L' Islam a Palermo. Primi appunti di ricerca

Abstract

In a polarised academic debate between the national dynamics of relations between the state and the Islamic religion and the large urban communities of central and northern Italy, the experience of contemporary Muslims in the south is almost absent. The article presents the first research notes on the Muslim community of Palermo, Sicily. To date, there has been no in-depth study of this community. But the analysis of the Muslim communities in Palermo is key to developing a more comprehensive analysis of Muslims in Italy. The strong predominance of the Bangladeshi community over the other national components of the Muslim panorama in Palermo broadens the idea of an Italian Islam, often associated with North African or Middle Eastern countries. Moreover, the Italian paradigm is usually based on the largest Islamic organisations, but Muslims in Palermo are led and organised far from the national struggle for representation.