Abdessamad Belhaj

Authority in Contemporary Islam

Structures, Figures and Functions


The EMB’s authority structures

The EMB is headed by a chairman elected from the EMB board, which consists of 17 members, who are often managers of Muslim associations or mosques; the chairman’s work is supported by two colleges, one French-speaking and one Dutch-speaking, chaired by the two vice-chairmen of the EMB. This linguistic division ensures better management of the French-speaking (Brussels and Wallonia) and Dutch-speaking (Flanders) regions. The EMB has four departments administered by managers: Mosques Department, Imams Department, Education Department and Social Affairs Department. The Council of Theologians is the “fifth department”, although it is composed of theologians and is occasionally called upon by the president for sessions on specific theological issues. Because of this structure, the EMB has authority over the most important figures in the Islamic religious field in Belgium: theologians, imams and teachers of the Muslim religion. In addition, the EMB has the authority to appoint and recognise Islamic chaplains as well as sacrificial workers.1

Authority in Contemporary Islam

Tartalomjegyzék


Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó – Ludovika Egyetemi Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2024

ISBN: 978 963 454 960 4

Authority is a key question in Islamic studies and beyond. This book examines the nature, figures, structures and functions of religious authority in contemporary Islamic ethics. It also discusses how Islamic authority and political power compete and/or cooperate in Muslim contexts and Europe. Moreover, it provides a coherent framework to understand authority as a moral foundation in relation to community, power, tradition and subversion. Various cases from Europe and the Muslim world are studied here to showcase the claims and practices of authority in their contexts. Despite its active role and resourcefulness in contemporary Islam, religious authority has to confront many limitations, including the dynamics of secularisation and individualisation. The author is a senior researcher at the Religion and Society Research Institute of the Eötvös József Research Centre at the University of Public Service (Budapest).

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/belhaj-authority-in-contemporary-islam//

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