Muslims and Politics: Islamic communities as religious interest groups

Abstract

The growing presence of Muslims in Spain sets new demands and strains that examine the ability of Spanish society to accept “other” religions and “other” cultural practices. Based on a concept of interest groups, we can expect the creation of associations representing those interests. This paper analyzes the collective behaviour and configuration of interests of Muslims in the city of Granada. We rely on two case studies to draw our conclusions: first, the long Muslim claim to have an Islamic cemetery and, secondly, the tense negotiations about “el Día de la Toma”. We have used a qualitative methodology based on interviews with key players and references to local press, official documents and private reports. We provide some conclusions: first, in regard to their organization, we must understand the Islamic communities -varied, numerous and not always connected- as the most representative interlocutors. Second, their influence will be characterized by their (to date) outsider position, something that will prevent them from developing high-impact, short-time strategies. And third, continuity in claims leads them to achieve, in whole or in part, their goals.