Halal-tv: Negotiating the place of religion in Swedish public discourse

Abstract

In the fall 2008 the program Halal-tv, where three young, Muslim women discussed Swedish society and culture, caused several debates in Swedish media. This article analyzes the first debate taking place in op-ed articles in the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet and blog posts linking to these. The analysis focuses on the understandings of the place of religion in public discourse expressed in the debate. The authors conclude that the debate, on the one hand, confirms a polarized understanding of Swedish values as opposed to religious values. On the other hand, there are indications that Halal-tv opened up a space for negotiations of the role of the media in representing religion, and the place of religion in Swedish culture. In analyzing perspectives and issues brought up in the debate this article can contribute to further research on media as arena for negotiations of the place of religion in post-secular society.