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![handle is hein.journals/mujlt1 and id is 463 raw text is: V. Sisler: The Internet and the Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Europe
THE INTERNET AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF
ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE IN EUROPE
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VIT SISLER
Muslim communities in Europe vary greatly in regards to their ethnic origin and
geographical location as well as their religious and cultural backgrounds. From
Muslims in the Balkans, settled in the area for centuries, to the first-generation im-
migrants of Asian or African Muslims in the Western Europe, these communities
live in a legal and political framework where the Islamic law is not recognized as a
legitimate source of law and thus is not applied by the state authorities. According
to some scholars, the specific conditions in European Muslim communities contrib-
ute to a series of social and political changes, briefly referred to as the 'privatiza-
tion' and 'individualization' of Islam. Given the distinctive character of the Islamic
decision making process, a new paradigm has emerged in the construction of Islam-
ic knowledge and interpretative authority. Within this new paradigm established
'traditional' authorities operate in coexistence with Internet based muftis, on-line
fatwa databases and individual Islamic blogs. The Internet arguably holds the po-
tential to reshape inequities in the distribution of information tied to other forms of
mass media. This paper examines how, and if ever, the Internet Islamic sites after
several years of operation change the process of decision making and construction of
Islamic knowledge within European Muslim minorities.
INTRODUCTION [1]
Islam is often referred to as a religion of orthopraxy. It gives to believers
guidelines for almost all aspects of life, from the beginning to the end of hu-
man existence. In this respect shari'a - Islamic law - is central to Islam.' It
I In this paper I refer to Sunni Islam unless explicitly mentioned.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/mujlt1&div=41&collection=journals&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)