The Appeal of Salafism

How can it be that an ideology that has been around for centuries is suddenly experiencing such a resurgence among young people in Western Europe? Why are young men and women, either with or without a "migration background", longing for a return to the Middle Ages and thus coming together to form one of the most dynamic contemporary youth movements and protest cultures in Europe? On the basis of empirical findings and theoretical reflections (following Bourdieu's habitus concept), the attractiveness of the movement is reconstructed from the perspective of the young people..

Experiences of discrimination and exclusion in combination with national and international developments play a role here. But especially in times of individualism and „Retrotopia“ (Z. Bauman) Salafism offers a collective strategy, identity and belonging. The historically rare constellation in which young people can provoke with radical asceticism and nostalgia provides a sounding board for marginalised young people by making a virtue out of necessity. Those who feel excluded, unable to participate in society, don't have much to lose when they join a radical group. On the contrary: taking this step can turn a sense of powerlessness into one of autonomy and strength. In this respect it is much more a political movement than a religious movement. It follows that unequal opportunities to participate in society on the one hand and Islamophobia on the other increase the provocative potential of the movement, thereby contributing to its enduring appeal. How youth and provocation will blend into an ultra-conservative movement in the long term remains to be seen.