A Comparative Study of the Politics of Mosque Building in European Cities

A comparative international study is currently underway at CRESR with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Spain, exploring the politics of mosque construction in cities. This collaborative cross-national research project examines in-depth case studies of mosque siting and construction in two cities, Sheffield, in the North of England and Barcelona, Catalonia. The research at CRESR involves undertaking an analysis of planning documentation, analysis of local media coverage to examine the socio-political conflict related to the construction of mosques in Europe and more specifically delves into the local media coverage related to the Sheffield case study. A small team will be undertaking up to 20 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including planners, mosque users and local resident groups in order to explore the politics of the mosque's development and to locate these within wider contemporary debates about social cohesion and multiculturalism in the UK. For further information contact Nadia Bashir on 0114 2254525; n.bashir@shu.ac.uk