German-speaking Salafis in Switzerland: Sketching contemporary spectra and analyzing moral negotiations

• Applicant: Dr. Mira Menzfeld
• Subject Area: Social and Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology ; Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies ; Religious Studies and Jewish Studies
• Term: from 2019 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 420579519

The project intends to sketch contemporary Salafi spectra in German-speaking Switzerland. Additionally, moral negotiations and ordinary ethics in everyday life will be observed to explain how Salafis belonging to certain groups tend to argue and act. Former studies on Salafism in German-speaking regions in Switzerland highlighted security issues and relied on external categories of Salafi persons, while usually focusing on violent jihadism. This fails to recognize the blurry demarcation lines between jihadis and non-jihadis. Furthermore, it does not provide a deeper understanding of emic categorizations, group interrelations, reasoning and action patterns within Salafi spectra.This project proposes a new perspective on Salafism in Switzerland, arguing that crucial elements of Salafi belief and action become particularly comprehensive when it comes to moral evaluations of everyday situations, and following decisions or actions. The study will reveal- which moral evaluations are triggered in everyday lives of Salafis based on which reasoning patterns, and what these evaluations result in (decisions, actions, etc);- based on which religious key concepts (or non-religious reasons) they explain their behavior;- how patterns in dealing with supposedly morally demanding situations are connected to the Salafi group they feel close to;- how different spectra vary in interpreting religious key concepts in order to live in a supposedly good and ‘moral’ manner.Approaches from cultural anthropology are an effective tool for understanding emic reasoning about belonging to (or staying away from) certain Salafi spectra; emic perceptions of moral challenges; and also the resulting action strategies. Therefore, participant observation and narrative-explorative interviews lie at the heart of this study. Decision-making, (re)action patterns and solidarities among Salafis will be explained by using analytical tools that moral anthropology provides.The intended outcome of the project is a processual sketch of the contemporary German-speaking salafiyya in Switzerland. As well, the study will explain specific evaluation patterns among Salafis, leading to particular (re)actions and argumentation styles. Therefore, it provides basic information for Salafi studies in general, and lays ground for follow-up studies. Furthermore, the mentioned insights can help to identify and evaluate potentially security-sensitive persons in a more elaborated manner. Thus, the results are relevant for anthropologists, scholars of religious and Islamic studies, political scientists, terrorism and extremism studies, national politics, and interested members of the general public.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Host: Professorin Dr. Dorothea Lüddeckens