Populism and nationalism are rising in many countries in Europe, putting national identity once more on the agenda. The influx of refugees from Africa and the Middle East and terrorist attacks in Europe have fuelled harsh discussions about integration, national identity and Islam. In this context, Islam is often considered to be a threat to European identities. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between religion/secularism and national identity through the experiences of female converts to Islam. These women occupy a controversial position in society: they are often born and raised in Europe and have chosen for a religion that is generally associated with ‘foreignness’. In this context, they are not only confronted with questions of national identity (are they still ‘Dutch’, ‘English’, ‘French’), but also of emancipation (is this a conscious and free choice and how does it influence women’s emancipation?). Through a literature review and discussion of preliminary interview results, it will be investigated how female converts negotiate their multiple belongings, especially with regard to the relationship between religion and national identity. Gender is essential in this conjuncture, as many national, religious and secular markers are gendered and, most of the time, specifically focused on women and their bodily practices. The central questions that guide the paper are: ‘How do specific interpretations of religion, secularism and women’s emancipation inform definitions of Dutch national identity and what can the experiences of ‘insider/outsiders’ teach us about the borders of ‘Dutchness’?’.

Eva Midden is Assistant Professor in Gender Studies, at the Media and Culture Studies Department, at Utrecht University. She was recently involved in the European Research Project ‘MIGNET’ for which she conducted research on migration, gender and religious practices in new media. Midden’s current research is connected to the project ‘postsecular nationalism’ and focuses on gender, religion and national identity in the context of conversion to Islam. Her general research interests include feminist theory, postcolonial theory, intersectionality, (post)secular(ism), whiteness and media analysis. Her recent publications include: Transformations of Religion and the Public Sphere (ed with Braidotti R., Blaagaard B. de Graauw T.). Postsecular Publics. Edited Volume. Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series. Palgrave MacMillan: Hampshire. and: ‘Rethinking Dutchness: Learning from the Intersections between Religion, Gender and National Identity after Conversion to Islam’. Social Compass December issue 2018. Pre-published online: https://doi.org/10.1177/0037768618800427

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