Abstract
Chapter 5 explains that, in Geneva, second-generation and women’s Islamic associations have successfully transformed the aims of the associations operated by the Muslim Brotherhood and Saudi Arabia. Various Islamic associations formed a unique cantonal federation to promote sociocultural activities in collaboration with civil-society actors. The secularised Canton of Geneva does not recognise any religious associations by virtue of their religious identity, but does finance associations to develop useful activities in the social and cultural arenas. In Geneva, the cantonal secularism fosters partnerships between Islamic associations with laic associations and shape Islamic activities outside the mosque.
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- 1.
However, other sociocultural reasons were already present, such as cultural activities and sports; humanitarian aid; help for students, unemployed immigrants, and poorer members; improving conditions for Muslim women; developing communitarian ties; and integrating the second generation of immigrants and newcomers, and encouraging social cohesion. Other reasons included the desire to develop diversity inside the Islamic community. Among the less relevant reasons given for the founding of organisations were the promotion of active citizenship, the desire to provide positive information on Islam to the public at large, and interreligious dialogue. Source: Survey question no. 49/A.
- 2.
See data from the Federal Statistical Office. 2011. ‘Structural Survey’. www.bfs.admin.ch. Available at: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/catalogues-databases/tables.assetdetail.188406.html. (22.02.2017).
- 3.
See data from the Federal Statistical Office. 2011. ‘Structural Survey’. www.bfs.admin.ch. Available at: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/catalogues-databases/tables.assetdetail.188406.html. (22.02.2017).
- 4.
Since 1992, the law has stipulated that, in calculating a period of 12 years, the period that the applicant has lived in Switzerland between the ages of 10 and 20 counts as double for obtaining Swiss nationality (Gutzwiller 2008). This reform was implemented after several failed proposals intending to facilitate naturalisation for second-generation immigrants born in the country. In 1994, a new attempt was made to reform the constitution to make uniform the cantonal and municipal requirements for the naturalisation procedure for second-generation immigrants. Although reform project was, rejected. As a consequence of this rejection, some cantons signed a convention to define uniform criteria for the naturalisation of young foreigners (Gutzwiller 2008) and 14 cantons (AR, BS, BE, FR, GE, GL, GR, JU, NE, SO, TI, VD, ZH, ZG) signed reciprocity agreements that simplified the naturalisation of young foreigners educated in Switzerland, among them Geneva and Zurich. The other 12 cantons did not accept any simplification of the procedures for second-generation immigrants (AG, AI, BL, LU, NW, OW, SG, SH, SZ, TG, UR, VS). Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Jura, Neuchatel, Vaud, and Zurich further modified their laws to simplify naturalisation procedures (Gutzwiller 2008).
- 5.
See data from the Federal Statistical Office. 2015. ‘Structural Survey’. www.bfs.admin.ch. Available at: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/fr/home/statistiques/population/langues-religions/religions.assetdetail.1822033.html. (22.02.2017).
- 6.
ACMM. ‘ACCM’. 2017. Available at: http://www.acmm.ch/home.html. (02.02.2017).
- 7.
The foundation is less dependent on membership fees than associations are because it has a capital base (Bennani-Chraïbi et al. 2011).
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Banfi, E. (2018). Islamic Sociocultural Activism in Geneva. In: Welfare Activities by New Religious Actors . Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62096-1_5
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