Conversion To Islam - Kose

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Résumé :
This study focuses on the conversion experiences of seventy native British converts to Islam. K?se addresses the following questions: Why do people covert to Islam? What are the backgrounds of the converts? What are the patterns over time? And how far are existing conversion theories applicable to further group study? He examines a full range of social and psychological forces at work in the complex conversion experience.Chapter One deals with the history and present situation of both life-long Muslims and converts living in Britain. Chapter Two focuses on childhood and adolescent experiences. Chapter Three examines the background of the convert regarding religion. Chapter Four looks at the post-conversion period, the relationship between converts and to parents and society at large. And Chapter Five reveals the findings on conversions through Sufism. Comparisons between conversions through Sufism and through new religious movements in the West are also made.Sure to be an important addition to the study of religious conversion, this work is one of the only documentations which considers conversion to Islam either from outside or within Islam.

Biographie:
Ali K?se

Sommaire:
Part 1 Muslims in Britain: immigrant Muslims of Britain - the history of Muslims in Britain, the contemporary Muslim community; native British Muslims - the history of native British Muslims - the Liverpool Mosque and Muslim Institute, the Woking Mission, the contemporary native British Muslims - the Islamic Party of Britain, the Association for British Muslims; Da'wah strategy in Britain - indirect Da'wah approach, direct Da'wah approach. Part 2 On the way to conversion: childhood experiences - happiness versus unhappiness, father figure in childhood - absent or withdrawn father, mother - father's substitute and independence from her, parents' affiliation and upbringing regarding religion, Freud and religious conversion; conversion and adolescence - conversion age, emotional and cognitive issues in adolescence, rebellion conversion, Eriksonian concept of identity - moratorium and conversion at a later age. Part 3 Conversion process: background analysis - religion, socio-economic status; immediate antecedents of conversion - emotional antecedents, cognitive antecedents; conversion motifs (patterns); social influence in the process of conversion and the conversion process model - the convert as a social type, conversion through marriage, conversion process model. Part 4 Postconversion - the transformed self: the new being - change - beliefs, practice and habits, maintenance and socialization, cultural transition, relations with parents, ex-friends and the society. Part 5 Conversion through Sufism: Sufism - the agent of Islam, Sufism in the West; Sufism and new religious movements (NRMs) in the West - resemblance between Sufis and NRMs' members with regard to their background; the group of Shaykh Nazim - mission in Britain, initiation to the group, Dhikr and the belief of lower-self, basic teachings of the Shaykh which play major role in attracting converts and some features of the group, leader-member relations, psychotherapeutic treatment; findings on Sufi and non-Sufi differences regarding their backgrounds and conversion experiences.