RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE SYRIAN CRISIS:A STUDY OF ISLAMIC DISCOURSES ON REFUGEES (2011-2017)

Abstract

The conflict following the Syrian popular uprising against the Assad dictatorial regime has resulted in a massive displacement of Syrian nationals. In the context of the on-going violence and destruction, Syrian migration has thus become a hotly debated and contested issue in Syria and abroad, involving political, religious and social actors of different stripes. This thesis focuses specifically on religious discourses. It studies how different groups of Muslim scholars (the official ᶜUlamāʾ, oppositional ᶜUlamāʾ and ISIS) have responded to the refugee crisis at the individual and institutional levels. The thesis explores first how the different positions adopted by religious actors are justified Islamically, what religious concepts are invoked, and the various ways in which these concepts are defined. The thesis then highlights how the fatwas on the refugee crisis are shaped more broadly by the political and ideological commitments of the muftis. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to wider debates about religion and politics in the contemporary Muslim world.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Islamic Studies