Canadian Muslims: Discourses of Citizenship and Political Entitlement.

The paper reports on studies conducted in Canada as part of a cross-national exploration of Muslim diasporic identities in the post 9/11 world. Muslims constitute the second-largest religious affiliation in Canada and are an increasingly important socio-political force. The close proximity of Canada to the USA in an era of homeland security, the war against terrorism and the invasion of Iraq, has conditioned a complex of actions and reactions. Both within the Muslim community and between that community and other Canadians, social relations and social representations have recently been undergoing profound reconfigurations, reflective of the ebbs and flows of global forces. Despite the presence in Canada of a significant anti-terrorist discourse and some associated anti-Muslim hostility, the overall discursive tenor of both Muslims and non-Muslims has been one of positive engagement and assertive integration. The principal orientations have been those of efficacious citizenship, anti-racism and the development of community relations of trust and understanding. The study is multi-method and incorporates documentary analysis, in-depth interviewing, content analysis and discourse analysis. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]