Baitul Mukarram: el islam en el espacio público del barrio de Lavapiés

Abstract

In our current nondenominational and plural society, religious groups understand access to public space as a right to the city. This right legitimizes their status as social actors, viewed as diverse and full subjects of law in public life, and responds –in the pursuit of its recognition and inclusion– to various social demands linked to notions of modernity and transparency. To explore this hypothesis, this article examines the case of Bangladeshi Muslims in Madrid’s Lavapiés district. It analyzes the circumstances through which this community attempts to access the public space, and accounts for its different practices and discourses (displayed in specific events and festivities) in order to achieve further legitimization and recognition. Keywords: Islam, Madrid, Lavapiés, public space, right to the city.