Islam in the public space of multicultural neighbourhoods in southern Europe: The case of Lavapiés, Madrid

Abstract

In current nondenominational plural societies, religious groups understand access to public space as a right to the city. This right legitimizes their status as social actors, who are entitled to have a public life and to be recognized, through various notions linked to modernity and transparency. To explore this hypothesis, this article examines the case of Bangladeshi Muslims in Madrid's multicultural neighborhood of Lavapiés, which has similarities with other multicultural neighborhoods in southern European cities, which has similarities with other multicultural neighbourhoods in southern European cities, such as Lisbon or Rome: a barrio affected by an accelerated gentrification and touristification process. It analyzes the circumstances through which this community attempts to access public space, in order to achieve further legitimization and recognition, by bringing into account the different practices and discourses displayed in specific events and festivities.