Young Belgian Muslims: Between religious reactivity and individualisation

In Belgium, since the first instances of girls wearing headscarves in schools in 1989, the public discussion on the place of Islam and Muslims in Belgian society has been almost constant. That debate has become more polarised in the wake of the attacks of 22 March 2016. The results presented in this paper are drawn from 16 group discussions and 20 individual semi-structured interviews. We investigate the weight of discrimination processes on identity formation in the light of both reactive religiosity and individualisation and secularization theoretical frameworks. Our data show that strongly identifying as Muslim is not experienced as being exclusive of other types of identifications claimed simultaneously. Then, we illustrate the processes of reflexivity, appropriation, and individualisation of belief, as well as the negotiation or even circumvention of certain religious norms that are ongoing among Brussels' Muslim youth.