Young Finnish Muslims Negotiating Citizenship and Belonging

In my Paper, I present the results of my research on constructions of national and religious belonging among young Muslims in Finland. For my study, I have conducted a survey in Islamic RE classes, interviewed Muslim civil society activists, and analysed Muslim social media networks. I employ a social psychological approach to examine the ways in which my informants negotiate belonging in national and religious categories. Of special interest is how such negotiations are used, for example, to claim agency in the society. I shall demonstrate that representations of Finnishness often exclude Muslims, but national representations may also be used in a flexible manner to construct one's own way to be both a Muslim and a Finn.