background in related topics of the workshop;
– be able to attend the entire programme.

Since the Workshop expects to address a broad range of topics while the number of participants has to be limited, writers submitting abstracts are requested to bear in mind the need to ensure that their language is technical only where it is absolutely necessary and the language should be intelligible to non-specialists and specialists in disciplines other than their own; and present clear, coherent arguments in a rational way and in accordance with the usual standards and format for publishable work.

Timetable

Abstracts (300–500 words maximum) and CVs (maximum 1 page) to be received by EXTENDED 5 October 2015
Abstracts to be short-listed by the Editorial Board and papers invited by 6 October 2015
Conference: 7 December 2015

Workshop Editorial Board and Organizers

Joyce Koeman, Institute for Media Studies, KU Leuven

Pascal Delheye, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven

Erkan Toğuşlu, Gülen Chair and IMMRC, KU Leuven

Venue

KU Leuven University, Belgium.

The international workshop is organized by KU Leuven Gülen Chair for Intercultural Studies, Institute for Media Studies and Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences (FaBeR). The language of the workshop is English and will be hosted by KU Leuven Gülen Chair in Leuven.