Abstract
This chapter explores Muslim volunteering within an Islamic organizational context in Australia, focusing on the goals and motives behind Muslims’ civic intra-community engagement. Drawing on interviews and a national survey findings, the chapter underscores that Muslims’ intra-community volunteering is simultaneously directed at contributing to the betterment of society (republican agenda) and supporting the Muslim community (communitarian agenda). The seemingly secular practice of volunteering is typically motivated, primarily or at least partially, by a strong Islamic ethos. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that Muslims who volunteer for a Muslim organization tend to also volunteer in a non-Muslim context; there is little evidence to suggest these Muslims turn their backs to the broader society. Overall, the chapter challenges simplistic views of Muslims’ community engagement and prevalent “secular vs religious” binaries.
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Notes
- 1.
Stukas et al.’s research was carried out in Victoria, the second largest Australian state in terms of population.
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Peucker, M. (2020). Why Do Muslims Engage in Intra-community Volunteering? Insights from a Multi-method Study in Australia. In: Peucker, M., Kayikci, M. (eds) Muslim Volunteering in the West. New Directions in Islam. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26057-6_4
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