Turkish mosques in Britain as a religious socialization agent

Abstract

A mosque, as a religious place, is one of the constituent institutions of social structure of Muslim society. It is not only a place where religious practices are carried out by participants, but it also has a significant role in the formation of their Islamic identity, and in creation and preservation of sacred memory of the community. It is known that Turkish Muslim immigrants living in various European countries have established mosques/religious places. These places have many different social functions besides being houses of worship. In this regard, religious institutions represent a space where culture and values from the homeland are shared, where courses and educational activities are carried out, possible problems that are experienced in the host countries can be solved and religious and cultural differences towards host countries are symbolized. In this paper, we will focus on the mosques established by Turkish Muslim immigrants in Britain. In this context, the paper will try to search for answers to the following questions: What kind of Islamic discourse Turkish mosques in Britain have? What types of activities are carried out by mosques? Are there any differences among their religious, social and cultural activities? What is the role of mosques in the Turkish Muslim immigrants' religious socialisation processes? This research is methodologically based on empirical evidence. To answer the abovementioned questions, observations which were obtained from on-going field researches, over a long period of time about these issues, will be used.